Special Ops: Lioness

Queen Zoe (High Maester of Action and Sci-fi) graces our tv screens with this limited series brought to us by Paramount Plus. 8 episodes of drama, mystery and action wrapped up into one!

Joe attempts to balance her personal and professional life as the tip of the spear in the CIA’s war on terror. She enlists Cruz, a female special operations Marine, as an undercover operative in the Lioness Program. Cruz Manuelos is tasked with befriending the daughter of a terrorist financer who is on the CIA’s kill list. With his whereabouts unknown we are dragged around numerous locations and terrains as we piece together the clues to reach the target.

Zoe Saldana takes the lead as Joe and as expected she’s nothing short of brilliant. She’s solid in her dual character arcs as ice cold lead CIA operative and loving wife and mother. Her range is just amazing here as she flips between locations and just brings her A star acting levels. Cruz Manuelos is played by Laysla De Oliveira and again just mountains of range. She delivers a well thought character arc where we watch her perform as a vulnerable weak girl to a tough, resilient marine. She plays her part really well. Dave Annable plays Neal and he’s the heart of the show. Being the lone father to his 2 girls whilst Joe is away, he displays durability, strength and passion. Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett, James Jordan, Austin Herbert and Jonah Wharton come in as the infamous Lioness team. They gel well as a team from their dialogue to their movements in the battlefield. Stephanie Nur is Aaliyah, daughter of the kill target. She’s very good displaying the variation of culture and narrative from the Middle East. Child actor Hannah Love Lanier as Kate, rebellious, curious teenage daughter is well performed. Big veterans Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Kelly also star as really savage high ranking officials. Nicole especially, terrifying.

Taylor Sheridan delivers! It’s a high-quality cinematic production with very terrible CGI lol.

There are minimal effects so it doesn’t affect the show at all. The show is quite bright, vibrant and sprightly. The action is clean in both the hand to hand and gun scenes. The hand-to-hand stuff is done well where we witness the evolution of it. From thuggery punches to clean cut finesse takedowns.  Real life military advisors helped in producing a more authentic execution of gun handling, house clearing, positioning, squad-based activity, etc. the actors did a fantastic job translating their training to the small screen. Andrew Lockington composed the soundtrack for the series, having previously worked with Taylor Sheridan in Mayor of Kingstown. They don’t shy away from the Ray Ban product placements either lol littered!

The show is top notch and its packed with plot points and plot twists. From episode one we are thrown straight into mystery and drama. It carries this very tense atmosphere from episode to episode. Some really big stories that are very enjoyable. From the parents dealing with parenthood dealing racial school issues, under age sex all the way to a deeply married couple working on opposing sides of the battle board whilst maintain their “loving marriage”. Joe’s relationship battle with her daughter is a stand out storyline which is well paced and told. This show masterfully blends heart-pounding action, compelling characters, and a gripping storyline. The performances by the cast are outstanding, bringing depth and authenticity to their roles. The production quality is outstanding, immersing viewers in the world of covert operations. What truly sets this show apart is its dedication to showcasing the bravery and resilience of women in the military, shedding light on their remarkable contributions. It explores the spirited dilemma between love and the mission. An intense finale which does well to bring all the jumbled pieces together whilst leaving room for more, it more than delivers.

I can’t recommend this show enough. Paramount really pulled out the stops for this one. Anyone who loves thrilling drama and a powerful portrayal of real-life heroes… fully get involved.

How many plot twists did you see coming? Do you want to see another season? Do you want to see this universe expanded with Kyle’s team? React and comment below…