Lioness Season 1: Everything You Need to Know

Lioness is the action-packed, espionage thriller from Oscar® nominee Taylor Sheridan. Inspired by a real-life U.S. military program, the Paramount+ original drama follows a CIA senior case officer as she balances home and work life while leading the Lioness team in dangerous undercover missions.

And the cast is a virtual who’s who of Hollywood star power. You’ve got series lead, executive producer, and Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña, Oscar winner and executive producer Nicole Kidman, Emmy Award® nominee Michael Kelly, Oscar winner Morgan Freeman, and breakout actress Laysla De Oliveira all coming together to deliver powerful performances.

Renewed for a third season, Lioness is a show that demands to be watched from the beginning. The first season introduces fans to the Lioness program as led by the CIA’s Joe McNamara (Saldaña). In it, a young Marine, Cruz Manuelos (De Oliveira), is recruited to go undercover, and infiltrate a dangerous terrorist organization. As the story unfolds, the team tackles risky missions, unforeseen accidents, emotional attachments, and explosive reveals.

So, are you ready for your debriefing? We’ll break down everything you need to know: when the show drops, who’s in the cast, how the episodes are lined up, where it sits in Taylor Sheridan’s growing empire, and how to watch and stream all episodes. Think of this as the perfect information dossier.

SPOILER ALERT: Plot details from Lioness Season 1 will be discussed below. If you want to get your intel first-hand, binge-watch the episodes, now streaming on Paramount+.

What is Lioness about?

Lioness tells the story of an undercover CIA program, and the people who risk their lives to run it. The show, originally known as Special Ops: Lioness, premiered on July 23, 2023.

Each season introduces a new Lioness operative and mission. In Lioness Season 1, the operative is Cruz, the Marine. In Lioness Season 2, U.S. Army helicopter pilot Josephina (Genesis Rodriguez), Joe’s niece, is the new operative.

Lioness was renewed for a third season on Oct. 1, 2025.

Lioness Season 1 recap

In Lioness Season 1, CIA officer Joe chooses a recruit to join the Lioness team. The new member, Cruz, goes undercover to get close to Aaliyah (Stephanie Nur), the daughter of a billionaire with ties to terrorism. As Cruz grows closer to her mark, the rest of the Lioness team gets pulled into another mission that goes sideways, and an accident at home causes more problems for Joe. The undercover assignment takes an emotional turn, but Cruz delivers and scores an invite to Aaliyah’s wedding, the prime place and time to take out their mark.

Lioness Season 1 ending

Warning, spoilers ahead! In the ending of Lioness Season 1, the Lioness team heads to Dubai for Aaliyah’s wedding, despite reservations and a potential no-show from her father, Asmar Ali Amrohi (Bassem Youssef). Cruz struggles with her personal feelings for Aaliyah – and Cruz’s mission to kill Aaliyah’s father.

The groom, Ehsan (Ray Corasani), grows suspicious leading to a violent confrontation the night before the wedding. Cruz not only kills the groom, but her target as well. She then hightails it out of there, with the team racing to fight off a wave of guards and save her.

The mission is accomplished, but at what cost? Cruz has a heated confrontation with Joe, and seemingly leaves the team for good. Weary herself, Joe returns home to her husband and children.

Who stars in Lioness Season 1?

Lioness Season 1 stars Zoe Saldana, Nicole Kidman, Michael Kelly, and Morgan Freeman. But like any good team, the show has a deep bench. Here’s a complete rundown of the regular series Season 1 cast:

Zoe Saldaña as Joe McNamara
Nicole Kidman as Kaitlyn Meade
Morgan Freeman as Edwin Mullins
Michael Kelly as Byron Westfield
Laysla De Oliveira as Cruz Manuelos
Dave Annable as Neal McNamara
Jill Wagner as Bobby
LaMonica Garrett as Tucker
James Jordan as Two Cups
Austin Hébert as Randy
Jonah Wharton as Tex
Thad Luckinbill as Kyle McManus
Hannah Love Lanier as Kate McNamara
Stephanie Nur as Aaliyah Amrohi

How many episodes are in Lioness Season 1?

There are eight episodes in Lioness Season 1. They are:

As noted, all Season 1 episodes are streaming now on Paramount+.

How many Lioness seasons are there?

There are two seasons of Lioness — with more on the way. As of October 2025, production on Lioness Season 3 was underway in Texas.

Where to watch Lioness Season 1

You can watch all episodes from Season 1 of Lioness exclusively on Paramount+.

Why should you watch Lioness Season 1?

You should watch Lioness Season 1 for any number of excellent reasons, here are four: One, you’re a fan of Taylor Sheridan; two, you’re a fan of Yellowstone, which was co-created by Sheridan; three, you’re a fan of the Yellowstone origin stories 1883 and 1923, which are now streaming on Paramount+; and, four, you’re a fan of Tulsa King, Landman, Mayor of Kingstown, and/or, Lawmen: Bass Reeves, which also just happen to be Paramount+ original dramas from (you guessed it) Sheridan.

Oh, wait, we thought of another one: You’re a fan of stars. Lots of them. Like Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman, Michael Kelly, and Morgan Freeman.

Is Lioness based on a true story?

Lioness is based on the true story of a military program created by the Marine Corp. The program’s name? Lioness.

Launched in the 2000s, during the waning days of the Iraq War, Lioness was developed to help combat the threat of female suicide bombers and smugglers. Due to religious and cultural beliefs, male soldiers had difficulty interacting with, and searching local women. But the female members of Lioness could get the job done. The program evolved with female soldiers befriending local women to gather more intel and de-escalate conflict in the area.

Is Taylor Sheridan in Lioness?

Yes, Taylor Sheridan is in Lioness. The show creator plays CIA officer Cody Spears. He makes his series debut in the Season 2 premiere “Beware the Old Soldier”; in it, completes a harrowing mission to rescue a kidnapped congresswoman. To date, Sheridan has played Cody in three episodes, including “I Love My Country” and “The Compass Points Home.”

As Sheridan fans know, Sheridan, the actor, is no stranger to the cast lists of shows by Sheridan, the writer-producer-director. He plays Charles Goodnight, a respected rancher and trail boss, in two episodes of 1883, and appears in a dozen episodes of Yellowstone as Travis Wheatley, the cowboy and horsetrainer, among other credits.

Sheridan got his start in Hollywood as an actor. In front of the camera, he’s arguably best known for his recurring role as Deputy Chief David Hale in Sons of Anarchy.