The Diplomat is a political drama series on Netflix starring Keri Russell as a US ambassador navigating high-stakes politics in London. With intense drama and complex relationships, parents may wonder if The Diplomat Season 2 is appropriate for their kids. This parents guide provides an overview of mature content in The Diplomat to help parents make informed viewing decisions.

Sex & Nudity

• There are a few scenes showing characters having sex or immediately after sex. Most scenes only briefly show nudity.
• One extended scene depicts a main character having an affair. Brief nudity is shown.
• Occasional sexual comments, innuendos or descriptions of affairs.

Violence & Gore

• A moderate level of violence for a political drama.
• Main characters are often in peril, sometimes violently. Characters get into fights.
• A bombing with casualties occurs in the second season. Aftermath shows some blood and injuries.
• Threatening scenes involving antagonists and weapons.

Profanity

• Intermittent use of "f--k", "s--t" and other profanity. On par with TV-MA rating.
• The British diplomats in particular use more colorful language.

Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking

• Frequent social drinking and intoxication depicted. Excessive drinking during stressful events.
• Cigarette smoking occurs occasionally.
• Prescription drug abuse is briefly depicted involving a main character's relative.

Frightening/Intense Scenes

• The high-pressure political environment leads to intense, dramatic scenes frequently. Shouting and arguing.
• Potentially stressful situations like public protests, being stalked or physical peril.
• Overall dark, cynical tone focusing on the questionable morality of political power plays.

The Diplomat's Complex interweaving Plots

One aspect that parents may find concerning about The Diplomat is its dense layers of complex, interweaving subplots happening simultaneously. It can be difficult to follow everything going on or know the implications of certain relationship dynamics.

Here is a overview of the different storyline threads covered in Season 2:

Storyline	Description
Political negotiations	Tense political debates, shady back-channel deals
Marital drama	Main character's strained relationship with ambassador husband
Family conflicts	Drama with main character's relatives and children
Illicit affairs	Multiple characters cheating on spouses
Press leaks	Secret documents leaked to create scandals
Dark money	Shady political financing, bribes
Russian interference	Foreign operatives infiltrate British politics
Police investigations	Main characters subjected to invasive surveillance
Terrorist threats	Violent extremists plotting attacks

Keeping track of each intricate storyline and how they interconnect can be challenging even for mature audiences. Parents may want to consider whether their teens have the maturity to analyze such complex layers of political machinations.

Discussion Points for Families

Below are some discussion topics families could explore after watching Season 2 of The Diplomat together:

Power

• How do you define power? What forms can power take?
• What tactics do characters use to gain power over others? Do you agree with them?
• How does the pursuit of power corrupt individuals and institutions? Do ideals matter in politics?

Trust

• What enables trust to form between individuals or groups? What violates trust?
• How is trust treated as transactional or disposable in politics depicted on the show?
• How do economic and racial privilege tie into dynamics of trust and credibility?

Privacy

• What reasonable expectations of privacy do public figures like politicians have?
• When is it ethically acceptable to leak private communication without consent?
• How do hacking, surveillance technology and espionage factor into privacy rights?

Progress

• Are the political characters working for the greater good or personal advancement?
• Does meaningful progress result from behavior shown on the series? In real-world politics?
• Could integrity coexist with success in the political arena depicted?

By starting thoughtful conversations around topics central to The Diplomat, parents can help teens put troubling aspects of the show into perspective. Discussing power abuses, relationship betrayals or invasion of privacy may elucidate more constructive ways for institutions and individuals to interact. Exploring moral dilemmas raised by the drama can strengthen critical thinking and help students articulate their own emerging values.

Case Study: Leaked Documents Crisis

One story arc likely to dominate Season 2 involves confidential documents being leaked to the press to manufacture scandal. This disaster embroils several lead characters in crisis management to contain political fallout from the security breach.

Parents may find this storyline too mature for younger viewers since it centers around the following complex dynamics:

• Media manipulation - Savvy political players use selective press leaks to control narratives, bypass accountability and score points against rivals.
• Privacy violations - Illicit access of private correspondence represents a serious ethical and legal breach. But victims are put on defense.
• Revenge porn - A female politician's sexually explicit photos are non-consensually leaked purely to shame her.
• Victim blaming - Even when leaks stem from illegal actions against them, public figures face questions about their own judgment, distracting from the crimes committed.

These factors interweave sensitive issues like sexual privacy violations, gender bias and media ethics. The resulting crisis forces characters into harsh damage control choices with no easy answers.

Younger teenagers may lack the contextual experience to fully process such complex dynamics or understand nuanced debate around consent and culpability. Parents might decide to preview specific episodes before permitting viewing or skip those story arcs altogether for appropriate maturity level of child.

The Diplomat's Real World Influences

While fictionalized for drama, The Diplomat pulls inspiration from recent real-world political events, scandals and tensions that continue unfolding on the global stage:

Brexit Parallels

Britain's divisive vote to exit the European Union provides loose framework for political upheavals faced by the main US ambassador character.

• Prime Minister resignations
• Defections & leadership votes
• Renegotiating international treaties
• Protests & populist fervor

Circumstances surrounding Brexit likely influenced The Diplomat's creative vision. Parents can discuss real developments around EU relations to give more context.

MeToo Movement

Repercussions from the MeToo movement targeting workplace sexual misconduct permeate Season 2 arcs for prominent female politicians. Their scandals, such as leaked nude photos, directly invoke public cases like those faced by:

• Former US Congress member Katie Hill
• French presidential candidate Rachida Dati

Reviewing high-profile cases in the news can illuminate for families how The Diplomat fictionalizes real systemic issues still impacting politics today.

Political Tribalism

The extremist "America First" faction central to Season 2 drama mirrors nationalist movements upending politics worldwide:

• Trumpwing populism in the US Republican party
• Brexit's UKIP (UK Independence Party)
• France's National Rally led by Marine Le Pen
• La Liga in Italy headed by Matteo Salvini

Discussing current events helps contextualize factors contributing to rise of hyper-partisanship explored by the show.

By appreciating real-world influences behind The Diplomat's plot lines, politically-engaged families can leverage the melodrama to launch more nuanced conversations grounded in actual civic knowledge.

Reviewing Age Ratings

As evident above, the complex themes woven throughout The Diplomat Season 2 tackle provocative social issues and adult relationships. Parents may wonder what guidance professional media rating systems provide to assess if their children possess suitable maturity for this TV-MA drama.

MPAA Rating

The Motion Picture Association (MPAA) rated Season 1 of The Diplomat TV-MA meaning the content is specifically designed to be viewed by mature, adult audiences. Their criteria cite:

• Sexual situations
• Adult themes promoting discussion

Per MPAA, TV-MA may be unsuitable for children under 17 without parental approval.

Common Sense Rating

The child advocacy group Common Sense Media recommends The Diplomat for ages 16+ based on:

• Sexual innuendo/jokes, scenes
• Language including "f--k"
• Drinking, smoking, drug references
• Violence like explosions, assaults

They describe the level of violence as "strong" with real jeopardy to characters during terrorism plots, battles for political power and hacking plots.

Parental Controls

Modern streaming platforms provide additional control to restrict specific content by profile. Both Netflix and Amazon Prime enable parents to set a program's visibility for child profiles, preventing play without a PIN. These platforms also allow shows to be downloaded for offline viewing after parental approval.

So by leveraging both ratings guidance and platform-level controls, parents can appropriately supervise their teens if mature enough to view The Diplomat Season 2.

Healthy Processing Strategies

Given its TV-MA designation, The Diplomat may overwhelm susceptible young viewers insufficiently equipped to properly analyze complex subtexts about power imbalances. Parents play a vital role to foster critical thinking skills that decode how systemic inequality manifests within salient high-stakes arenas like media and politics.

The following strategies can guide healthy processing for teenagers mature enough to handle advanced themes found in shows like The Diplomat:

Listen

Allow kids space to share reactions without judgment before offering your own perspectives

Contextualize

Explain real events and barriers at root of fictional scenarios playing out

Evaluate

Weigh ethical implications of characters' questionable actions under pressured situations

Empathize

Imagine yourself faced with dilemmas people different than you navigate

Discuss Tradeoffs

Debate least damaging options when faced with no good choices

Appreciate Nuance

Resist condemning isolated moments stripped of complicating context

Applying such reflective strategies encourages more wisdom extracting meaning from provocative drama like that depicted on The Diplomat. Before reactively banning programming featuring complex dynamics, have collaborative discussions that strengthen teen's emotional intelligence to process societal inequities responsibly represented through compelling televised fiction. There lies an opportunity to foster social awareness and elevate political discourse in the household.

Final Recommendations for Parents

The Diplomat brings prestige production values to serialized political fiction rarely seen on television. And Keri Russell's commanding performance promises to drive suspense and acclaim for Season 2 of this global hit. Parents may hesitate letting younger teens view such Machiavellian drama unfolding in an uncompromising TV-MA setting.

Mature themes covered in depth here should inform family viewing decisions:

Sex - Some nudity and crude references
Substance Abuse - Frequent cigarettes and alcohol
Profanity - Persistent "F" words expected for adults
Violence - High but not extreme; some blood
Emotional Threats - Intense scenes of betrayal, humiliation

On the positive side, The Diplomat inspires important real-world conversations, from gender bias inhibiting powerful women to ideological extremists undermining democratic institutions.

Weighing these factors comprehensively allows parents to determine what level of maturity works best for their individual child. Using ratings guides and platform-based viewing restrictions enables customization for families aligned with teen developmental factors. That personalized guidance around provocative programming like The Diplomat Season 2 allows parents to transform complex fictional drama into teachable moments grounded in media literacy.