Sacrificial Soldiers – The episode opens in a compound in Kobane, Syria. A CIA operative accesses the cellar to alert CIA Agent Joe Maneulos (Zoe Saldana) of her cover being blown. Joe’s team is 17 kilometers away at a CIA Socom Forward outpost monitoring a man exhibiting strange behavior. Frantic, the asset claims a woman saw her cross tattoo and now, they are searching for her. Joe informs Bobby (Jill Wagner) of the compromise as explosions ring out across the outpost. The soldiers come under fire as Joe requests immediate “CAS.” She spews out orders when a tactical aircraft lights up the outpost with bombs.

Joe’s team hops in a helicopter. An ISIS member enters the cellar where the operative is hiding. The helicopter moves in toward the compound. Joe calls the operative to inform her of her team being en route. Frantic, the woman warns that they are coming for her. Joe asks Bobby if she can rescue the operative. Bobby assures her that they will not quit fighting. A group of men carry the operative outside and beat her. An explosion at the compound aborts the mission.

Oklahoma City, 4 Years Before – Cruz Manuelos (Laysla de Oliveira) tosses Edgar (Ethan Jones Romero) a burger. He asks where is his shake. She reminds him that he requested a burger. After calling her a “b**ch” multiple times, he insults her meager wage. Cherub (Mikaela Nina Secada) boasts of earning $500 nightly dancing. Cruz tells them that she refuses to shake her ass for cash. Cherub says she is a dancer. When Cruz tells her that she is a “stripper,” Cherub jumps up and shoves her. Cruz punches her and Edgar punches her. She immediately apologizes. He orders her to go to bed. Cherub’s boyfriend (Ramon Nunez) suggests trading her in for a model with fewer miles. Dropping on the bed, she muffles her cries with a cover.

When Cruz gets out of bed, Edgar demands to know where she is going. Preparing to leave, he starts in on her again. She hits him across the face twice before fleeing with him in tow. She tries several businesses before gaining access to a Marine recruitment center. He grabs her foot as a Marine recruiter, Tanner (Martin Fisher) intervenes. She sleeps in the woods overnight.

Tast E Burger – The next morning, Cruz is at work when Edgar and Cherub’s boyfriend shows up. After closing, they wait in the car while she cleans the kitchen. Of Tast E Burger (Anthony Ruiz) asks if they are waiting on her. A police officer (Gabe Bowling) informs her of Edgar’s assault allegations. She admits to hitting him after he hit her. He say an EPO would give the police sufficient reason to respond if he comes around her. She asks if she can file the EPO night.

After spending the night at a local shelter, Cruz takes a written exam. During the Marine Corps physical fitness test, she asks Drill Sergeant (Graham Shiels) if she can get do pull-ups with the men. She does more than 19 pull-ups before quitting. He assures her that nothing will stop her if she tackles everything in the same manner. The Drill Sergeant informs Colonel Dirves (Stevie Ray Dallimore) of her 99% ASVAB and PT scores on the men’s scale.

Cruz meets with Colonel Dirves to discuss her remarkable test scores. He asks why she chose not to enroll in college. She claims to have changed after her mother’s death. She has two brothers, one is behind bars and the other is deceased. He asks her what “Marine” means to her. She explains how she landed in the Marine recruitment center where Tanner offered her protection and a “chance.” He warns that enlisting in the Marines means leaving your old life behind. She assures him that she has no life. He tells her that she does now.

CIA Headquarters, Langley, VA – Joe informs Donald Westfield (Michael Kelly) of the operative being compromised when someone saw her tattoo. He asks if it ever crossed her mind to assess her operative for tattoos. She claims the operative denied having any tattoos when she asked. Kaitlyn Meade (Nicole Kidman) asks for a rundown of what led up to her ordering a drone strike. Joe claims ISIS was holding the woman hostage. Meade questions why she ordered a drone strike with a CAG team en route to the compound. Joe says in the hour it took her team to secure the compound, ISIS would have filmed the woman nude to post on the Internet. He orders her to assess every inch of the next operative’s body for tattoos. Meade sends her to Braggs to create another operative.

Neil (Dave Annable) jokes with Charlie (Celestina Harris) and Kate (Hannah Love Lanier) when Joe enters. Charlie runs up to embrace her while Kate watches. Joe leaves the table during dinner. Kate admits to hating it when Joe is home. He asks Joe to inform him of her return in advance to give him time to prepare. They get intimate.

Captain Hansmuth (Daniel Abeles) fills Joe in on a potential candidate, Cruz. She isn’t impressed until she sees Cruz battle it out in the Pit with Sergeant Hastings (Aaron Matthews). Joe explains how Lioness, a special ops, places operatives with female contacts to ISIS targets.” Operatives befriend the women to find out where the targets are located. The CIA then moves in to eradicate the targets. Joe orders her to remove her clothes to assess for tattoos. She asks about her scars. Cruz claims they are from cigarette burns and beatings with an electrical cord. She asks if she gets her kicks from looking at her nude. Joe orders her to be ready to leave a 6am.

Joe tells Cruz that Asmar Ali Amrohi is her target and his daughter is her mark. Cruz asks if she is married. Joe reminds her that they are not friends. Cruz tells her that she just wants to know who is in charge of her rescue if her cover is blown. Joe says she must save herself before the rescue.

Joe introduces Cruz to the Lioness team – Bobby, Two Cups (James Jordan), Tex (Jonah Wharton), Tucker (LaMonica Garrett), and Randy (Austin Herbert). Cruz guzzles a bottle of beer. The next morning, she wakes up with a hangover. As the team follows Asmar’s daughter, Joe grills Cruz about her alias, Zara Adid. Cruz enters Louis Vuitton where Aaliyah (Stephanie Nur) is shopping. After an intentional encounter, Aaliyah comments on her American accent. Cruz watches as she looks at a necklace. Aaliyah says jewelry only means something when it is a gift. Cruz claims her uncle lives there. Aaliyah offers to accompany her to Estee Lauder to find her some makeup. Joe alerts her team that Cruz is in as the episode ends.

 

 Special Ops: Lioness Synopsis

After losing an operative in Syria, CIA Agent Joe is in search of a replacement. Cruz is running from an abusive boyfriend when she discovers the Marines. The Drill Sergeant is so impressed with her physical test and ASVAB scores, he introduces her to Colonel Dirves.

CIA Donald Westfield is none too thrilled to discover Joe failed to visually assess her operative for tattoos, he sends her to Bragg to find a replacement. Hansmuth puts her onto Cruz. Skeptical, she watches her take out Sergeant Hastings in the Pit. Choosing her to join Lioness, a special ops that drive out ISIS leaders through friendships with female contacts.

Cruz is assigned to Asmar Amrohi’s daughter, Aaliyah. The two women make an instant connection.

Special Ops: Lioness Cast

• Kaitlyn Meade (Nicole Kidman)
• Tucker (LaMonica Garrett)
• Neil (Dave Annable)
• Joe (Zoe Saldana)
• Tex (Jonah Wharton)
• Donald Westfield (Michael Kelly)
• Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliveira)
• Bobby (Jill Wagner)
• Two Cups (James Jordan)
• Randy (Austin Hebert)
• Aaliyah (Stephanie Nur)
• Charlie (Celestina Harris)
• Kate (Hannah Love Lanier)
• Edwin Mullins (Morgan Freeman)
• Asif (Richard Haddad)

Where To Watch Special Ops: Lioness

Special Ops: Lioness, directed by John Hillcoat, premiered on Sunday, July 23, 2023, on Paramount+.

Special Ops: Lioness Review

The pilot episode sets the stage for a female CIA operative, Cruz is more powerful and intelligent than over 90% of Bragg recruits, with no prior military experience. The Lioness is your typical run-of-the-mill “woman better than man” series. Ignoring the agenda, viewers get nothing more than a basic CIA special ops series.

Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman are added to the cast to draw in viewers. The significance of their roles is still up in the air. Kidman appeared in one scene while Freeman is yet to make his appearance.

The acting is hit-and-miss. The dialogue is elementary and at times, cringeworthy. The pacing is good as well as the cinematography. Once the cast becomes comfortable in their roles, viewers may see some improvement.

The episode deserves a 6. Get more Special Ops: Lioness recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by donating to our platform. Our onsite advertising builds online awareness, click the link to learn more.