A tense, glossy espionage thriller with strong action and a propulsive premise, but it’s also uneven in character depth and often leans more on Sheridan-style momentum than nuance. Worth it if you want a fast, militarized spy series with big stakes and a polished streaming sheen.
Lioness
Where to watch: Buy
TV Show · Drama · War & Politics
Sun
Created by: Taylor Sheridan
Starring: Zoe Saldaña, Laysla De Oliveira, Dave Annable
Overview
Cruz Manuelos, a rough-around-the-edges but passionate young Marine, is recruited to join the CIA's Lioness Engagement Team to help bring down a terrorist organization from within. Joe, the station chief of the Lioness program, is tasked with training, managing and leading her female undercover operatives.
Created by
Taylor Sheridan
Cast
Zoe Saldaña, Laysla De Oliveira, Dave Annable, Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett, James Jordan, Genesis Rodriguez, Michael Kelly
Curator Review
Verdict
A tense, glossy espionage thriller with strong action and a propulsive premise, but it’s also uneven in character depth and often leans more on Sheridan-style momentum than nuance. Worth it if you want a fast, militarized spy series with big stakes and a polished streaming sheen.
Best for
fans of modern espionage and covert-ops dramas
viewers who like action-forward prestige TV
Taylor Sheridan completists
people who enjoy female-led undercover stories
Skip if
you want subtle, character-first spycraft
you’re tired of militarized, macho-adjacent thriller writing
you prefer tightly plotted espionage over broad melodrama
you want a consistently even series across every episode
Overview
Lioness is built for speed: recruitment, training, infiltration, and escalation all arrive with the confidence of a premium streaming thriller. Zoe Saldaña gives the series a grounded center, and the undercover framework has enough built-in tension to keep the show moving even when the writing gets blunt or familiar. The action is polished, the stakes are clear, and the premise is easy to binge.
Worth noting
The tradeoff is depth. Like a lot of Sheridan’s work, Lioness often favors hard-charging momentum, tactical swagger, and emotional shorthand over subtle development. Some supporting arcs feel undercooked, and the series can be more interested in the machinery of covert operations than in fully exploring the people inside them.
Bottom line
Season 1 is the main draw and the most satisfying entry point; Season 2 continues the formula with more of the same strengths and weaknesses. If you’re in the mood for a slick, high-stakes spy drama that plays like a blockbuster series, it delivers. If you want a more intricate or psychologically layered intelligence story, there are stronger alternatives.
A lighter but still engaging CIA series centered on field operations and undercover work.
Themes
covert operations, undercover infiltration, counterterrorism, military intelligence, female-led action, loyalty and sacrifice, state power, moral compromise
Topics
espionage, spy thriller, military drama, counterterrorism, female-led, action-packed, prestige streaming, covert ops, moral ambiguity, bingeable