The Diplomat Season 2 Episode 5 recap revisited: It wasn't Roylin who planned the bombing

The Diplomat, season 2 episode 5, is titled “Our Lady of Immaculate Deception,” and it showcases things finally collapsing around Kate Wyler.

For two hours of scheming and lies, this part concludes with a shattering revelation that changes almost everything we thought we knew about power, loyalty, and responsibility. It’s all about what looks like damage control following Roylin’s survival, but it quickly spirals into something even more perilous, a scandal reaching the heights of American leadership.

Late in the episode, Hal tells Kate that the bombing she’s been trying to figure out wasn’t Roylin’s idea at all. Instead, it came from U.S. Vice President Grace Penn herself. This one concession explains not only how Penn can so effortlessly handle the tidal wave of aftershocks, but it also shakes Kate’s faith in the morality of institutions. The narrative becomes less about cracking a case and more about facing the horrific truth of who really holds power, and how readily it is abused.

Read on to know the complete recap of The Diplomat, season 2, episode 5.

Here is the complete recap of The Diplomat Season 2 Episode 5

The episode begins with a confirmation that Roylin is alive, severely wounded, but still breathing. Roylin, while severely wounded, asks Kate if she now believes her. This scene suggests that Nicol Trowbridge may have attempted to kill Roylin, but her continued existence proves he did not plant the bomb on his own warship. This diverts suspicion from the Prime Minister and initiates a new chapter in the story Kate has been working towards.

Kate, Trowbridge, and Austin return to the party, where the political fallout starts happening almost instantly. The Scots speaks up about the price caps, but Trowbridge can't conceal his displeasure anymore. When he tries to toast, Kate interrupts.

In another place, Eidra talks to Roylin with cold bluntness, informing her that while the data she has captured is valuable, her life is not guaranteed. Roylin is, for now, transferred to a safe house, but Austin suspects that the British government will suppress the truth and wants her sent back.

Here is how The Diplomat Season 2 Episode 5 ended

Just as tensions mount in The Diplomat, U.S. Vice President Grace Penn makes an unannounced trip to London, having been summoned by a top-secret CIA dossier previously sent by Eidra. In a private meeting with Trowbridge, Austin, Kate, and Stuart, Penn discloses the true purpose of her visit. The British had accused Russia of a crime they had committed, risking emboldening global diplomacy, and now, if the truth comes out, things with Russia could get infinitely worse.

Penn recommends they say nothing or conduct an internal loyalty test within the British government. Trowbridge says he will consider his options, while Penn privately criticises Kate’s fitness for high office, leaving Kate surprised.

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Despite this, Kate decides to protect Penn, as she is the Vice President, and even pushes Hal to do what he can to protect her. But Hal says no. In a tense showdown, he physically prevents Kate from calling Washington and reveals the devastating episode twist: the bombing was Grace Penn’s idea from the start, and Roylin was simply a facilitator. The disclosure makes clear that this is why Penn is so assured, so adept all around politically, and so willing to compromise her ethics, and it completely shatters Kate’s faith in the institution she serves.

The episode of The Diplomat concludes with Kate forced to face the horrifying truth that the foe might not be foreign, rogue, or underground, but sitting comfortably at the pinnacle of American authority.

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