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Lioness

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 22 Critic Reviews

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56

USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 19 Ratings

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5.4

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5.4	Your Score
5.4	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 19 Ratings

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Lioness

Series Details & Credits

Paramount+ | Release Date: July 23, 2023

Summary: The Taylor Sheridan series inspired by the real-life CIA program centers on Marine Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliveira), who is recruited to join the Lioness Engagement Team to go undercover in a terrorist organization.

[The name was shortened from Special Ops: Lioness to Lioness beginning with the second season]

Genre(s): Drama

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Metascore

56

Positive:

7

Mixed:

14

Negative:

1

Critic Reviews

100

TVLine

Matt Webb Mitovich

Oct 25, 2024

Season 2 Review: The Zoe Saldaña-led spy thriller’s sophomore run is fantastic, and stands as one of the year’s best TV shows. Read full review

75

The Playlist Rodrigo Perez

Jul 21, 2023

Season 1 Review: It’s too early to say where ‘Lioness’ will land, but it’s a promising beginning, arguably more absorbing than any of these recent shows, and hell, we’ll take that roar as long as it lasts. Read full review

72

TV Guide

Tim Surette

Jul 24, 2023

Season 1 Review: The first episode serves as a mostly successful setup, but much of what the show will become remains top secret. There's also a question of how this budget will be spread around; is the opening scene with all its helicopters and explosions a sign of what's to come, or just a big show to get viewers instantly hooked? I don't know, but the intel we do have on the rest of the series says it has some promise. Read full review

58

Collider Tania Hussain

Jul 21, 2023

Season 1 Review: With how the premiere is setting up the season across its eight episodes, there will be plenty of twists and turns along the way with potential room for a riveting thriller that keeps us at the edge of our seats. But as it stands now, more work needs to be done. Read full review

50

USA Today

Kelly Lawler

Jul 24, 2023

Season 1 Review: It's clear that Sheridan knows how to write engaging, addictive drama. With "Lioness," he's trying to do too many things at once for any one of them to be successful. Read full review

40

Decider

Joel Keller

Jul 24, 2023

Season 1 Review: Special Ops: Lioness isn’t a mess, but it’s strangely inessential and inert, given its cast and Sheridan’s involvement. There are better, similar shows out there. Read full review

30

Variety

Alison Herman

Jul 21, 2023

Season 1 Review: It is perhaps predictable that the Sheridan take on pop feminism would weaponize women’s liberation in service of the military industrial complex. After all, that rhetorical sleight of hand is as much a cliché as the rest of “Lioness,” which shows the strain of a single writer cranking out scripts for each of his half-dozen shows on air. “Lioness” may be a first for its creator in some respects, but in others, it’s more of the same. Read full review

SEE ALL 22 REVIEWS

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5.4

User Reviews

10

gurenmk2

Aug 24, 2023

awesome! action and plot are perfect!
the tesion is papable and espectations are broken all the time for some time after we got ourselves surprised for something awesome!

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

10

Maxjoe

Aug 26, 2023

A show you didn’t know you needed. You’ll be drawn in and wanting more which is unfortunate because the series is only 8 episodes. Interesting plots, fresh writing, and overall good pace although the episode 6 seemed to be a bit slower than the prior episodes. The entire cast is bad a$$ andA show you didn’t know you needed. You’ll be drawn in and wanting more which is unfortunate because the series is only 8 episodes. Interesting plots, fresh writing, and overall good pace although the episode 6 seemed to be a bit slower than the prior episodes. The entire cast is bad a$$ and it’s cool seeing such heavy hitters in the small screen. If it wasn’t for the Hollywood strikes, you would see more promotion of this awesome and entertaining series. Fingers crossed for a second season and beyond.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

10

harakka

Sep 3, 2023

I recently watched the new Paramount+ series Special Ops: Lioness, and I was impressed. The series stars Zoe Saldaña as Joe, a marine who leads an elite unit of female soldiers who are trained to go undercover and befriend the wives, girlfriends, or daughters of high-value terroristI recently watched the new Paramount+ series Special Ops: Lioness, and I was impressed. The series stars Zoe Saldaña as Joe, a marine who leads an elite unit of female soldiers who are trained to go undercover and befriend the wives, girlfriends, or daughters of high-value terrorist targets.
I was drawn to the series by its strong female characters. Joe is a complex and relatable protagonist, and I found myself rooting for her and her team throughout the series. The supporting characters are also well-developed, and I enjoyed seeing their relationships with each other develop over the course of the season.
The action sequences in the series are also top-notch. The show doesn't shy away from violence, but it never feels gratuitous. The action is always grounded in the characters and their stories, which makes it all the more impactful.
Overall, I thought Special Ops: Lioness was an excellent series. It's a must-watch for fans of military thrillers and strong female characters.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

6

TVJerry

Sep 5, 2023

Even though Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman are the stars, they play bosses of the woman doing the work (Laysla De Oliveira). She's a new recruit to the special secret ops group and her mission is to befriend the daughter of a wealthy funder for terrorists. Her training and subsequentEven though Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman are the stars, they play bosses of the woman doing the work (Laysla De Oliveira). She's a new recruit to the special secret ops group and her mission is to befriend the daughter of a wealthy funder for terrorists. Her training and subsequent involvement forms the crux of the story with the other 2 women confronting the political and logistical consequences. Creator Taylor Sheridan has placed the emphasis on female characters with their personal relationships adding an emotional connection, but the thrust is really about the covert ops. There are a few moments of tough physical encounters to maintain the action adjective, but the focus is on the mental challenges these characters face, so there's lots of Sheridan's spicy chatter punctuated by spurts of violence.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

3

Big_Worm

Sep 8, 2023

What started out promising drifted midway through and then ended very poorly. Zoe was superb. I thought her character was well written and acted. The other star power really pulled their weight too. But ultimately the show devolved into weak story telling, over acted characters, andWhat started out promising drifted midway through and then ended very poorly. Zoe was superb. I thought her character was well written and acted. The other star power really pulled their weight too. But ultimately the show devolved into weak story telling, over acted characters, and unbelievable plot points. I knew halfway through it wouldn’t end well. Way too much drama devoted to side characters and backstory that was needless. I actually fast forwarded through most of that to just watch the operational parts. It’s truly sad because this show could have been so much better and really launched a new series. But with how this one played out I wouldn’t bother watching another.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

3

slicelook

Jul 31, 2023

This show aims itself at the male audience through military, weapons and special forces with a mission to inject feminist agenda that women are victims to sexual harassment/assault propaganda in a simple exchange of a good story. If this was real life the main character would have no issueThis show aims itself at the male audience through military, weapons and special forces with a mission to inject feminist agenda that women are victims to sexual harassment/assault propaganda in a simple exchange of a good story. If this was real life the main character would have no issue going through any of that.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

0

arostislavna

Aug 22, 2023

Opens with a propagandized scenario... "protagonists" (CIA/OGA/Marines/DOD) attack Syrians, Iran & (CIA-funded) ISIS, etc.

In reality the US are illegally occupying Syria, stealing oil and had the guts to hire the PKK to use chlorine gas on them. I am not surprised... everything out of theOpens with a propagandized scenario... "protagonists" (CIA/OGA/Marines/DOD) attack Syrians, Iran & (CIA-funded) ISIS, etc.

In reality the US are illegally occupying Syria, stealing oil and had the guts to hire the PKK to use chlorine gas on them.

I am not surprised... everything out of the US is warmonger garbage at the hands of the bad guys.
You can't "protect the weak" by killing the weak.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SEE ALL 10 REVIEWS

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Seasons & Episodes

56

Series Overview
Season 2

tbd
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: October 27, 2024
- No episode information is currently available for this season
Season 1

56
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: July 23, 2023