The Diplomat creator and star reveal how long massive season 3 episode 1 twist was planned

*Warning: Contains major spoilers for The Diplomat season 3 episodes 1-3*

Just when you thought The Diplomat couldn't get any more shocking after its season 2 finale, the first episode of season 3 threw a major curveball our way.

As everyone adjusted to the new state of play following president Rayburn's death, Hal helped Kate to make her manoeuvres and position herself as the prime candidate for Grace Penn's vice president.

However, in the final moments of episode 1, Grace dropped a bombshell – she wanted Hal to be her Vice President, not Kate.

Over the next two episodes duties were worked out, until it was agreed that Hal would indeed take on the prestigious role, while Kate would stay in London as ambassador to the UK.

Despite this storyline's huge shock factor, it also feels as though it's been long in the planning, and there's a reason for that – it has.

Speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com alongside Kate star Keri Russell, the show's creator Debora Cahn said of the twist: "It was the plan for a long time. There was certainly a sense of, we wanted to create a world where it was possible for somebody as smart and capable and experienced as Kate to get a shot.

"But we've all watched this happen a bunch of times in the world, it doesn't work out that way. And I think the essential nature of this character is having the ability to do more than she's given the opportunity to do. And so it just happens again, it happens again!"

Meanwhile, Russell revealed that while she and the cast don't find out the show's various twists too long ahead of time, she did "relish" the storyline.

"I mean, that's a pretty big loss," Russell said. "It's a pretty big gut punch at the end of that episode, but it sets us off to a good course, on a good course.

"I love how hard she works in that first episode, of making everything right for the President, putting out fires left and right, being the voice in the room, doing all the right things, and then to have the handsome, troublesome husband waltz in and go, ‘Oh, I'll do it’. You're like, ‘Oh, great, sure. That’s wonderful. Have fun!’

"I just love where it sets up the next episode and the rethinking of your entire f***ing life."

When asked to choose her favourite moment from across the season that she's most looking forward to fans seeing, Russell reiterated her love for the first episode.

She said: "It combines so many things I love about our show, which is the revelation of the inner workings of the government and all of this minutiae that we're not privy to, the swearing in of the President, how much it takes, all the people it involves. But then it also has this drum beat of urgency, and then the emotional cost, which is pretty devastating."

The Diplomat season 3 will stream on Netflix. Seasons 1-2 are available now – sign up from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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