Lioness

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Overview

Cruz Manuelos, a rough-around-the-edges but passionate young Marine, is recruited to join the CIA's Lioness Engagement Team to help bring down a terrorist organization from within. Joe, the station chief of the Lioness program, is tasked with training, managing and leading her female undercover operatives.

Media

Special Ops: Lioness | Official Trailer | Paramount+ UK & Ireland

Cast

LaMonica Garrett

Creator:

Taylor Sheridan

Fist Air Date:

2023-07-23

Episode Runtime:

undefinedm

Production Companies:

Blossom Films, MTV Entertainment Studios, 101 Studios, Bosque Ranch Productions, Cinestar Pictures, Paramount Television Studios

Genres:

Drama War & Politics

Keywords:

appreciative biting central intelligence agency (cia) compassionate earnest empathetic spy thriller suspenseful thoughtful undercover agent urgent

More Show Details

Vote Average: 8.0/10

Vote Count: 1172 Votes

Show Popularity: 33.4794

Show Status: Returning Series

Show Type: Scripted

Spoken Languages: English

Review

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Insomniacs Reviews
- 23 April 2026 at 8:16 am

8 Based on 1 Votes
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⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 8/10 THE SUMMARY Welcome to the Taylor Sheridan universe, where the stakes are geopolitical and everyone looks like they haven't slept in three days. *Lioness* (2023–Present) follows Joe (Zoe Saldaña), a CIA station chief who leads a team of female undercover operatives known as "Lionesses." Their job is to infiltrate the inner circles of high-value targets by befriending their wives or daughters. It’s a high-stress, tactical thriller that balances brutal action with the domestic toll of a life lived in the shadows. By April 23, 2026, the show is currently at the peak of its powers, with Season 3 production having officially wrapped in Texas last month. THE PROS Zoe Saldaña is a total win; she brings a sincere, weary intensity to Joe that makes you feel every moral compromise she makes. The chemistry between Joe and her mentor Kaitlyn Meade (Nicole Kidman) is the business, offering a rare look at the high-level bureaucratic warfare happening behind the scenes. The show’s biggest win is its "tactical realism"—the QRF (Quick Reaction Force) team, featuring standout Jill Wagner, provides some of the most visceral and well-choreographed gunfights in the 900+ archive. Season 2 was a masterstroke that upped the stakes by moving the threat closer to the U.S. border, keeping the "Sheridan Train" chugging along at full speed. THE CONS It is an 8/10 because it can occasionally lean into "tough guy" clichés that feel a bit like total garbage if you aren't in the mood for gritty military posturing. It misses the 9/10 mark because the family drama subplots—specifically involving Joe’s teenage daughter—can sometimes feel like a Languid Burn that distracts from the much more interesting spycraft. As of April 2026, it is a bit of a head-scratcher why Paramount+ hasn't announced a firm premiere date for Season 3 yet, leading to a "Lioness-sized" hole in the spring schedule that has fans hounding Taylor Sheridan’s social media daily. THE VERDICT An 8/10. It is a genuine, pulse-pounding, and smartly produced espionage thriller. I was slightly gutted when Season 1 felt a bit short at only eight episodes, but the expanded scope of Season 2 proved this show has legs. It is total garbage if you want a clean, "James Bond" style spy fantasy with gadgets and martinis, but as a gritty look at the modern War on Terror, it’s essential. By April 23, 2026, it remains the crown jewel of Paramount's "Special Ops" lineup, especially with the news that Oscar-winner Zoe Saldaña is returning for the new season with even more creative control. INSOMNIAC TRIVIA * Real-Life Roots: The show is inspired by a real-life CIA program of the same name, which used female Marines to engage with local women in Iraq and Afghanistan because male soldiers were culturally prohibited from doing so.* Sheridan’s Speed: True to his reputation, Taylor Sheridan reportedly wrote most of Season 1 in a matter of weeks. He’s known for his "one-and-done" drafting style, which gives the dialogue its raw, unpolished edge.* K9 Addition: For the upcoming Season 3, *Yellowstone* alum Ian Bohen has joined the cast as a Delta Force K9 handler, bringing a "battlefield K9" element to the show that fans are already obsessing over in the 2026 leaked set photos.* 2026 Connection: On March 25, 2026, actress Jill Wagner posted that Season 3 filming was "epic" and had officially wrapped. This has sparked a 2026 viral trend where fans are "tactical-training" in Lioness-inspired gym gear, waiting for the late 2026 premiere. THE VIBE Like a tactical vest that’s been worn through a desert storm. It is heavy, professional, and slightly paranoid. It makes you want to learn hand-to-hand combat, buy a secure burner phone, and realize that the most dangerous weapon in a war is often a well-placed friendship.

TV Show Poster

Season 1

8 Episodes

Air Date: 2023-07-23

Joe attempts to balance her personal and professional life as the tip of the CIA's spear in the war on terror; the Lioness Program enlists Cruz to operate undercover alongside Joe among the power brokers of State terrorism.

TV Show Poster

Season 2

8 Episodes

Air Date: 2024-10-27

In Season 2, as the CIA's fight against terror moves closer to home, Joe, Kaitlyn, and Byron enlist a new Lioness operative to infiltrate a previously unknown threat. With pressure mounting from all sides, Joe is forced to confront the profound personal sacrifices she has made as the leader of the Lioness program.

Videos

Special Ops: Lioness | Official Trailer | Paramount+ UK & Ireland

Want more intel? 💥 Special Ops: Lioness premieres July 23 exclusively on #ParamountPlus #ZoeSaldana

Special Ops: Lioness | Official Teaser | Paramount+

Cast

LaMonica Garrett

Laysla De Oliveira

Genesis Rodriguez

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Reviews for

Lioness

Comment (1)

Insomniacs Reviews
- 23 April 2026 at 9:16 AM

⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 8/10
THE SUMMARY
Welcome to the Taylor Sheridan universe, where the stakes are geopolitical and everyone looks like they haven’t slept in three days. *Lioness* (2023–Present) follows Joe (Zoe Saldaña), a CIA station chief who leads a team of female undercover operatives known as “Lionesses.” Their job is to infiltrate the inner circles of high-value targets by befriending their wives or daughters. It’s a high-stress, tactical thriller that balances brutal action with the domestic toll of a life lived in the shadows. By April 23, 2026, the show is currently at the peak of its powers, with Season 3 production having officially wrapped in Texas last month.
THE PROS
Zoe Saldaña is a total win; she brings a sincere, weary intensity to Joe that makes you feel every moral compromise she makes. The chemistry between Joe and her mentor Kaitlyn Meade (Nicole Kidman) is the business, offering a rare look at the high-level bureaucratic warfare happening behind the scenes. The show’s biggest win is its “tactical realism”—the QRF (Quick Reaction Force) team, featuring standout Jill Wagner, provides some of the most visceral and well-choreographed gunfights in the 900+ archive. Season 2 was a masterstroke that upped the stakes by moving the threat closer to the U.S. border, keeping the “Sheridan Train” chugging along at full speed.
THE CONS
It is an 8/10 because it can occasionally lean into “tough guy” clichés that feel a bit like total garbage if you aren’t in the mood for gritty military posturing. It misses the 9/10 mark because the family drama subplots—specifically involving Joe’s teenage daughter—can sometimes feel like a Languid Burn that distracts from the much more interesting spycraft. As of April 2026, it is a bit of a head-scratcher why Paramount+ hasn’t announced a firm premiere date for Season 3 yet, leading to a “Lioness-sized” hole in the spring schedule that has fans hounding Taylor Sheridan’s social media daily.
THE VERDICT
An 8/10. It is a genuine, pulse-pounding, and smartly produced espionage thriller. I was slightly gutted when Season 1 felt a bit short at only eight episodes, but the expanded scope of Season 2 proved this show has legs. It is total garbage if you want a clean, “James Bond” style spy fantasy with gadgets and martinis, but as a gritty look at the modern War on Terror, it’s essential. By April 23, 2026, it remains the crown jewel of Paramount’s “Special Ops” lineup, especially with the news that Oscar-winner Zoe Saldaña is returning for the new season with even more creative control.
INSOMNIAC TRIVIA
* Real-Life Roots: The show is inspired by a real-life CIA program of the same name, which used female Marines to engage with local women in Iraq and Afghanistan because male soldiers were culturally prohibited from doing so.
* Sheridan’s Speed: True to his reputation, Taylor Sheridan reportedly wrote most of Season 1 in a matter of weeks. He’s known for his “one-and-done” drafting style, which gives the dialogue its raw, unpolished edge.
* K9 Addition: For the upcoming Season 3, *Yellowstone* alum Ian Bohen has joined the cast as a Delta Force K9 handler, bringing a “battlefield K9” element to the show that fans are already obsessing over in the 2026 leaked set photos.
* 2026 Connection: On March 25, 2026, actress Jill Wagner posted that Season 3 filming was “epic” and had officially wrapped. This has sparked a 2026 viral trend where fans are “tactical-training” in Lioness-inspired gym gear, waiting for the late 2026 premiere.
THE VIBE
Like a tactical vest that’s been worn through a desert storm. It is heavy, professional, and slightly paranoid. It makes you want to learn hand-to-hand combat, buy a secure burner phone, and realize that the most dangerous weapon in a war is often a well-placed friendship.

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