The Diplomat creator Debora Cahn and star Keri Russell have thoughtfully detailed why Kate is ready to take the Vice President position by the end of season 2. The Diplomat season 2 focused on Kate (Russell) trying to uncover who within the UK government orchestrated an attack from the Russians in season 1. By the end of the latest episodes, it becomes clear that Vice President Grace Penn (Allison Janney) was the mastermind behind what transpired. While Kate was originally scheduled to replace her as VP, the President (Michael McKean) has a heart attack in the season finale.

Speaking with TheWrap, Cahn and Russell detailed why Kate is ready to take on the role of VP by the time The Diplomat season 2 ends. The showrunner explained the responsibility she feels to take on the role, especially because of her ever-changing relationship with Grace. As for the series star, she believes it involves her taking advantage of her current situation in order to protect her country from a domestic threat. Check out what Cahn and Russell had to say below:

Debora Cahn: She reaches a point where she feels like she has to — she has a responsibility to step into a role that needs to be filled by somebody other than the person in it. And for Kate, what’s interesting about the relationship with Grace Penn is she has a terrible impression of her, and then she sort of got a work crush on her, suddenly she’s fantastic, she’s been maligned, and then that relationship goes through these wild swings and changes in her opinion of who Grace is, and her idea about whether or not she should be taking Grace’s job, or trying to be taking Grace’s job, changes as her opinion of Grace changes.

Keri Russell: [It’s] circumstantial. I think her love and her loyalty is for the country — she believes in it. She really does. And someone is going to take that down — a bad person who shouldn’t be in charge, who manipulated things that shouldn’t have been manipulated, who put us in a bad situation, who didn’t make the best choices, is going to take over, and I think she thinks that’s wrong. Even though it’s a job she does not want, she thinks she’d be better than this person who has this stain on her and who was involved in shady s–t. It’s a moral standpoint.

What Kate’s Bid For Vice President Means For The Diplomat

Season 3 Might See A Major Change For Kate

The Diplomat season 2 ended with Grace suddenly President of the United States, and with Kate having already directly confronted her about her involvement in Russia’s attack. This puts her potential place in the line of succession in jeopardy, especially given what she knows about the country’s new leader. At the same time, though, she was initially in line to be VP due to controversy surrounding the new Commander in Chief’s family, meaning she could still appoint her to ensure her secret doesn’t get out.

If Kate does still become the Vice President, it means she would be permanently back on US soil, marking a drastic change for The Diplomat season 3. It would also signify Grace having power over her despite her knowing the new President’s secret, potentially leading to an even more intense follow-up when the show comes back. With the potential of a power struggle now in full effect, Kate is going to have to decide what to do next now that her enemy has one of the most powerful positions in the whole world.

Our Take On Kate’s Potential VP Position In The Diplomat Season 3

The Closer She Is To Grace, The Better

If Kate can still secure the Vice Presidential role somehow, then it would make sense for her to take it and remain close to Grace. While it appears the new President doesn’t have any intention of enacting another major attack, she still needs to pay for her treasonous crimes. Given how far the protagonist has come since The Diplomat season 1 in pursuing the truth, she’s unlikely to stop, no matter what position she has when season 3 begins.

The Diplomat was renewed for season 3 ahead of season 2’s premiere.