Special Ops: Lioness wastes no time diving into a hectic and relentless war zone where split second life or death decisions are Paramount (Plus. Sorry, couldn’t resist). The show created by Hell or High Water screenwriter Taylor Sheridan brings a brutal, relentless depiction of a war on terror and the grave risks special agents take on to eliminate their targets. Joe (Zoe Saldana) is a calculated CIA leader who struggles internally to silo her emotions from clouding her judgment and jeopardizing her team’s mission. Her family life is fractured by her emotionally and mentally draining job, as her husband copes with his own traumatic work life as a pediatrician. They share a rebellious daughter who harbors resentment for them both. 

 

Saldana is ‘hard as nails’ in her role as the leader of the ‘Double Secret Probation’ CIA team tasked with befriending a family of terrorists in order to infiltrate their inner circles and terminate them. After losing one of her operatives, she must recruit a new asset for her Lioness Team. A Top Candidate for this deadly position is Cruz (Laysla De Oliveira), a survivor of domestic abuse who showcases her strong mental and physical tenacities. Cruz is ‘put through the ringer’ in the first few episodes and Oliveira does a wonderful job of displaying pent-up emotions fueled by her character’s traumatic past. The second episode takes her CIA ‘training’ to an uncomfortable and graphic level of torture, abuse and humiliation. This was intentionally difficult to watch. 

 

The production value is apparent and impressive in the opening sequence of an ambush of a CIA outpost in the Syrian desert. The action is intense and well executed, however, I found myself minimally invested without any prior character familiarity or development. The ragtag group of marines on Joe’s team are relatively static throughout the first couple episodes and remind me of MacGruber’s team of badasses assembled in a montage whom he accidentally blows up. I’m hopeful for more meaningful character backgrounds and development throughout the remainder of the season. TBD.

 

Overall Special Ops: Lioness shows promise, but my enthusiasm for this is lukewarm and time will tell if the show can successfully muster a more captivating boiling point.