“Have a lot of empathy for Hal”: Why The Diplomat’s creator thinks Hal’s betrayal was justified in Season 3

Netflix's popular political thriller The Diplomat Season 3 premiered its Season 3 on October 16, 2025. The series sees Kate and Hal in a very dicey position, as just after they rekindled their relationship, it fell apart with Hal's betrayal.

In the finale. Keri Russel's Kate discovers that her husband, Hal, has used her to steal the Russian nuclear weapon, Poseidon, which might result in a war between the British and the Russians. Furthermore, it happened just after they decided to be together, making it one of the most heartbreaking moments for Kate. While Hal's actions might seem despicable, the creator of The Diplomat, Debora Cahn, still has empathy for the character she created and his actions.

While talking to Variety, she shared:

"I have a lot of empathy for Hal; he’s tried so hard to let her go."

She further shared that there is nothing in the show and the actions of the character that they cannot justify. Therefore, Hal has always been an imperfect and complex character, like many in The Diplomat, and his decision to use Kate might have come from his desire to do good in his career, but on the other hand, his love for his wife is genuine, and he really wanted her back in his life.

More on this in our story.

The Diplomat: Creator Debora Cahn thinks Hal was justified in what he did to Kate

In The Diplomat Season 3, Kate and Hal were not on good terms regarding their marriage. After Grace chose Hal over Kate as her Vice President, and Hal took the job, leaving Kate alone, it looked like they would never be on the same page ever again. This proved right as the series progressed, the jealousy, secrecy trumped and created many problems between them.

Later, they began working to convince the British Prime Minister about the Russian nuclear weapon found just 12 miles off England's coast, but he refused to believe them. They had to bring pictures of the submarine carrying the mass destructive weapon to convince him, but he still refused to work with the Americans.

This prompted Hal to let Kate convince the Prime Minister to bury the submarine so that no one could claim the weapon. He finally agreed to Kate's suggestion, and it looked like Kate and Hal might finally be able to work on their dwindling marriage, and for a couple of minutes, it looked like they did. When Kate asked him to take her back, Hal accepted her.

However, just minutes later, Callum informs her that the weapon might have been stolen, as the temperature around the submarine has changed. She later realises that Hal and Grace have stolen the weapon and used her to involve the British in this so that the Russians would think that they were the ones who stole their weapon, and she confronts him about the betrayal.

In the Variety interview, Cahn shared that whatever Hal used Kate for their plan. However, his wanting Kate back in his life was a genuine feeling. To add to her previous comment, she said:

"Hal used Kate to make the deal where they’d bury the empty sub. But he wanted her back. He accepts her back fully."

While his love for his wife is genuine, his actions are not something that helps Kate in any way. However, Hal was never described as a purely good character. He has his flaws and an obsession to prove his worth on a job that might have belonged to his wife. His actions might have come from this need to prove himself worthy of the job, even if it meant using Kate.

Cahn further told Variety that she justifies Hal's actions or any of the characters' actions. However, she did not say that whatever Hal did in Season 3 of The Diplomat was a good move or ethical. But based on Hal's thought process, he might have thought he needed to do it for his own benefit in the line of his work.

Catch The Diplomat Season 3 on Netflix.

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