Special Ops: Lioness: Season 1

  

Created by: Taylor Sheridan

Written by: Taylor Sheridan with Thomas Brady

Starring: Zoe Saldaña (Joe), Laysla De Oliveira (Cruz), Nicole Kidman (Kaitlyn), Dave Annable (Neil), Jill Wagner (Bobby), LaMonica Garrett (Tucker), James Jordan ("Two Cups"), Austin Hébert (Randy), Jonah Wharton (Tex), Thad Luckinbill (Kyle), Stephanie Nur (Aaliyah), Hannah Love Lanier (Kate)

Special Ops: Lioness season 1 trailer: 

Taylor Sheridan does it again! 

Wow, I feel so lucky that I happened to tune into Yellowstone prequel 1923 several months back. At that point I flippantly though to myself, "Yellowstone is huge. I'll check out something in the same universe that's just starting so I don't have to watch so many seasons." And goodness, that was all it took. 1923 blew me away, so I tried out 1883 to see if it had the same magic, and it absolutely did. So when I saw Sheridan's name on Special Ops, alongside Nicole Kidman's, I knew it had to be good. 

The show is named for a military operation in which a female operative (Cruz, the Lioness) befriends the daughter (Aaliyah) of a suspected terrorist for surveillance and possible assassination. On the topic of that female descriptor, I appreciate the presence of women in all leading roles: the Lioness, the mission leader (Joe), and leader's boss (Kaitlyn). It was nice to see women in those kinds of military leadership roles and it also presented a strong sense of understanding. The Lioness is a female-specific mission, and women leadership around her would have a more intimate understanding of the requirements and constraints of such a role. It's hard to put my finger on when or if that kind of understanding came into play during the show (possibly cause I'm a guy), but definitely when they prevented Cruz from being date-raped and beat the spit out of her attacker, and possibly when Cruz was having emotional difficulties from becoming so intimately close with Aaliyah. 

Joe when we first meet her, on-mission

One thing Sheridan accomplishes very impressively in each of these series I've watched is establishing a strong, almost empathetic connection between the viewer and much of the main cast. In Lioness, I found myself crying for Cruz, Joe, and Aaliyah at different times, but what surprised me most was--in the very second or third episode--a scene had me cracked and broken for Joe's husband, Neil, who works as a pediatric oncologist. The scene in question involved him delivering news to the parents of a young girl that she has terminal cancer, under six months to live, and the recovery process from a surgery is so intensive it's not worth it. You can see his heart breaking as he delivers the news, and when the parents cry out in anguish, it drove a stake into my heart. Moments later, he returns home to a daughter who's been sent home for getting in a fight and a wife, Joe, who's lost an operative on a mission. The next several minutes at the house shows the three of them earnestly trying to figure things out--a house divided in its components, but seeking to piece itself together. 

Kaitlyn and her own boss, Byron (Michael Kelly) discuss high-level mission intel

Joe and Neil patch things up after a hard night

It's beautiful to see, and the compassion and understanding that Joe and Neil have for each other (and their daughters) is part of what made me love the series even more. They certainly have their rough patches and bitter fights, but they care for each other to keep coming back. Joe and Neil know that no matter how much their careers pull them apart, the only thing that makes it worth it is each other. 

And that's not even the main focus of the show. 

The relationship between Cruz and Aaliyah is even more visceral. The chemistry between them is impressively organic as Cruz is the stoic, unfeeling friend who Aaliyah is trying to teach about life and love. Even though we know what's coming--the classic trope of "I was faking it before, but then it became real!" but reversed--we can't help but love Aaliyah alongside Cruz as their friendship becomes more and more genuine. This becomes all the more true as Cruz--and us viewers alongside--learn just how fake and increasingly tragic Aaliyah's life is. She has millions of dollars to blow, but that's really all she has. We learn quickly that all her friends are fake and just there for the show, which is why her genuine bond with Cruz becomes strong so quickly. 

And this bond becomes a rightful backbone of the show, serving for several effective cliffhangers. Whether Cruz succeeds or fails in the friendship, it's a point of major tension. There's no way it won't be fascinating to see play out. In some episodes, there's a moment when we think Aaliyah will discover Cruz's lies and thus the truth, and we feel tension: what will happen when she's exposed? In others, there are moments when their friendship is burning bright and they're forging a true bond, and we feel tension: what will happen if she keeps this up? All the while, Joe's team is monitoring Cruz's every movement via hidden trackers and microphones, analyzing any and every tidbit that comes from Aaliyah's mouth, and simultaneously acting as a surrogate for us behind our own screens at home. It's a rich balance, and the end of it all tore out my heart. Just as it was supposed to. 

Aaliyah (left) and Cruz 

The series hasn't been officially renewed for a second season yet, but I've read that it received exceptionally high viewership for Paramount+, so that's definitely a good sign. But for any of you out there who need a full story, be not afraid: this season ends on a closed note, with a full story having been told.