Series Page

Season 1 – Lioness

Play trailer

1:42

Season 1 – Lioness

Jul 2023

Action

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

54%

Tomatometer

35 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Joe attempts to balance her personal and professional life as the tip of the CIA's spear in the war on terror.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Zoe Saldaña provides the energy of a Lioness, but these Special Ops are largely derivative and unconvincing.

Read Critics Reviews

Natalie

Autostraddle

Aug 31, 2023

That Lioness works at all, it is on the backs of its stars who are engaging enough to watch, even as the story fails them.

Go to Full Review

Thelma Adams

TheWrap

Jul 25, 2023

As the end credits rolled on Sheridan’s well-crafted thriller, I immediately wanted to discover what happens next.

Go to Full Review

Boyd Hilton

Empire Magazine

Jul 25, 2023

3/5

Despite occasionally stretching plausibility, Taylor Sheridan’s latest event TV series mixes explosive espionage action with domestic issues to mostly absorbing effect.

Go to Full Review

Rick Bentley

KGET-TV (Bakersfield, CA)

Jan 26, 2024

A-

Zoe Saldaña has already shown through the big productions of Guardians of the Galaxy and Avatar that she can handle any action role thrown at her. She puts an exclamation mark on that point with her work in the Paramount+ series Special Ops: Lioness.

Go to Full Review

Jeff Beck

The Blu Spot

Jan 22, 2024

2.5/5

Creator Taylor Sheridan simply never finds a way to tap into the show's remarkable potential, resulting in a show that mainly meanders and drags for the vast majority of its eight-episode premiere season.

Go to Full Review

Aaron White

Feelin' Film Podcast

Oct 11, 2023

4.5/5

A captivating take on female strength in military special ops & espionage. Light melodrama, keeping focus mostly on the high-stakes mission. Well-paced with great tactics & action, but depth of character building & ideological dilemmas make it special.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Bryan D

@bdemain Sep 9, 2026

Good show. Entertaining, well done. But I think this show focuses on the tribulations of a mother not being at home. It almost seems like, that’s the priority.

Tom S

@RT36218895 Sep 3, 2026

Absolutely love this show. Not for the Woke of heart..lol

Lara W

@lwood924 Sep 3, 2026

The first season of Lioness is genuinely one of the best seasons of television I’ve ever watched. With an incredible cast—including Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman, and Morgan Freeman—it delivers nonstop action without sacrificing character development. I became completely invested in the characters and their stories, which made every episode even more intense. I honestly don’t understand the low ratings from some critics. This series was gripping, emotional, brilliantly acted, and impossible to stop watching.

Carlos S

@carlosclub Sep 3, 2026

Great entertainment

Ken K

@RT25234314 Sep 2, 2026

Interesting and well-filmed (if that's still a thing) action scenes and situations, etc. and a fair bit of sexy shots interspersed with really cheesy dialogue, cliched moral and family conundrums, and various other scripted hogwash. I found myself fast forwarding through a lot of the talking scenes.

Otter B

@AstonOtter Aug 31, 2026

Weird how the wokecritics are fine with Russian and Mexican criminals but not the Islamic terrorists...

Read all reviews

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Taylor Sheridan

Creator

Zoe Saldaña

Joe

Laysla De Oliveira

Cruz Manuelos

Michael Kelly

Donald Westfield

Morgan Freeman

Edwin Mullins

Nicole Kidman

Kaitlyn Meade

Episode 1

Aired Jul 23, 2023

Sacrificial Soldiers

Things go awry for Joe and her team during a mission out in the field; Joe is left devastated; upon her return home, Joe's family life presents it's own challenges; Cruz tries to escape a dangerous situation; Joe must choose an agent.

Details

Episode 2

Aired Jul 23, 2023

The Beating

Joe continues her training with Cruz; her methods are questionable; Cruz starts to build a relationship with Aaliyah; Kate gets into a fight during her soccer game; Neal has to deliver difficult news to a patient.

Details

Episode 3

Aired Jul 30, 2023

Bruise Like a Fist

Cruz is invited to spend the weekend with Aaliyah and her inner-circle; Joe keeps Kaitlyn informed of Cruz's progress; Kyle comes to Joe desperate for help with an asset.

Details

Episode 4

Aired Aug 6, 2023

The Choice of Failure

Cruz is put in a compromising position while out with Aaliyah and friends in the Hamptons, causing Joe and Kaitlyn to doubt her; Kaitlyn and Westfield confront Kyle over what happened at the border, complicating things further for Joe and her team.

Details

Episode 5

Aired Aug 13, 2023

Truth Is the Shrewdest Lie

Joe and Neal deal with the aftermath of Kate's accident; Westfield and Kaitlyn deploy Joe's team to subdue a terrorist threat; Cruz's cover may be in jeopardy.

Details

Episode 6

Aired Aug 20, 2023

The Lie Is the Truth

Aaliyah bonds with Cruz over a spa day; Bobby, Tex, Two Cups, Randy and Tucker confront a threat at the Safe House; Kaitlyn and Joe are scolded for the San Antonio mission in a debrief.

Details

Episode 7

Aired Aug 27, 2023

Wish the Fight Away

While shopping in Manhattan for the wedding, Aaliyah and Cruz get closer; Kate returns home only to say goodbye to her mom once again; Joe guides Cruz through internal struggle and doubt in completing the mission.

Details

Episode 8

Aired Sep 3, 2023

Gone Is the Illusion of Order

Unforeseen circumstances leaves the mission in jeopardy; a suspicious Eshan confronts Cruz before his wedding day; Joe and the team prepare for the worst.

Details

The Gringo Hunters

83%

The Gringo Hunters

Watchlist

Graceland

86%

84%

Graceland

Watchlist

Rebel

38%

75%

Rebel

Watchlist

The Closer

83%

81%

The Closer

Watchlist

Rabbit Hole

76%

84%

Rabbit Hole

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Rabbit Hole

Discover more movies and TV shows.

Special Ops: Lioness: Season 1 Trailer - This Season On