‘Special Ops: Lioness’: Season 1 Review – Overstuffed Neo-Spy Thriller Crumbles Under Its Own Ambition

Special Ops: Lioness diverges from the Dutton Ranch of Yellowstone. Instead of cowboys and neo-western swagger, viewers meet CIA operatives, and immerse themselves in a thriller. This latest series from Taylor Sheridan introduces viewers to Cruz Maneulos (Laysla De Oliveria), who is a recruit for a special ops mission, in the CIA’s Lioness program. Her task: to penetrate the inner circle of a suspected terrorist’s daughter Aaliyah, (Stephanie Nur) and when the opportunity arises: kill the terrorist. Now, this is a promising hook, and while Lioness commits to it in broad strokes, it ultimately falls short in execution. A promising start is booby-trapped by too many characters, conflicting dramas, and a tangled web of narrative threads that leaves viewers wanting more clarity than anything else.

Zoe Saldaña stars in this neo-spy thriller as Joe, who heads the Lioness program. She is responsible for recruiting Cruz, a gifted marine, into the program for a counterterrorism mission. Saldaña is a force as a war-weary operative. Cynical, but is still a patriot at her core. Cruz enters the scene with a troubled past. Her story is one of sacrifice and guilt. She befriends her target, Aaliyah, and in the process develops an emotional bond and borderline romantic feelings, which are reciprocated. These elements serve as the beating heart of Lioness but have no time to marinate, let alone cook. The story is over-wrought with plot lines that include a dysfunctional family and brewing marital woes for Joe at home; the husband of Kidman’s character having shady investor ties; and the U.S. dealing with international diplomatic overtures.

These added inclusions stall any momentum from the main storyline involving Cruz and her complicated relationship with Aaliyah. A story focusing on Saldaña as a jaded CIA agent, and a Marine turned operative, who gets too close to her asset is a compelling narrative, and there is some of it in Lioness, but not enough to hit the target. The series benefits from great performances, including guest appearances by Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman, but performances are not enough when story is lacking.

The series peppers the usual spy-thriller beats. Chases. Shoot-outs. Clandestine excursions. The problems lie in the confusion in the identity of the show. What is it about? A traditional spy-thriller; an agent balancing the rigors of the job and the demands of her home life; a conflicted CIA recruit; bureaucratic infighting; political and philosophical battles? Yes, there are stand-out performances, but there are no answer over whose story is the priority and why the audience should care. Lioness cannot decide its lane and tries to be a little bit of everything. There are too many plot lines, and not enough focus on story. What remains is a rolodex of scenes and characters.

Nicole Kidman is stellar as a high-ranking CIA official with a possibly shady husband in the background; and Morgan Freeman turns in a brilliant, albeit brief extended cameo as the Secretary of State. Both these characters show promising potential, but because of the divergent storylines of Cruz and Joe, Kidman’s and Freeman’s stories never see much time in the spotlight.

The main beat is Cruz’s internal struggle as she reconciles burgeoning feelings for Aaliyah, and the objectives of the mission. The story between Cruz and Aaliyah’s is emotional, and where the show the finds its stride. While brief, the time it focuses on this complicated friendship and one-party double cross is a high point. A powerful storyline, and if given more time to marinate then it would be the standout, but woven together with other narratives creates a choppy picture and derails the momentum. The story puts too many characters on the board, leaving audience with no one to connect with long enough for an impression to be made, outside of the superficial.  Less crosscutting family drama and emphasis on a spy in a moral crisis would strengthen the series.

Sheridan is no stranger to large ensembles. Yellowstone excels at a balancing multiple storylines with precision and depth. However, when the dust settles the audience knows the star of the show is Kevin Costner’s John Dutton. Lioness lacks a central lead character like Dutton and cannot decide whether to focus on Saldaña’s Joe or De Oliveria’s Cruz. The problem is both character’s stories justify more than a single season’s worth of attention. Competing storylines are jarring. The audience is left unfulfilled and undecided as the two leads are when the story ends.

In the plus column though, Lioness does have Sheridan’s trademark grit fans enjoy in Yellowstone and its spin-offs. There is more than enough punches and shoot-outs to quicken the viewer’s pulse. Another welcome reversal for this type of show is Saldaña, who holds her own in a role typically reserved for a male protagonist. She is tough, yet stoic. It is a shame her character and arc are never given the proper space to expand.

Season Two is not yet announced, but when and if it is the narrative will need to be streamlined. A second season focusing on a single central character like Joe, and her struggles to raise a family, while working for the CIA might be an interesting thread to pull on and could give Lioness a second chance to hook the viewers for the long run. For now, this is a one and done.

Special Ops: Lioness is currently available to stream on Paramount+.