Lioness

2023– · War and Politics, Drama · 3 seasons · ★ 8.3

Returning series

+18

Synopsis of Lioness

Cruz Manuelos is a Force Recon Marine, blunt but passionate, whom the CIA recruits to join the Lioness Engagement Team, a unit that aims to take down a terrorist organization from within. Her superior is Joe, station chief of the Lioness program, responsible for training, managing, and directing undercover operatives on secret missions. Cruz receives a specific assignment: to win the friendship of Aaliyah Amrohi, the daughter of an alleged terrorist financier whom the agency is watching closely. The series, created by Taylor Sheridan, streams on Paramount+. Zoe Saldaña plays Joe and Laysla De Oliveira plays Cruz.

«This wasn't the mission.»

3seasons

24episodes

71 minper episode

8.3audience scoreTMDB · 1,718 votes

7.8IMDb rating96,616 votes

Latest episode aired

3x08 · El desenlace

September 20, 2026. No date has been set for the next one yet.

Seasons of Lioness

Season 12023 · 8 ep. · ★ 7.9

Season 22024 · 8 ep. · ★ 8.3

Season 32026 · 8 ep. · ★ 8.5

Cast by Lioness

Zoe SaldañaJoe McNamara24 episodes

Laysla De OliveiraCruz Manuelos24 episodes

Dave AnnableNeal McNamara24 episodes

Jill WagnerBobby24 episodes

LaMonica GarrettTucker24 episodes

James JordanTwo Cups24 episodes

Austin HébertRandy24 episodes

Jonah WhartonTex24 episodes

Hannah Love LanierKate McNamara24 episodes

Nicole KidmanKaitlyn Meade24 episodes

Michael KellyByron Westfield22 episodes

Thad LuckinbillKyle McManus22 episodes

Morgan FreemanSecretary of State Edwin Mullins18 episodes

Genesis RodriguezCaptain Josephina 'Josie' Carrillo16 episodes

Celestina HarrisCharlie16 episodes

Martin DonovanErrol Meade12 episodes

Jennifer EhleChief of Staff Mason12 episodes

Bruce McGillNSA Advisor Hollar11 episodes

Stephanie NurAaliyah Amrohi9 episodes

Matt GeraldCody9 episodes

Ian BohenGrady8 episodes

Max MartiniTracer8 episodes

Elizaveta NeretinOleksandra Balakin7 episodes

Dawn OlivieriAmber Whalen6 episodes

Dimitry RozentalRenat6 episodes

Richard HaddadAsif5 episodes

Sofie CalderonAtzi5 episodes

Taylor SheridanCody Spears4 episodes

Jay HuguleyJSOC Commander Dixon4 episodes

Kirk AcevedoSpecial Agent Gutierrez4 episodes

Demián CastroPablo Carrillo4 episodes

Ray CorasaniEhsan3 episodes

Carla MansourMalika3 episodes

Layla MohammadiNashwa3 episodes

Priscilla DoueihyNala3 episodes

Patricia De LeonMaria Carrillo3 episodes

Todd GableMarine Colonel3 episodes

Lev GornMaxim Petrov3 episodes

Sam AsghariKamal2 episodes

Karim NemattGuard #22 episodes

Technical Details

Created by: Taylor Sheridan
Address: Michael Friedman, John Hillcoat, Stephen Kay, Taylor Sheridan, Anthony Byrne
Writing: Taylor Sheridan
Music: Andrew Lockington
Photography: Stuart Campbell, Robert McLachlan, Nicole Hirsch Whitaker, Eric Koretz, Niels Alpert
Production: Rajeev Malhotra
Executive Producer: Jill Wagner, Ron Burkle, David C. Glasser, David Hutkin
Production companies: Blossom Films, MTV Entertainment Studios, 101 Studios, Bosque Ranch Productions, Cinestar Pictures, Paramount Television Studios
Network or Platform: Paramount+
Country: United States
Original Language: English
Premiere: July 23, 2023
Latest episode aired: September 20, 2026 (3x08)
Status: Returning series
Type: Fiction
Awards: Nominated for 1 Emmy Awards; 7 wins and 16 nominations in total.
Links: IMDb · TMDB · Official Website

Trivia about Lioness

The red carpet premiere, scheduled for July 18, 2023 in Los Angeles, was canceled due to the SAG-AFTRA strike in the United States. It was one of the first events suspended because of that conflict.

The first season was the most-watched series premiere worldwide on the platform on its launch day, up to that point, with nearly 6 million viewers in its first week.

The series is loosely inspired by Team Lioness, a 2003 initiative in Iraq to send female soldiers out with patrols, in a context of smuggling concealed by women.

In May 2023, the title changed from Lioness to Special Ops: Lioness, although the header did not change. The original title was restored when the series was renewed for its second season.

The soundtrack was composed by Andrew Lockington, who had previously worked with Taylor Sheridan on Mayor of Kingstown. Lakeshore Records has released the album.

Ian Bohen joined the third season as Grady, a Delta Force operator specializing in combat tactics and military dog training.

The third season premiered on August 2, 2026 on Paramount+, after filming wrapped in Fort Worth, Texas, in March of that year.

Sources: Wikipedia (English) · Wikipedia (Spanish)