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Season 2 of Paramount+'s Special Ops: Lioness concluded on December 8, 2024, reminding TV viewers how bonkers Taylor Sheridan's writing can become. The sprawling international spy thriller is loaded with one unpredictable twist and unforeseen turn after another, proving Sheridan to be the most skilled and in-demand TV scribe working today.

At last glance, CIA operative Joe McNamara (Zoe Saldaña) is forced to deal with Operation Sky Hawk, a spy mission finding Kaitlyn Meade (Nicole Kidman) and Byron Westfield (Michael Kelly) recruiting Pablo Carrillo (Demian Castro). The Season 2 finale sets up a clear-cut path to continue the espionage drama for Season 3, which would continue to make Sheridan the busiest TV scribe working in show business. For fans of Yellowstone, Landman, Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, and more, here's why Lioness is Sheridan's most outlandish show yet.

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[This story contains spoilers from the season two finale of Lioness.]

The second season of Taylor Sheridan’s CIA operative series Lioness ended with a bang on several fronts.

The finale of the Paramount+ series starring Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman, Dave Annable, Michael Kelly and Morgan Freeman pulled no punches when the U.S. Secretary of State (Freeman) gave Deputy Director of the CIA Byron Westfield (Kelly) the authority to do a special ops mission with the CIA-led Quick Reaction Force team (Qrf) Lioness team off the Turkey/Iranian border. Intel suggested the Iranians were planning to smuggle in two Chinese scientists to help with their nuclear program. American intelligence agencies already knew that the Chinese took part in having a Mexican cartel kidnap a U.S. congresswoman — taking her across the border and executing her family. It was time for some payback.

Leading the kill mission of the Chinese operatives in Iran would be new Lioness recruit Josephina Carrillo,...

In Lioness season 2, we saw that, for the first time, a cartel had dared to cross the US border and abduct a congresswoman. The family of the congresswoman was killed, and she was taken to Mexico and held captive there. It didn’t take Byron and his entire team long to figure out that the intention of the cartel was not just to kidnap the congresswoman. They had ulterior motives, and soon, it came to be known that China was backing them and giving them all sorts of support and resources. A man named Alvaro Carrillo was the head of the Los Tigres Cartel, and he was the one who was working closely with the Chinese. Alvaro’s brother, Pablo, was living in the US, and he had a rather opulent lifestyle. Pablo had a daughter, Josephina who served in the army, and Joe was asked to choose her as the Lioness for her mission.

The funniest thing about the ending of Lioness season 2 is Joe’s dialogue where she heroically declared, “I observe and give advice unless one of my assets goes down.” Byron had literally ordered her to stay on the base, but she changed the rules as if she was the superior here. I understand what the showrunners were going for here, but seriously it’s not some private ranch in Montana, it’s a Middle-Eastern country with which you have weak diplomatic relations, and if anything goes south, then Joe’s heroism could start a war where more people would get killed just to justify the mess. Also, on a technical level, Joe’s lines ruined the ending of the show because she already hinted at what was going to happen in the climax. But let’s just accept it, all these are stupid notions being peddled in the name of entertainment and propaganda.

Spoiler alert: The following article contains spoilers from Lioness season 2, episodes 1 and 2.Laysla De Oliveira as Sergeant Cruz Manuelos is out and Genesis Rodriguez as Captain Josephina "Josie" Carrillo is in in Lioness season 2. Cruz served as the Paramount+ spy thriller series' first Lioness in season 1, and Josephina takes her place in season 2. As many may recall, Special Ops: Lioness season 1 ended with Cruz completing her mission but also severing ties with Zoe Saldaa's Joe McNamara and the Lioness program. So, heading into season 2, the team has to find a new highly skilled female operative for their next mission.

The name of the Paramount+ spy thriller series changes from Special Ops: Lioness to simply Lioness in season 2.

Joe put Cruz through the wringer in Special Ops: Lioness season 1, but unfortunate circumstances also accounted for the Lioness' trauma in the Taylor Sheridan TV show. The Force Recon Marine fell in love with her target Aaliyah Amrohi,...

At the end of the first episode of Lioness season 2, Joe, Kaitlyn, and Byron knew one thing for sure: the Mexican government or the cartel operating in the region had Chinese support, as without that they couldn’t have kidnapped a Congressman and killed her family on US soil. In episode 2, Joe got reunited with Bobby and her other team members. Kyle, Cody, and others also came to the base camp to discuss the plan and understand what was their best course of action. So, let’s recap the major events of Lioness episode 2 to see if Joe was able to find a “Lioness” for her mission.

Spoiler Alert

What did Kate want from Joe?

Joe went back to her family in Lioness season 2 episode 2 to meet them for one last time before leaving for her mission. She knew that the mission was going to be excruciatingly tough on her,...