What happened to Ronnie in The Diplomat?

The Diplomat Season 2 is finally here, with Ambassador Kate Wyler chasing the truth behind the HMS Courageous attack and Season 1’s shocking cliffhanger – and if you can’t remember what happened to Ronnie, we’ve got you covered.

The Diplomat was an unexpected hit on Netflix in 2023. The first season followed Kate, the US ambassador to the United Kingdom, as she acclimated to her new role, forging important alliances, trying to defuse an international crisis, or contending with her outspoken husband – who held her position before her.

It had a jaw-dropping ending: Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge was (seemingly) the mastermind behind the British warship attack, and a car bomb explosion nearly left her a widow.

There’s a lot of moving parts and new faces (like Allison Janney’s US vice president) in the binge-worthy series, so don’t blame yourself if you forget exactly what went down last time.

Who is Ronnie in The Diplomat?

Ronnie Buckhurst (Jess Chanliau) worked as a foreign service officer under Stuart Hayford, the UK embassy’s chief of mission, and Kate in Season 1.

Netflix

They were basically an office clerk, assisting Kate and Stuart with all matters of diplomacy – but they became collateral damage in the finale.

What happened to Ronnie?

Ronnie was killed by the car bomb explosion that targeted Merritt Grove, a Tory member of parliament, in the closing minutes of Season 1.

Netflix

It all happened so fast. Grove approached Kate’s husband Hal for an urgent meeting, leaving Kate furious; he clearly resented Kate’s rise to power, and meeting with Grove suggesting he may have been pursuing a Secretary of State position.

She forbade Hal from meeting with Grove and sent Stuart and Ronnie instead. When they turned up, Grove was furious and stormed out to his car, with Stuart and Hal rushing after him. As he opened the door, his car exploded, killing Grove instantly.

Stuart and Hal somehow survived, but Ronnie was severely injured by the impact of the explosion. In the opening episode of Season 2, surgeons desperately try to save Ronnie – but after over 10 hours in surgery, they pass away, leaving Kate and Stuart devastated.

Netflix

Speaking to TV Line, series creator Debora Cahn revealed Ronnie’s death was the plan “from the get-go… [death is] something that people in this line of work go through. Colleagues don’t make it. It’s dangerous work.

“I wanted the backstory of Kate and Hal to be about a decision that Hal had made [in the past] that [sent him] into a risky situation where he didn’t get hurt, but young people who worked for him did.

“That was the initial schism in the relationship. And then we would see that play out again with Kate in the Hal position [when Ronnie died], and look at how that crashed with their marriage and her view of him and her view of herself. That was what [Ronnie’s death] was for.”

The Diplomat Seasons 1-2 are on Netflix now. In the meantime, check out other TV shows streaming this month and find out what’s happening with Squid Game Season 2, Wednesday Season 2, and Stranger Things Season 5.