Critics Have Seen Taylor Sheridan’s Special Ops: Lioness, See What They’re Saying About Zoe Saldaña And Nicole Kidman’s Spy Thriller
New series from the Yellowstone creator.
The Yellowstone universe may be in upheaval right now, following tension between creator Taylor Sheridan and star Kevin Costner, and the news that the series would end after the final episodes of Season 5 are delivered. That hasn’t kept Sheridan from moving onward and upward, and his newest series Special Ops: Lioness takes viewers off of the ranch and into the CIA for a military spy thriller. Critics were able to screen the first episode, which is available to stream now with a Paramount+ subscription, so let’s see if they think this one’s worth checking out.
Taylor Sheridan continued his streak of landing A-list talent for his series, as Special Ops: Lioness’ cast boasts Academy Award winners Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman. Zoe Saldaña, however, is the star, playing Joe, the leader of the CIA’s Lioness program, which tasks new recruit Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliviera) with befriending the daughter of one of the agency’s targets.
Alex Maidy of JoBlo rates the series a “Great” 8 out of 10, saying the pivot away from small-town politics and crime is a refreshing one for Taylor Sheridan. After the first episode, Maidy says Special Ops: Lioness has the potential to be the best show from Sheridan since Yellowstone. The critic continues:
David Hookstead of OutKick calls Special Ops: Lioness “outstanding,” yet “unbelievably dark.” The critic promises that if you love Yellowstone or Taylor Sheridan’s other series, you’re going to be obsessed with this one. Hookstead continues:
Joel Keller of Decider says “Skip It.” The show’s not terrible, the critic says, but it’s not different enough from many other — and better — shows in the same vein that have been made in the past 15 years. Keller continues:
Critics in the past have taken issue with Taylor Sheridan’s writing of and for women, and Alison Herman of Variety says despite creating a series with female protagonists, he has not grown any more nuanced in his depiction of them. Herman says that in the first episode:
Clint Worthington of RogerEbert.com has the same issue with Special Ops: Lioness, specifically noting that Joe’s central conflict is about balancing work with being a wife and mother. Worthington says despite its way-overqualified cast, Taylor Sheridan’s newest series feels “more like a 45-minute USMC recruitment ad than an honest-to-God military thriller.” More from the review:
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Whether or not you’ll enjoy the latest offering from Taylor Sheridan seems to hinge a lot on if you like his previous work — or, perhaps, if you take issue with his writing, since it seems some of the criticisms are the same he’s received in the past.
The first two episodes are available to stream now, with new episodes dropping each Sunday, so see how to watch Special Ops: Lioness from anywhere. You can also check out some more great dramas available on Paramount+.
Heidi Venable is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend, a mom of two and a hard-core '90s kid. She started freelancing for CinemaBlend in 2020 and officially came on board in 2021. Her job entails writing news stories and TV reactions from some of her favorite prime-time shows like Grey's Anatomy and The Bachelor. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Journalism and worked in the newspaper industry for almost two decades in multiple roles including Sports Editor, Page Designer and Online Editor. Unprovoked, will quote Friends in any situation. Thrives on New Orleans Saints football, The West Wing and taco trucks.