The star power alone – Zoë Saldaña, Nicole Kidman, and Morgan Freeman – is enough to draw viewers to Special Ops: Lioness. This series, initially promising a team of formidable female spies, takes a different path, focusing on a single operative and the perilous nature of her mission. But where can you watch Special Ops: Lioness, and is it worth your time? Let’s delve into the streaming details and explore what this Taylor Sheridan creation has to offer.
Special Ops: Lioness centers around Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliveira), a Marine recruited into the Lioness Program, led by Joe (Zoë Saldaña). Cruz’s mission is deeply dangerous: to infiltrate the inner circle of a high-value terrorist target through his daughter, Aaliyah Amrohi (Stephanie Nur). The stakes are life and death, with the constant threat of exposure and the grim reality of potential sacrifice.
Cruz stands, looking to her right, with her backpack slug over her right shoulder.
Cruz’s backstory is painted with hardship. Haunted by loss and abuse, her escape from a violent boyfriend leads her unexpectedly to a Marine recruitment center. This chance encounter becomes a turning point, offering her a path away from her troubled past. Her exceptional skills in the Marines catch the attention of Joe, who sees in Cruz the raw potential for the Lioness program. However, Joe’s methods are brutal. Cruz endures grueling tests, bordering on torture, designed to assess her breaking point. This violence, a recurring theme in Lioness, sometimes feels excessive, raising questions about its purpose beyond shock value.
The mission kicks off with a seemingly serendipitous meeting between Cruz and Aaliyah at a luxury store in Kuwait. Aaliyah, despite being surrounded by security, readily welcomes Cruz into her world. This quick acceptance feels somewhat contrived, yet it highlights Aaliyah’s yearning for genuine connection in her superficial life. Her existing friendships are shallow, and her arranged marriage offers no emotional fulfillment. Aaliyah seeks authenticity, someone she can care for, and Cruz, appearing vulnerable and in need, fits this role perfectly.
After a night of passion leaves them with more questions than answers, Aaliyah (on the left, in a hotel robe) holds hands with Cruz (on the right in a leather jacket and hoodie) and they plot a way forward.
Aaliyah showers Cruz with kindness, a stark contrast to the harshness Cruz has known. This kindness, more than the opulent lifestyle, forges a bond between them. It echoes Cruz’s initial rescue at the recruitment center – someone offering care and protection. Despite a rushed development of their relationship, the connection between Cruz and Aaliyah evolves organically, culminating in a believable romantic entanglement.
Special Ops: Lioness is another offering from Taylor Sheridan, known for his “real American” narratives in shows like Yellowstone and its spin-offs. This marks his first foray into a female-led project. While Sheridan’s work often sparks debate, it undeniably captivates audiences. Following controversy around queer representation in Yellowstone, Sheridan appears to lean into it with Lioness, making queerness a central theme. This seems to be a deliberate move, defying expectations and pushing boundaries.
Sheridan’s distinctive approach includes minimal writer involvement, a point of pride for him. He believes in একক authorship, claiming writers’ rooms dilute his vision. However, this approach reveals its limitations when tackling female characters. While Sheridan excels at crafting male archetypes, his female characters often fall into extremes – either unlikable or underdeveloped.
In Lioness, with women at the forefront, the outcome is a mixed experience. The series is watchable primarily due to the compelling performances of its lead actresses, even when the narrative falters.
Joe and Bobby discuss an impromptu mission
Zoë Saldaña’s Joe embodies the driven, masculine archetype, yet is also burdened with a wife and mother persona. This feels somewhat forced, as if Sheridan struggles to reconcile female strength with traditional femininity. Nicole Kidman’s Kaitlyn Meade, while present, lacks substantial development. Jill Wagner’s Bobby suffers even more, reduced to a fleeting declaration of lesbianism that is never explored. This missed opportunity is particularly glaring, as Bobby’s perspective as a queer woman and a Marine would have been invaluable in guiding Cruz. Instead, this role defaults to Joe, while Bobby remains a peripheral figure.
The series, despite its focus on the Lioness program, occasionally veers off course. An unnecessary detour involving the male team members at the border feels like a distraction, detracting from the central narrative and character development. This time could have been better utilized to deepen Joe’s backstory, explore the complexities of Cruz and Aaliyah’s relationship, or offer Aaliyah’s viewpoint.
Sheridan’s preference for একক writing raises questions about diverse perspectives. For Lioness, incorporating female or queer writers could have enriched the narrative, particularly in portraying female characters and queer themes with greater depth and authenticity. Perhaps with a more collaborative approach, Special Ops: Lioness could have reached its full potential.
So, where can you watch Special Ops: Lioness? The series is exclusively available for streaming on Paramount+. If you’re intrigued by the cast and the premise, and are a subscriber to Paramount+, Special Ops: Lioness offers a watchable, albeit flawed, spy drama.
