Taylor Sheridan’s Brutal Spy Series Returns to the Charts in Anticipation of Season 3

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Taylor Sheridan has quickly become a major force in television after creating the hit neo-western drama. He’s followed that success with other popular shows like 1883, Mayor of Kingstown, and Landman. Now, his latest show, a gritty spy thriller, is also attracting a large audience.

According to FlixPatrol, Lioness is now the second most popular show on Paramount+ in the US. Fans are eagerly awaiting new episodes, with many hoping they’ll arrive in late 2026, though there’s no confirmed release date yet. Currently, both seasons one and two of Lioness are gaining popularity on streaming platforms.

What Is Lioness About?

Lioness is a thrilling spy series centered around a top-secret CIA program. The program trains female operatives to build relationships with the women closest to high-value targets, allowing them to gather intelligence on their whereabouts or lure the targets into the open for capture.

I’m so captivated by this show! It stars Zoe Saldaña as Joe McNamara, a CIA officer running this incredible program called Lioness. But what really drew me in is Laysla De Oliveira’s character, Cruz Manuelos. She’s amazing – a woman who bravely joins the Marines to escape a terrible situation, and then, after all that training, she’s chosen for the Lioness program to get close to a really dangerous terrorist financier in Iraq. It’s a powerful story!

Lioness features a strong cast including Dave Annable as Joe’s husband, Dr. Neal McNamara, and Nicole Kidman as Kaitlyn Meade, Joe’s boss and a CIA supervisor. Morgan Freeman plays U.S. Secretary of State Edwin Mullins, and Michael Kelly appears as Byron Westfield, the CIA’s Deputy Director of Operations. The show also includes guest appearances by stars like Sam Asghari and Taylor Sheridan.

Lioness Season 2 Won Over Critics Despite Season 1’s Mixed Reviews

The first season of the show received a 54% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on reviews from critics. However, the second season was much better received, earning a 90% rating. Michael John Petty of Collider praised the second season, saying it’s a slow-burn that steadily improves and sets the series up for a strong future.

Abhishek Srivastava of The Times of India praised the second season of ‘Lioness,’ calling it a significant improvement over the first. He noted the plot is more captivating, while the show maintains its original spirit, and highlighted stronger character development. Interestingly, while many critics had issues with the first season, audiences enjoyed it right away.

Viewers seem to enjoy Lioness. Season 1 earned a 76% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and Season 2 isn’t far behind with 72%. The show has a strong 7.8 rating on IMDb based on nearly 90,000 reviews. Metacritic shows a user score of 6.1 and a metascore of 56, further indicating its popularity with audiences.

Viewers loved the actors and their performances, especially how the show combined compelling characters with exciting action. With Season 3 of Lioness on the way, many are revisiting their favorite episodes, and new viewers are also discovering the series, leading to a surge in its popularity on streaming platforms.

Lioness is available to stream on Paramount+.

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2026-05-16 22:36