Review | Special Ops: Lioness-Season One (Paramount Home Entertainment)
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Carl Roberts 
The amazing first season of Paramount’s Special Ops: Lioness is now available to buy on home entertainment. Get the details here.
The amazing first season of Paramount’s Special Ops: Lioness is now available to buy and own on home entertainment. The show, from Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan, is an explosive drama that is seemingly more topical now due to ongoing events around the world. Featuring a cast that includes Zoe Saldana, Laysla De Oliveira, Dave Annable, Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett, Morgan Freeman, and Nicole Kidman, the first season is one that amazes the audience while keeping them firmly on the edge of their seats. By the time we get to the final episode, our fingernails are bitten to the quick.
THE PREMISE
Inspired by an actual U.S. Military program, SPECIAL OPS: LIONESS follows the life of Joe (Saldaña) while she attempts to balance her personal and professional life as the tip of the CIA’s spear in the war on terror. The Lioness Program, overseen by Kaitlyn Meade (Kidman) and Donald Westfield (Kelly), enlists an aggressive Marine Raider named Cruz (De Oliveira) to operate undercover alongside Joe among the power brokers of State terrorism in the CIA’s efforts to thwart the next 9/11.
REVIEW
The show is a winner from the start. It is gritty, action-packed, and dramatic, and sets the tone for what is to come nicely. The first episode is an intriguing start to what quickly becomes a classic espionage action-thriller. And it makes Special Ops: Lioness a must-watch without a doubt. The opening to the first episode will grip the audience and not let them go.
The story of the opening episode sets the tone, the finer details, and the characters up ahead of what we see during the series. We don’t get to meet all of the cast in the opening episode, but that hardly matters. The characters we will meet throughout the series do more than enough to keep us invested. Zoe Saldana is sublime as Joe. Her character shifts from a toughened warrior to a sad outsider in her own family. It is a performance that grabs us as we watch the conflicting sides of the character.
THE OPENING SALVO
At the start of the first episode, Joe is communicating with her covert operative deep inside a terrorist cell in the desert. However, Joe has dropped the ball. She has taken her operative’s denial of not having a tattoo at face value. In true style, it is revealed that the operative does indeed sport a tattoo. And to make things worse, it is of a cross. This is discovered, blowing her cover and leaving Joe in a predicament that will only end one way. She has a choice: send in an armed team to extract her operative or order a strike on the compound, thereby killing her operative and anyone else inside. Joe has to live with the consequences, no matter what option she chooses.
LAYSA DE OLIVEIRA
The standout performance belongs to Laysa De Oliveira. Her character of Cruz will be the one we follow the most. When we first meet her, she is a put-upon woman, living with an abusive partner. By the climax of the opening episode, she is a deep-cover operative, unsure of herself or her mission. But her steely reserve will come into play during the events of the series. She is a character that we become invested in pretty quickly. And we find ourselves cheering her on. We grip the arms of our seats as she enters the lion’s den. Laysa De Oliveira delivers a brilliant, heartfelt performance, making her the favourite character from the outset.
Cruz is a waitress who is verbally and physically abused by her boyfriend. After being assaulted by him, the following morning, she decides to leave for good. However, before she does, she manages to get revenge on him somewhat. Pursued by him, she crashes through the doors of a Marine recruitment centre. Following harassment by her now ex-boyfriend and his friends lead her to sign up to the armed forces. To everyone’s surprise, including hers, she is a natural, pushing herself not only to be the best she can be but to be better than the male recruits. This brings her to Joe’s attention, who recruits her as her new operative. And drags her into a mission that will have far-reaching consequences.
THE SEASON
After the opening episode, the series kicks into high gear. Along the way, we watch in horror at some truly horrendous scenes featuring Laysla De Oliverira’s character. We can’t help but be appalled at what we see happening to her. But when the truth is revealed, we are even more shocked than before at who is behind her torture and treatment. It is uncomfortable watching but adds a level of reality to what follows. And features some tension that has us gripped to our seats. This is just the start of the journey we will be taking with these characters. By the end of the season, we have been through the wringer, leaving us breathless and our nerves shredded.
THE SUPPORTING CAST
The supporting cast for the season is all in excellent form, giving their all and partaking in some violent, tough scenes that bring the series to life. But when you have two Oscar winner’s names appearing in the credits, we are intrigued to see what they can do. Morgan Freeman as U.S. Secretary of State Edwin Mullins doesn’t have a whole lot to do but comes across as a vital component in the machine the series is. Nicole Kidman as Kaitlyn Meade, a high-ranking CIA official in the Lioness program and Joe’s boss gets more screen time. As we have come to expect, Nicole Kidman is a terrific actress, putting everything she’s got into her character. And it shows from the second she appears. The series hinges on the relationships of Joe, Cruz and Meade, and the three women make for some highly watchable, strong female characters.
THE SPECIAL FEATURES
All of the home entertainment physical copies come with some highly impressive bonus features. The Behind the Story Featurettes give us an incredible insight into what went into the creation of the series. The Embedded With Special Ops: Lioness featurette takes us further down the rabbit hole with the characters we meet throughout the series. Battle Forged Calm: Tactics & Training shows us what the cast went through in preparation for the trials they need to go through to bring a sense of reality to what we see of them throughout. While the Inside the Series feature does exactly what it says on the tin. They make for some superb viewing after we’ve finished the series, giving the home audience even more terrific entertainment.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Rating: 15
Blu-ray™ Format: Audio: English – Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround, French – Parisian, German 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: English SDH, French–Parisian, German
DVD Format: Audio: English – 5.1 Surround Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English SDHâ€
Run Time: 5 Hours, 53 Minutes
OUR VERDICT
We can say with confidence that Taylor Sheridan has done it again. He has crafted something that is yet another must-see piece of entertainment. Following on from his other shows such as Yellowstone, Tulsa King, and Mayor Of Kingstown, he has delivered a thriller that is superb.
By the end of things, we have chewed through our fingernails in tense anticipation of what will happen. And makes Special Ops: Lioness the perfect adult entertainment. I can guarantee that it will become something that will amaze the home entertainment audience. With the crisp, clear colours the show possesses, the crystal clear audio makes us hear and experience every sound we encounter throughout and with some truly superb special features, the discs are the whole package. The Lioness is roaring loudly. As will you. Her claws will end up bloodied by the finale. And she has plenty of strong, sharp teeth throughout. Prepare yourselves.
Special Ops: Lioness-Season One is available to buy now on DVD and Blu-ray from Paramount Home Entertainment.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
