Arguably the most prolific TV writer in Hollywood today is at it again, as Taylor Sheridan has a brand new series now available to watch, Special Ops: Lioness. This spy thriller based on a real-life CIA program is playing exclusively on Paramount Plus (though the series premiere aired on Paramount Network to give non-subscribers a chance to give it a try) and we'll be recapping each episode of the series.
So without further ado, let's get into it with Special Ops: Lioness episode 1, "Sacrificial Soldiers."
A tactical decision
A woman in a burka runs through an ISIS compound, goes into a closet, lifts the floorboards and hides underneath them. She removes her hood and pulls out a cellphone, making a desperate call.
At a US military base in Syria, Joe (Zoe Saldana), Bobby (Jill Wagnger) and Two Cups (James Jordan) are watching locals, particularly interested in what one individual is dragging, but unable to get a clear view. Joe receives a call, it is from the woman in hiding, one of Joe's assets. She tells Joe her cover has been blown because someone spotted a cross tattoo under her arm, a detail that Joe didn't know about.
Joe quickly orders her team to get ready, but as she does the individual Bobby and Two Cups were eyeing detonates a bomb, which is immediately followed by other locals attacking the base. Joe calls in an airstrike to eliminate the threat and get her team moving to rescue the asset, while Joe stays back at the base.
The team arrives at the compound via helicopter, awaiting Joe's orders on how to proceed. Joe is trying to figure that out herself, calling a superior for advice on the situation. However, when she hears over the phone that the asset has been captured she now knows what she has to do. She orders her team to not engage and stay far enough away as she orders a drone strike on the compound, killing everyone, including her asset.
A rare talent
Four years before the events of the opening scene, we meet Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliveira) working at a burger restaurant in a small town. After her shift she goes home to her boyfriend, who is verbally and physically abusive to her, punching her in the eye when she rebuffs him. This is the last straw for Cruz, who attempts to leave the next morning, hitting her boyfriend in the face with a frying pan to get away. Unfortunately, he chases after her. It's only when Cruz is able to get into a Marine Corps recruiting office and a Marine stands up to her boyfriend that she is able to get away from him.
However, knowing he will keep coming after her, and inspired by the Marine that protected her, Cruz decides to enlist. At training, Cruz quickly proves she is both extremely smart and physically gifted, besting many of the men's performance in the program. She meets with an officer who tells her she has the potential to be a solider that can truly make a difference.
Joe's unusual home dynamics
We jump back to the present, as Joe is being debriefed on what happened with her asset. She meets with CIA officer Donald Westfield (Michael Kelly) alongside her direct superior, Kaitlyn Meade (Nicole Kidman).
Westfield grills Joe about not knowing that her asset had a tattoo, saying next time she needs to search every inch of someone she is going to use as part of the program. Kaitlyn tries to reassure Joe, that she can't help the asset lied to her, but Joe is definitely taking this personally.
Being back in the states, Joe takes the opportunity to go home, but it quickly becomes clear it is a complicated dynamic with her family. Her eldest daughter, Kate (Hannah Love Lanier), tells her dad Neil (Dave Annable) she hates it when Joe is home. Talking with Joe, Neil reminds her it is better when she calls first so he can give her an update on what has been going on with the girls.
It's not just Joe's relationship with her daughters that is odd, as she and Neil both briefly talk about whether either of them is seeing someone. Neil admits he is, but only as a way for some human connection while Joe is gone. Joe doesn't seem bothered by this and it is clear that the two of them still love each other despite the unusual setup of their relationship.
Back to the field
Joe's stay at home is not long, as she soon is recruiting another potential Lioness. She is quickly pointed in the direction of Cruz. Joe sees her more than hold her own against a male soldier in a fight. Then when interviewing Cruz (and making sure to have her strip down to check her for tattoos) she clearly likes Cruz's spirit and resilience. She tells her she is now in the program.
On their way to Kuwait, Joe explains it will be Cruz's job to get close to a woman named Aaliyah (Stephanie Nur), who is related to a high-value target whose location is unknown. She also gets to meet the rest of Joe's team, which in addition to Bobby and Two Cups includes Randy (Austin Hébert), Tex (Jonah Wharton) and Tucker (LaMonica Garrett). After some ballbusting and some beers, the team welcomes Cruz.
The next morning Joe wakes Cruz up and tells her she has to move so she can start her mission and meet Aalyiah while she is shopping. Cruz is flustered as she tries to remember the specific details of her assigned background (and battles a bit of a hangover). However, when Cruz does meet Aalyiah, she is invited to continue shopping with her.
Joe, watching from afar, reports back that Cruz is in.
New episodes of Special Ops: Lioness release exclusively on Paramount Plus on Sundays.
