Paramount Plus recently dropped the trailer for the third season of a show that is one of the best things I've ever seen. The forthcoming series is set to launch on August 2, while the debut season is currently streaming on Netflix.
The adrenaline-fuelled show Special Ops: Lioness secured a coveted place in Netflix's top 10 back in October. With a cast boasting Hollywood titans such as Morgan Freeman, Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldaña, it quickly became apparent why.
For those seeking something fast-paced, accessible and engrossing, without demanding too much intellectual heavy-lifting, this gripping series could be precisely what you need. It came to my attention via a recommendation from my parents.
When they mentioned they were watching something called 'Lioness', my initial assumption was that it revolved around the England women's football team. Thrilling as back-to-back Euros victories were, however, Lioness is an altogether different kind of thriller. It follows CIA operatives as they embark on a dangerous undercover mission to stop the next 9/11.
Avatar star Zoe Saldaña takes the lead role, while also serving as executive producer, with the series focusing on an operative juggling motherhood with her job leading an undercover unit on high-risk missions as she sends her new marine recruit out onto the field.
The first season debuted in 2023, created by Taylor Sheridan, the mastermind behind Yellowstone. Like its predecessor, Lioness skilfully explores intricate family dynamics and relationships, while simultaneously delivering considerably more explosive action sequences, especially throughout its adrenaline-fuelled military operations.
While fictional, Lioness takes its premise from an authentic CIA initiative that deployed female military personnel on operations in war zones including Iraq and Afghanistan. Within the series, Zoe Saldaña's character Joe manages Lionesses who penetrate terrorist organisations by establishing connections with the relatives or daughters of priority targets.
Multiple sequences are brilliantly tense, and this critic found it equally gripping - perhaps even more so - than Prime Video's Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan featuring John Krasinski. While it may not secure its position amongst television's all-time greats such as The Sopranos or The Wire, Lioness delivered thoroughly compelling viewing and ranked amongst the best programmes I watched last year.
Other exceptional series from 2025, the year I viewed Lioness, include Adolescence and Say Nothing, both arguably more profound, emotionally resonant and nuanced than Taylor's programme. However, as a parent with two children aged three and under, the infrequent moments I can sit down in front of the television at night require something readily bingeable that doesn't necessitate excessive mental energy.
That's exactly why Special Ops: Lioness proved ideal - it demanded minimal concentration following an exhausting day, while remaining sufficiently fast-paced and engaging to sustain my interest throughout all eight action-filled episodes.
Without divulging any spoilers, one of the series' most intriguing elements was its avoidance of the straightforward formula where villainy is vanquished and virtue prevails. The ending was far more sophisticated, allowing viewers to decide for themselves whether the resolution was ultimately positive or not.
The groundbreaking programme, which convinced me to join Paramount+ for its second season (equally impressive), provided a gratifying conclusion, with the closing scenes feeling genuine rather than manufactured purely for dramatic effect. The season three trailer has garnered 4.4 million views, suggesting I'm far from alone in eagerly anticipating its return.
