For those who follow the dramatic Yellowstone for years, know that more than the star cast, Paramount Plus got it right in the partnership with showrunner Taylor Sheridan. Since the release of the film Sicario, in 2015, some things have become clear in its contents: we can expect violence and strong female characters, complex plots, and twists. And stars. In addition to the two Sicarios, he also signed Hell or High Water, Wild River, No Remorse, Tulsa King, and The Mayor of Kingstown, to name a few. Of course, recently it’s the Dutton saga in Yellowstone, 1823 and 1923 that has garnered rave reviews, but Special Ops: Lioness promises.

The cast brings Nicole Kidman as supporting Zoe Saldaña and Laysla DeOliveira, the two main and extremely convincing leaders in this drama that is inspired by a real CIA operation, which navigates through the universe of spies and secret agents. Here, a female Marine (Laysla) is recruited by the CIA (Zoe and Nicole) to befriend the daughter of a billionaire linked to terrorist groups, so the agency can take down the organization. The idea is to give female protagonism (rehearsed in the first Sicario) in a thriller that keeps you tense while it’s on the air.

The series already begins with an operation going wrong and Joe (Zoe Saldaña), the leader of Operation Leone, making a painful but quick decision. At the same time, we see how Cruz Manuelos (Laysla DeOliveira), coming from an existence of abuse and violence, is selected by the CIA to be the new agent of the Lionesses. Everything is extremely convincing and the lack of mutual trust is necessary, justified, and an uncomfortable element that leaves us guessing what might happen. Typical Sheridan, with characters tough, determined, and exposed to dangerous scenarios, starting with Cruz being cast to approach Aaliyah Amrohi (Stephanie Nur) and it is already clear that the two will have to make some extreme decisions later on.

In three episodes, Special Ops: Lioness was anything but obvious. In addition to Nicole Kidman, we will also have Morgan Freeman in the cast, which confirms the prestige of the showrunner. What’s interesting is that it’s a believable spy action series with a female cast. It’s only eight episodes long, so once again something short but powerful. I recommend following!

For those who don’t mind spoilers: in the first episode, we see how Joe suffers from his double life: at home, he doesn’t know how to play the standard mother, and on the field, he doesn’t want to be the cool colleague. In her precaution of not getting involved in order to be able to make extreme decisions, she finds in Cruz dela the ideal agent, but in a permanent test. An abuse survivor, Cruz is just as sheltered and resentful as Joe and the dynamic of immediate mutual hatred makes the series a different dynamic. In the second episode, the relationship is tested, but it is now that Cruz is already taking a risk that both will find out if they can effectively help each other. Particularly I’m thinking that it’s been too easy for Cruz… am I right?

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