A perfect critics’ score wasn’t enough to knock a sea-monster miniseries off the top of Netflix’s U.S. chart. A political thriller that debuted with a flawless Rotten Tomatoes rating is sitting second, behind the Newfoundland creature feature Below.
Season 4 pushes The Diplomat to No. 2 on Netflix’s streaming charts
Below holds the top spot on the Netflix Top 10 in the United States for October 20, 2026, according to FlixPatrol, and The Diplomat sits right behind it. Love Is Blind comes third. Instadocs: AI Gone Wild, East of Eden, TYSON, Is It Cake? Halloween, Hollywood Arts, The Great British Bake Off, and Michael Che: Shot in Minnesota fill out the rest of the list.
The Diplomat dropped all eight episodes of its fourth season on October 15. That puts it on the chart five days after launch, and it still can’t catch Below. However, the new season opened with a 100% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.
That is the best mark in the show’s history, up from 84% for Season 1, 95% for Season 2 and 97% for Season 3. The tally comes with a caveat. It rested on a small pool of reviews at launch and could move as more critics weigh in.
Netflix describes Below as a miniseries about a sea creature that terrorizes a small town in Newfoundland. It premiered on October 8, a week before The Diplomat returned. The political series features Keri Russell returning as Kate Wyler.
Netflix’s synopsis says a fateful event shatters the fragile peace she brokered between the United States and the United Kingdom. It also strains the marriage she is trying to save. The show’s third season got Emmy nominations, with Allison Janney winning the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series trophy.
Netflix hasn’t confirmed a fifth season as of October 21. A strong run on the chart could help the case for one. For now, The Diplomat has to settle for second place while Below holds the top spot.
