Special Ops: Lioness (TV Series) Gone Is the Illusion of Order (2023) User Reviews

Episode 8

[bobcobb301 · 7/10 · 3 September 2023]

Overall I think this show was a hit and a win for Paramount+, but I don't know if it matters. It generated some buzz, but people are just not willing to give the streamign service a chance.

The show was a little uneven at times, but they almost solely focused on the mission at hand tonight and gave us a very graphic fight scene where the Lioness showed off her unique set of skills, and then a crazy 80's style chase scene where dozens of shots could not hit her.

They set the stage for a potential second season, but if this is a standalone series I think it will be a fine. Good story and almost every week it was enjoyable.

Loved it!

[noschutt · 9/10 · 3 September 2023]

Really enjoyed this finale to a great new show. I hope there's another season next year. I liked how the show explored the emotional struggle of the female characters reconciling their personal feelings with what was required of them to complete the mission. We've all seen plenty of these kinds of shows where these same types of characters are male. This time they're female. Do the male characters feel these same feelings but keep them to themselves? Would those other shows be as well received if the writers allowed the male characters to express these same feelings as the female characters in Special Ops: Lioness? I don't know but I enjoyed the freshness of Taylor Sheridan's new show.

Season 1 (7/10 stars): Can't Sustain The Momentum From A Tremendous Pilot

[zkonedog · 7/10 · 11 September 2023]

To put it simply, "Special Ops: Lioness" has one of the best pilot (first) episodes I've seen in quite some time. I was utterly entranced and amazed that show creator Taylor Sheridan (of Yellowstone & Co. Fame) might have another hit right out of the gate. Unfortunately, "Lioness" could not sustain such momentum and lost a bit of steam with every concurrent installment.

For a very basic overview, "Lioness" tells a fictional story about the real-life Lioness program, in which female soldiers are recruited to get close to high-priority targets to gather intel and set up sting operations. In this case, Joe (Zoe Saldana) recruits Cruz (Laysla De Oliveira) to make friends of Aaliyah (Stephanie Nur)--whose father is a high-profile terrorist. But with the situation constantly changing as Cruz is undercover, will the Marine be strong enough to complete the mission or be compromised along the way?

Truth be told, when the focus is on Cruz and the undercover mission, "Lioness" is pretty compelling from beginning to end. Cruz's friendship with Aaliyah is fascinating and full of twists/turns--enough so to keep viewers invested right up to the endgame.

There is also some emotional material involving Joe's family back home--notably a husband (Dave Annable) & a daughter (Hannah Love Lanier) who struggle mightily without the entire family intact. All are solid enough actors to be truly emotionally compelling.

Where the air leaks out of the "Lioness" balloon, however, are some of the odd choices Sheridan & Co. Make. These include...

-Casting Nicole Kidman & Morgan Freeman--then barely utilizing them.

-Having the rest of the Marine Lioness unit go on side missions that only muddy the waters and take the focus off the compelling espionage material.

-Getting a bit heavy-handed or on-the-nose (politically/socially) in the finale after having such a good balance for most of the proceedings before that point.

Basically, the experience I had with "Lioness" was the initial "wow--this could be a special series" slowly turning into "this is a missed opportunity". I'd potentially return for a second go-round--but on a shorter leash, as the basic structure now has more to prove that it can sustain more than a lot of somewhat-bland 6-or-7 star episodes all the way through.

Amazing last episode

[bearm-17443 · 10/10 · 5 September 2023]

Wow this series gave a new perspective to this types of shows usually I wouldn't be interested in a female lead but the actress that plays the undercover agent does and amazing job, I remember here from Locke and key series never could I have imagined here playing such a part just hands down. The series left me with a cliff hanger and I am so much caving for more the only thing I would prefer maybe for next shows is less scenes with Zoe daughter they were so boring and pointless I just skipped them... Anyways highly recommended and please have a second season I really would love to see where this characters develop.

Ps without the main actress (undercover spy) I'm less interested in a season 2.

Cruz is the worst protagonist

[terrylarosa · 8/10 · 4 September 2023]

I hope her character doesn't come back if a second season happens. Striking her commanding officer? Crying endlessly about betraying her love. I didn't mind Joe having emotional issues over her family but Cruz was miffed about a relationship she knew could never happen. She was a bad soldier and her 80 pound frame was a joke and after seeing what the target had caused in misery and death she still had reservations about killing him. Why can't they get a woman who has some muscle to her. Despite the endless whining Cruz shenanigans a fairly good episode overall though the bad guys became Storm Troopers with their bad shooting. At least her almost nothing physical frame may have come handy there. Hopefully they'll have a better protagonist for next season that actually wants to complete the mission.

despite

[imizrahi2002 · 8/10 · 3 March 2024]

What some of the reviewers here are saying, i found it a well balanced show...it wasn't ALL CIA operations...or family situations...or global/ political economics...but a decent hybrid... and it still surprises me about how some of the reviewers were offended/disturbed by the same sex (non explicit) scenes...as if it didn't seamlessly fit into the story line and was just being done gratuitously...or to stretch the plot to fit the eight episodes required to make the season.

What it DID do was make it a MUCH more complicated situation for some of the characters...but, of course, some people have difficulties with this sort of situation... there was one problem...and it's a big one, that i had with something that happened in this last episode...so i guess if i want to be specific i'm, again, going to have to check the spoilers box...i hardly EVER do spoilers, but... at one point, Aaliyah's fiance, Ehsan, is searching for background, 'who IS this person', information on Cruz...and, eventually, he turns up that she's a marine... how did THAT happen??? This woman is involved with some TOP secret, CIA run operation and there's information left behind on the web that OUTS her? Am i supposed to believe that the US intelligence service/s are THAT incompetent? Not with an operation like the one she was on...sorry.

Otherwise, regardless of, as one reviewer here stated, that there is, supposedly, a great deal of inaccuracy because, 'Taylor has no military experience'. Well...neither do i...and, aside from what i pointed out here, i didn't detect any...i think some people just have to complain about some things to point out their own 'expertise'. Make as if they're superior. And i'm not doubting that that reviewers military ISN'T superior to Taylor Sheridan's...it's just that it's not something that's going to jump out at your basic person in the audience... good series, in my opinion...looking forward to a second season.

Fantasy Island

[joeyford-55342 · 2/10 · 5 September 2023]

Again, starting with the RETIRED FEMALE SPECIAL OPERATIONS when that does not exist. First women graduates of Ranger school and Marine sniper school were this administration and with some kid glove special treatment. Zero female SEALS or Delta even in training. Gay women are condemned by the Quran, like off the roof. Way less than one in one-hundred. Lastly, the CIA scrubbed her past from the internet. That means she is a ghost. Some child with internet found her in 30 minutes. We laughed out loud in the room watching the unintentional comedy. Oh, and from a 40 year federal employee with a TS clearance since I was 17 .. cell phones in the secure, Presidential Situation Room? Hahahahaha.

Girl love story gone wrong

[Xavier_Stone · 1/10 · 5 September 2023]

This series should be a red flag for anyone watching a Taylor Sheridan again. Endless terrible writing attempting to merge a Special Operations mission and a family drama. Except Taylor doesn't have any experience with the military so we get a horrendous heavily fictional series with loads of women crying. And throw in a lesbian love story to make it unique.

This season finale was down right laughable. So many mistakes and let's keep pushing the arguing over and over and over.

Morgan Freeman gets his picture on the series screen shot but has a total of 4 lines in this episode, and another 4 in a previous one. Nearly the same with Nicole Kidman. Adding good actors doesn't make for a good show.

Gawd Awful.