This article contains spoilers for Episode 4 of Special Ops: Lioness available on Paramount+
“Special Ops: Lioness” Episode 4 aired on Sunday, leaning heavily into confusion as both an active duty CIA or military operative and an ordinary human being.
When most people write about the lives of military personnel and CIA operatives, their home lives become romanticized. Sure, there are movies and shows that delve into the darker side of things in their hometown, but I’ve never seen one so demanding that Joe (Zoe Saldana) has to balance both his work and personal life.
In Episode 4, Joe suffers a triple whammy. Cruise (Raisla de Oliveira) and her target (Aaliyah, played by Stephanie Budenbrock) go on a night out. Her team is arrested for a catastrophic rescue in Texas, her 14-year-old daughter is involved in a horrific car accident, and she turns out to be pregnant.
At first, I was perplexed by Special Ops: Lioness creator Taylor Sheridan’s choice to lean heavily toward a B plot (and possibly a C plot) that has nothing to do with the counter-terrorist operations that make up the bulk of the story. bottom. But enough to show me the horror of Joe’s life, I realized what this must be like for so many people who work in Special Forces and other areas of national security.
Review: ‘Special Ops: Lioness’ is a heart-pounding adrenaline rush from start to finish |@DailyCaller
What’s your all-time favorite Taylor Sheridan show? “Yellowstone,” “1883,” “King of Tulsa,” or something else? https://t.co/52Nuo3dFkR
— Kay Smythe (@KaySmythe) July 21, 2023
Sheridan also began to take a political dimension in his writings. We all know that “Yellowstone” is a very political story, but it’s also a basic black hat and white hat story. (Related: ‘Special Ops: Lioness’ Episode 3 Is The Best Soap Opera Meets Spy Thriller)
The latest episode of “Special Ops: Lioness” is less witty and hints at the dangers of open borders and how easily terrorists can infiltrate America right now. When many people think of open borders, they tend to focus on cartels, human trafficking, drug trafficking, and sex trafficking. Not many people want to think how easy it is now for terrorists from various international groups to wander into our country and inflict horrific damage while they are here. (Related: ‘Special Ops: Lioness’ episode 2 is violent, scary, and hilariously funny)
This part of Special Ops: Lioness says more about Sheridan’s politics than I expected. But well, am I happy about that? Because I don’t know anyone in the entertainment world who sheds light on this huge gap in our national defense.
