S03E01

The first episode of Lioness Season 3 premiered yesterday, and it was exactly what I was expecting from the series. Not only did it maintain the high standard we've come to expect, but it also made it clear from the very first hour that this season intends to raise the stakes even higher. Zoe Saldaña is at the top of her game, the action sequences are relentless, and everything points to this being the most explosive season yet.

The episode opens with a brief recap of the major events from the first two seasons before taking us to a peaceful moment with Joe and her family. And yes... the show wastes no time getting things started in a rather... hot way. That calm doesn't last long, though. Shortly after leaving home for work, Joe is kidnapped on American soil. The trailers had already hinted that this season would bring the action to the United States, and the opening scene confirms exactly that.

The story then jumps six months back in time to show us how everything led to this moment. The CIA receives intelligence from Ukrainian intelligence services about a high-ranking Russian official and decides to launch an operation to capture him inside Ukraine.

What follows is arguably the highlight of the episode. The military operation is brilliantly directed, packed with tension and realism. We get to see military dog tactics that I honestly don't remember ever seeing in a movie or TV series before. Taylor Sheridan also steals the spotlight by stepping back in front of the camera as Cody Spears, leading the mission alongside Joe, played by Zoe Saldaña. This isn't the first time Sheridan has appeared in one of his own productions, but every time he does, his presence fits perfectly with the tone of the series.

The mission is ultimately successful, but the firefight also showcases the new reality of modern warfare, where drones have become a decisive part of the battlefield. By the end of the operation, it feels like Pandora's box has been opened, and the consequences of that decision will likely shape the entire season.

At the end of the episode, Joe returns home, where two men posing as police officers attempt to ambush her. She reacts instantly, eliminates both attackers, and then informs Kaitlyn (Nicole Kidman) that her cover has officially been blown.

The only thing that left me confused was the timeline. If all of this happened six months before the kidnapping we see at the beginning of the episode, then why does Joe seem to be living such a normal life six months later, casually driving to work without being on high alert? Especially after knowing that her identity has already been compromised. My guess is that Sheridan is deliberately keeping this as a mystery and will answer it in the upcoming episodes.

Episode 2 arrives on August 9. I'll actually be traveling for my summer vacation that day, but I'll do my best to watch it anyway since I'll have my laptop with me (eCommerce never really takes a vacation!). Hopefully, I'll be able to write down my thoughts while everything is still fresh.

If this premiere is any indication of what's to come, then Lioness Season 3 has every chance of becoming the best season of the series so far. If you haven't watched it yet, move it to the very top of your watchlist. I enjoyed every single minute of it.