Lioness season two

When a Mexican politician is kidnapped in the opening of the latest season of Lioness, it’s CIA agent Joe (Zoe Saldana) who’s sent across the border to rescue her. However, when it’s discovered shortly after that the kidnapping is part of a far bigger terrorist plot, her titular team of female special ops agents are assigned to put a stop to the scheme before it leads to a catastrophic international disaster. The first two episodes offer the standard genre affair, with plenty of fast-paced action and shoot-outs in the first episode alone. Despite hitting many of the same beats expected from a show like this, Lioness is a bit of a tonal anomaly, switching between save-the-world thriller and upbeat family sitcom.

The best example of this series’s peculiar tone is seen right at the start. Although the house the kidnapping takes place in is supposed to be dark enough for the intruders to wear night vision goggles, the shots are oddly well lit that viewers can comfortably see what’s going on while characters slowly stumble around in what’s supposed to be the pitch black. The show then cuts to Joe attempting to make breakfast for her family to their collective bemusement in a scene that resembles a cheesy sitcom. It’s a little silly, but there is still some entertainment to be found in how committed it is in taking itself seriously.

Part of this dedication comes from Saldana’s performance as she switches from devoted mother-of-two to no-nonsense agent when needed. Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman are likewise enjoyable to watch as Joe’s superiors, even if their scenes consist largely of leaders divulging large amounts of important-sounding jargon within the space of a few minutes. This is the kind of programme where viewers can turn their brains off for 40 minutes at a time and go along with the ride. Most of what’s being said doesn’t really matter, but there’s guaranteed to be an over-the-top action scene around the corner. And while the show doesn’t have the same budget for big-screen spectacles, it nevertheless goes all-out when it comes to explosive set pieces.

While the latest season of Lioness is by no means prestigious television, it is still an entertaining watch for what it sets out to be.

Andrew Murray

Lioness season two is released on Paramount+ on 27^th October 2024.

Watch the trailer for Lioness season two here: