We need to talk about the SkyShowtime hit Lioness
If anyone knows about the best movies and series, it’s our sales director Danielle. So when she tipped me off about the SkyShowtime series ‘Lioness’, I had to check it out. And I have no regrets whatsoever. This story full of powerful women is perfect for anyone who enjoys a bit of suspense. And with the creator of ‘Yellowstone’ and Nicole Kidman in one of the lead roles, it’s no surprise that the series is such a hit.
Everything about the story of Lioness
Joe McNamara (Zoe Saldaña) is a CIA agent and head of the Lioness program. It is her job to select and train female agents for dangerous undercover missions. The agents are tasked with infiltrating terrorist organizations by befriending the daughters or other family members of the most influential men in the networks. The program operates outside of American law, but McNamara can count on the support of her supervisor Kaitlyn Meade (Nicole Kidman), who keeps politicians and justice at bay. After a previous failed mission, the CIA agent is determined to succeed this time in season one. To do this, she sends Marine Cruz Manuelos (Laysla de Oliveira) to the Middle East. But no matter how well and intensely Manuelos is trained, nothing can truly prepare her for what happens in the field. Danger is everywhere and gets closer in season two. McNamara must select the absolute best again and sends helicopter pilot Josephina Carrillo (Genesis Rodriguez) to Mexico to infiltrate the drug cartel. The missions create an enormous sense of responsibility and stress, which also puts McNamara's family in trouble.
If you love Yellowstone, Lioness will be your next obsession
At first glance, ‘Yellowstone’ and ‘Lioness’ seem to differ greatly from each other. Yet the two series share one important factor: both shows are created, written, and directed by the same man, Taylor Sheridan. And if ‘Yellowstone’ has proven one thing, it’s that Sheridan makes really good series. Another commonality: the director has a habit of reserving a guest role for himself. He did this in ‘Yellowstone’ as horse trainer Travis Wheatley, and now in ‘Lioness’ as Delta Force–/CIA operator Cody Spears. It’s a bit of his personal signature and a way to get back to acting himself. For the rest of the cast, Sheridan could count on a number of big names. Three of the main roles in the series are played by Oscar winners. Nicole Kidman, Zoe Saldaña, and Morgan Freeman all stepped into the world of the CIA; and that is certainly no punishment for viewers.
The real stories behind Lioness: real-life inspiration for the series
The story of ‘Lioness’ may have been invented by Sheridan and thus is fiction, yet the director drew significant inspiration from real life. The Lioness team actually exists, although in reality it is part of the U.S. military and not the CIA. Also, the team's goal is made a bit more intense in the series. In reality, the female Marines were primarily tasked with searching female residents at checkpoints or during house searches in Iraq and Afghanistan; something their male colleagues were not allowed to do due to the culture. They worked closely with the local population to build relationships and gather and disseminate important information. The women did not infiltrate and search for the most dangerous terrorists; the many fights and violent actions and training were added solely for the series. Military advisors were involved in the series to make everything a bit more realistic; but the story remains not true.
Is there going to be a third season of Lioness? This is what we know so far
With an average Rotten Tomatoes score of 73 percent, we can call ‘Lioness’ quite a success. The second season even managed to climb to scores nearing 90 percent. The opening episode of this second part attracted 12.4 million viewers worldwide. Fans are eagerly awaiting updates about a third season. Although the last episode has been available since the end of last year, a definitive message about the future of the series is still pending. However, we can remain hopeful that a continuation will come. Lead actress Zoe Saldaña mentioned in an interview that when signing her contract, it was at least for three seasons; and with the success of the show, there are few reasons to deviate from that. For Nicole Kidman, it would be a first, as she has never been in a series for longer than two seasons. You won't hear us complaining if she decides to break that tradition now. For now, we will have to be patient and trust Saldaña's words; we can at least binge the first two seasons of ‘Lioness’ on SkyShowtime.
Image: SkyShowtime
