The Diplomat star hints at what’s next for Stuart after Grace’s betrayal in season 4 ending

After that heartbreaking ending to The Diplomat season 4, people are wondering what happens next for Stuart Hayford, and Ato Essandoh has shared a worrying hint about his future.

The latest season of the Netflix political drama puts Kate in some seriously difficult situations as she struggles to balance her morals with the demands of the people around her. But one of the biggest moments comes when President Grace punishes Stuart for speaking out against her plans.

Stuart, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the US embassy in London, believes threatening the United Kingdom, a NATO ally, with military action is completely unacceptable. So, he submits a formal dissent through the US State Department’s Dissent Channel, an internal system that allows Foreign Service officers to challenge foreign policy decisions.

Kate agrees to his dissent, but Grace retaliates by recalling Stuart from London. He is sent straight back to Washington, DC, without even being given the chance to collect his belongings.

And according to Essandoh, this betrayal could have a lasting impact on Stuart.

So, what happens next for Stuart?

Speaking to TV Insider about the season 4 finale, Essandoh explained just how deeply Grace’s decision affects Stuart. He said, “Stuart is the true believer of the group, and he is sort of married to the mission. This is a huge betrayal, not just from Kate and not just from everybody, but it’s from the Foreign Service because he has established something that is sacrosanct.”

He then explained, “Here is, I am having a disagreement, and I am putting it through the channels that we all understand are the foundation of our belief in democracy. And now you are destroying that.”

Essandoh also admitted that Stuart’s future is far from certain, and his comments do not exactly sound promising. “I don’t know where Stuart goes after this, but it is not to a good place.”

He added, “He is devastated and heartbroken, and it’s being told to him by the person that he’s believed in the most throughout the whole show.”

What does Grace’s betrayal mean for Stuart and Eidra?

Stuart’s professional life is not the only thing affected by Grace’s decision. His relationship with Eidra, the chief of the London CIA station, also faces an uncertain future after he is suddenly forced to leave the country.

Essandoh explained, “They are always on. I think that’s what [he’s learned] about people in the Foreign Service that I’ve watched. It’s like, how do you have a life? How do you have intimacy with your family, with your partner, and also try to stop a war? All of those things are the same thing to them.”

He also described Stuart and Eidra as being on a similar journey to Kate and Hal Wyler, but at an earlier stage of figuring out what openness and intimacy mean in their relationship.

But with Stuart now being sent back to Washington, their next steps remain unclear. Essandoh has not confirmed what will happen to the couple, so we will have to wait to see whether they can work through the fallout.

There is at least some hope for Stuart by the end of the finale. Kate publicly protests Grace’s actions at the G7 Summit, while other senior figures also resign. When asked whether those events might help Stuart feel better about what has happened, Essandoh said, “Yeah, exactly.”

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