It’s somewhat shocking that Special Ops: Lioness even exists. The action thriller series, which now goes by the title Lioness, features a star-studded cast that includes Morgan Freeman, Nicole Kidman, Zoe Saldana, and Michael Kelly. Lioness is one of Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan’s many original series that streams exclusively on Paramount+, which also includes Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, and the upcoming Yellowstone spinoff 6666.

Lioness follows a CIA operative named Joe, played by Saldana, who works alongside her supervisor Kaitlyn Meade, played by Kidman, to fight the war on terror. The Lioness Engagement team is a highly trained and specialized unit whose mission is to bring down a dangerous terrorist organization. The first season of Lioness premiered on July 23, 2023, and ran for eight episodes, concluding on September 3, 2023. Lioness season 2 is currently in production but a release date has not yet been announced.

Special Ops: Lioness Surprisingly Features Both Nicole Kidman & Morgan Freeman

2 film legends and Oscar winners in one season of a new series is rare

Although Morgan Freeman is only in a few episodes of Lioness, it’s still impressive that the series was able to get two Oscar winners and movie legends such as Freeman and Kidman in the same first season of a new series. This certainly has to do with the prominence of Sheridan and his remarkable track record of original streaming content, as well as his outstanding work in film on projects such as Hell of High Water (2016), Sicario (2015), and Wind River (2017).

Despite the acclaim of Sheridan’s previous works, Lioness has gotten mixed reviews from critics, earning a Rotten Tomatoes score of just 56% although its audience score is much higher at 80%. The critical reception of Lioness resembles that of Mayor of Kingstown, which only has a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 50% alongside an audience score of 89%. It’s clear that Sheridan and Paramount are much less focused on pleasing critics and more focused on satisfying viewers with both Mayor of Kingstown and Lioness.

Why Special Ops: Lioness Only Has 56% On Rotten Tomatoes

Most critics liken the series to a long-winded military recruitment ad

Even with Freeman, Kidman, and Saldana, who starred in two of the top 3 highest-grossing movies ever made, Lioness failed to find critical acclaim. Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter called the series a “great army ad” and a “lackluster drama.” Clint Worthington of RogerEbert.com writes in his review, “Despite its prestige-level budget and cast of way-overqualified A-list stars, “Special Ops: Lioness” lands with a jingoistic thud, feeling more like a 45-minute USMC recruitment ad than an honest-to-God military thriller.” Regardless, Lioness will return with a second season sometime in the near future, which could raise the bar for the series overall.