Merritt Grove in The Diplomat: What He Knew and What He Wanted
An urgent request to meet
In The Diplomat season 1 finale, “The James Bond Clause,” Grove attended Hal’s Chatham House speech and pressed to meet for dinner. He had wanted to speak with Kate, the US ambassador in London, but Hal became his contact instead.
Kate had warned Hal against meeting Grove because he was an unofficial, unverified source. She reluctantly allowed a meeting of less than five minutes. Running late, Hal asked Stuart to extend it to 30 minutes; Grove grew angry when Hal failed to arrive and left.
The information Grove may have held
Kate and Foreign Secretary Dennison concluded that Prime Minister Trowbridge had hired Roman Lenkov, a Russian war criminal and mercenary, to attack a Royal Navy aircraft carrier. The attack killed more than 20 of Trowbridge’s own soldiers.
Grove may have been trying to get that information to the Americans through Kate and Hal. As a former UK Member of Parliament, he may have retained access to confidential government details or contacts, but the story does not establish exactly what he knew.
An explosion and unanswered questions
A car bomb killed Grove and likely killed Ronnie, a clerk in Stuart’s office. Hal’s lateness may have kept him away from the blast. The account says Hal and Stuart survived, leaving Kate with allies as the next season begins.
The bombing was blamed on Iraqi terrorists, while the Conservative government later used the explosion to frame Iran and build public support through fear. Grove’s death also benefited those in power, but who ordered the bombing remained unclear.
Doubts about officials’ knowledge
Grove’s choice to approach American officials rather than Dennison raised questions about whether he was acting alone. Dennison appeared surprised by the conclusion about Trowbridge, saying an assassination could not be authorized without his signature.
The account also suggests Dennison, Roylin and others on Trowbridge’s side may have known about his intentions, but does not resolve what Dennison knew. It further raises the possibility that Kate’s inquiry about Grove set events in motion.
Key points
- Merritt Grove was a former UK Member of Parliament who urgently sought to reach Kate Wyler.
- He may have been trying to reveal Trowbridge’s role in the attack on a Royal Navy aircraft carrier.
- A car bomb killed Grove before he could pass on the information.
- The bomber’s identity and the extent of British officials’ knowledge remained unresolved.