Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) Recap & Ending Explained

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) Episodes 1 & 2: Recap & Ending Explained – Why Did Joe Brutally Torture Cruz?

“Special Ops: Lioness” is reminiscent of the early films that were ubiquitous in Hollywood during and after the Iraq War. American military glory on foreign soil of the Middle East was the common recurring theme in those. This setup feels like dated by a decade in 2023. However, prolific screenwriter (and director) Taylor Sheridan (“Hell or High Water”) and director John Hillcoat (“The Road”) manage to keep us cautiously intrigued without going overboard with patriotism. At least, not yet in the first two episodes that are streaming on Paramount+. Sheridan and Hillcoat know how to keep us emotionally invested. And with a solid cast led by Zoe Saldana, it seems we would be interested, at the very least, in the upcoming episodes.

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) Episodes 1 & 2 Recap:

Joe’s Sacrifice

“Lioness” starts with the formidable Joe (Zoe Saldana), leading her team at the war front. Joe is in Syria, working for a covert CIA operation called ‘Lioness.’ This titular operation is focused on planting operatives and having them infiltrate the inner circle of ISIS leaders. The plant is to be a battle-worn and trusted field agent, capable of defending herself, as she would try to befriend the female members of ISIS leaders’ families. It is a neat-suicide mission as the agent will be fated for the worst kind of death at the hands of ISIS if their cover gets blown.

And we see that in the beginning. Joe’s field agent, Isabel, tries to thwart the pack of ISIS soldiers, but her cover gets blown. Joe becomes a witness to all this as she is on a SAT phone with Isabel. She has her team rush to the location to rescue her, but when she hears that Isabel is captured, she chooses to sacrifice her as she knows that her team would not be able to reach and rescue her in time. In a desperate attempt to save her from barbaric torture, Joe has a missile dropped on the location, killing Isabel and her tormentors.

Recruitment of Cruz

We jump to America, with Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliviera) working at a burger joint to support her abusive and deadbeat boyfriend and his friends. One day, after a violent attack from her boyfriend, she smashes his face with a frying pan and then bolts. The boyfriend chases her. He manages to catch her when she stumbles into an office. That office turns out to be the recruitment office of the US Marines. The boyfriend has to retreat. And like that, Cruz feels the pull of the US Marines.

She enrolls and quickly establishes herself as one of the top students. Her dedication and toughness impress her superiors. One of them makes a call to Joe for her new field agent, her new ‘Lioness.’ Joe has been asked to ensure that no past mistake gets repeated. Isabel’s cover got blown because she had a hidden tattoo. Joe has Cruz strip naked to ensure that she has no tattoos.

Training of Cruz

Joe, somewhat satisfied, recruits Cruz as her new ‘asset’ who would befriend a new target. Aaliyah Amrohi. The daughter of one of the most influential ISIS leaders, Asmar Ali Amrohi. For that, Joe and her team take Cruz to the preferred rendezvous location – a posh mall in Kuwait. Cruz, under an alias, is to strike up a conversation with Aaliyah. It does not take much time for Cruz to break through. Although nervous, she blends in well. Aaliyah and Cruz exchange phone numbers after a casual but important small talk over jewelry.

However, this breakthrough comes with a price for Cruz. As Joe becomes confident of the potential of Cruz as an asset, she decides to put Cruz through one final test –  the most grueling of all.

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) Episode 2 “The Beating” Ending, Explained:

Why Did Joe Brutally Torture Cruz?

The test Joe puts Cruz through includes tremendous torture. On her approval, a tactical team captures Cruz and takes her to an abandoned site. Cruz is brutally beaten and then subjected to various forms of torture. She is sprayed with a water canon and then left naked in a cold environment. Then she has to go through long hours of sound torture. All this happens under the supervision of Joe.

After Cruz finds that all this has been a test, she asks Joe why. She has already proved that she can take it through a variety of other tests. But Joe has her reasons. She wants to ensure Cruz can take the brutality for a specified amount of time. The durability of Cruz would determine how much time Joe and her team would have in case the worst happens and Cruz gets captured.

Was Cruz able to be a friend of Aaliyah?

Cruz does not take the torture test too lightly. Her teammates, who were not aware that Joe sanctioned the torture, go to the bar to confront the tactical team who are responsible for Cruz’s beating. A bar fight ensues and Cruz almost kills the man who was her primary tormentor. At that time, she gets a call from her target, Aaliyah.

Aaliyah wants to meet Cruz as she is coming to the USA. She invites Cruz to a party, which she accepts. It does seem that Aaliyah has started to like Cruz. A friendship seems to be only a pool party away.

Are Joe and Neil heading for a divorce?

Apart from the mission, the first two episodes also do a good job of exploring the problems of Joe’s life. Her husband, Neil (Dave Annable), and children seem to have accepted her frequent disappearance. It seems the children are not exactly aware of their mom’s job’s nature, which is understandably classified. Neil does understand and seems to be supportive. But, it also appears that the eldest daughter has resentment towards Joe. Their relationship is quite frosty.

Neil, on the other hand, has struggle of his own. He is an oncologist and the nature of his job, which includes breaking the news of cancer to a child’s parents, takes a devastating toll on his mental health. He gets punched by the dad after he informs him that his daughter cannot make it beyond six months.

Neil’s angle shows Sheridan’s writing at its best. It is going to be one of the more intriguing sub-plots of the series. The most poignant conversations happen between Neil and Joe when Neil says that many of his friends wonder how he persists when half of his patients’ pool is always doomed. It is because Neil knows that he can help the other half survive.

The nature of their work ensures that ‘together moments’ are quite rare between the two of them. No wonder the eldest daughter, Kate, thinks they are heading for divorce. However, currently, it seems the two of them understand each other like no one else on Earth. And it does not seem likely, with their level of acceptance, that their relationship would be damaged beyond repair, despite the condescending and problematic teenage tendencies of Kate.

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) Episodes 3: Recap and Ending Explained – Where Is Aaliyah Taking Cruz to?

Episode 3 of “Special Ops: Lioness” Season 1 is titled “Bruise Like a Fist.” The Paramount+ show, created by Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water, Yellowstone), has been moderately intriguing, despite its dated theme. The episode continues the work of building a solid foundation for the show through some carefully crafted tense moments. Like the suggestive title of the episode, the bruises here are the problems that now show up for the central characters due to decisions made in the last episode. As the show starts to reveal some of the socio-politicial players, the episode concludes during the tense climactic cliffhanger, to keep us interested for next week.

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) Episodes 3 Recap:

The Party

Cruz (Laysla De Oliviera), as shown in the last episode, accepts Aaliyah’s (Stephanie Nur) pool party invitation. As Joe (Zoe Saldana) guides her with her background story, Cruz tries to blend in with Aaliyah’s friends. Which is not as easy as it seemed at first. Aaliyah’s friends are not as welcoming as Aaliyah is. They are superficial and judgemental, and often resort to snide remarks about Aaliyah needing to have a ‘pet’ to take care of. Insinuating Cruz is the new pet.

As it is a pool party, customs dictates the revelers to adorn appropriate swimsuit. Cruz wears a one piece, which is not as revealing as Aaliyah would have liked. Aaliyah, and her girl friends, wear bikinis and she would like Cruz to do the same; except Cruz does not want to, since she has significant bruises from her last ‘endurance’ test that Joe sanctioned. But she has to relent to the perseverance of Aaliyah. Naturally her bruises shock Aaliyah, and she calls a doctor.

Although Cruz was naming a car crash as the reason behind her bruises, it could not fool the medical professional. The doctor immediately recognizes them as injuries from a fist. He feels compelled to report that to the police. Cruz, and Joe and her, team who are listening to the conversations via microphones, feel the danger of her cover being blown. Before Joe can take some drastic, irreversible action, Cruz manages to handle that perfectly. She admits to having a violent boyfriend who gave her the bruises. She mentions she has already reported it, and asks the doctor to not tell her new friends as she is trying to ‘start a new life with new friends.’ Cruz’s quick-thinking impresses her team, including her superior, Joe. The doctor allows Cruz to continue the masquerade in front of Aaliyah.

The Detour

Meanwhile, one of Joe’s colleagues, Kyle (Thad Luckinbill), asks her for an ‘off-the-books’ favour. After his initial reluctance, Joe relents. She gives three of her best resources for 48 hours to Kyle, who would need their help to extract a prisoner near the Mexican border. The mission does not go as smoothly as possible. None of Joe’s men want to fire a bullet towards Law Enforcement officers. And they do not have to.

But things change when more members show up than what Kyle anticipated. Kyle neutralizes the vehicles, but as a result some of the vehicles get run over by a speeding truck. Kyle, along with Two Cups, Randy and Tucker, manages to extract his man. Then they get rid of the vehicle and destroy all evidence and move.

Joe’s Problem at Home

Joe, meanwhile, also faces a problem at her home. Her eldest daughter, Kate (Hannah Love Lanier), has already shown signs of being a problem for her mother. When Joe finds her and her boyfriend having sex, she puts a hard stop on that. Kate, obviously, is not happy and she tells Joe that she cannot just show up once in a blue moon and start dictating terms. After the furore, Joe tries to find her husband, Neal (Dave Annable). Neal, an oncologist,  is busy arguing with his colleague over a case on a video call.

Joe informs Neal about Kate’s unruliness. Neal is not surprised. He mentions they have a deal that as long as there are no below-the-belt activities, they are fine with Kate’s dry-humping. Joe tells that she should have been consulted, and to that, Neal replies ‘When?’ Insinuating Joe’s unavailability for the most of the time. Some early signs of familial problems that could come in Joe’s way are seen here.

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) Episodes 3 Ending Explained:

Where Is Aaliyah Taking Cruz to?

At Aaliyah’s mansion, Cruz and her bond over a stroll at the beach, as the other members go out for shopping and dinner. The party returns when Cruz has gone to bed. Cruz gets up to get a glass of water and encounters Sami, a friend of Kamal, who is the brother of Aaliyah’s fiance, Ehsan. Sami tries to force himself on Cruz, and Cruz sucker punches him.

Another problem starts to arise as Joe fears the worst. For sure, Cruz can defend herself against Sami. But doing so might raise Aaliyah and her Amrohi security team’s collective eyebrows. When a drunk and lustful Sami bangs on Cruz’s door, Joe starts to get ready, for the worst. But without three of her best fighters (who are on Kyle’s mission), her team is also not at their one hundred percent.

But things do not escalate, thanks to some members of the Amrohi security detail. They notice Sami’s actions and quickly intervene to take Sami away. They ensure that Cruz, or her alias, Zora Adid, is safe. The following morning, when Aaliyah learns about this, she has Ehsan sent Sami away. She, along with her fiance, apologizes to Cruz. As a form of apology, she books a surprise for Cruz. She takes her, along with the rest of the party members sans Sami, on a ride.

Now this creates a problem for Cruz, as she learns the surprise involves a plane. Joe, along with her depleted team, follows them. But they are not sure where Aaliyah is taking their plant. And neither are we. Cruz, quite smartly, does a thing to ensure that Joe would have some sort of idea. She reads the private jet’s registration number casually, pretending to not know what it means. But that is the only info Joe gets. With the plane about to take off, Cruz truly becomes helpless, as no one can come rescue her mid-air. And depending on the destination, it might take some time for her team to reach there as well.

Who are the loose ends?

This episode shows a couple of loose ends that might come back to haunt Joe and her team. The extraction mission for Kyle is the primary one. That was a rogue mission, and the involvement of her team can put her up against Homeland security. In Cruz’s mission as well, the doctor who felt compelled to report might try to authenticate Cruz’s words.

Who are Qudrah Oil?

Till now, we have only seen Kaitlyn (Nicole Kidman) taking updates from Joe and occasionally, some advice. As we see her talking with her husband, Errol (Martin Donovan), seemingly a millionaire businessman, we see some of the intentions behind the entire ‘Lioness’ season. It is, as expected, oil. Qudrah Oil is the company that Aaliyah’s Amrohi family owns. They sell 12 million barrels in a single day. The big oil conglomerates of the western world seem to have some stake in the mission as well. But as Errol warns, if Kaitlyn, or Joe in this case, pokes too much into it all, they are bound to have consequences.

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) Episode 4: Recap & Ending Explained – Will Joe Be in Trouble?

Episode 4 of Paramount+’s  Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1), titled “The Choice of Failure,” has Zoe Saldana’s meticulously acted lead character taking metaphorical punches one after the other, making us wonder how convincingly she would react against that in the next episode. It is another solid episode filled with drama and repercussions of the previous episode’s actions while gradually progressing the main plot of espionage.

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) Episode 4 Recap:

Aaliyah’s Job is Beach

The last episode ended on a cliffhanger where Aaliyah (Stephanie Nur) took Cruz (Laysla De Oliviera) on a surprise trip. This caught Cruz and her team, led by Joe (Zoe Saldana), off guard. If Aaliyah or her fiance decides to take Cruz to a foreign land, then jurisdiction formalities could mean Joe and others will not be able to observe (‘Mark’ in their military parlance) Cruz for a significant period. But, thankfully, no such thing happened as Aaliyah’s party’s destination was the Hamptons, for a spring break type of excursion.

Joe and the rest of the team members follow suit. They hire a yacht to keep an eye on Cruz. Joe has local party girls revel on the deck to thwart doubts from the watchers of Aaliyah’s security detail. As the sun starts to go down, Aaliyah’s party is moved to a local club. Aaliyah and her fiance Ehsan’s (Ray Corasani) credentials ensure that they get prompt entry and the best seats. Joe feels that someone from the team should be inside the club, just in case. This would prove to be a decision reflecting great foresight, as a rapist would go on to make his moves on Cruz to derail the plan.

The Accident

On Joe’s family side, tragedy strikes as her rebellious teenage daughter, Kate (Hannah Love Lanier), gets into a car accident. The car, driven by one of her friends, had Kate and her girlfriends on board. The injured girls are rushed to the hospital where Kate’s father, Joe’s husband, Neal (Dave Annable), is practicing as an oncologist. Neal learns that one of the girls could not make it while Kate has taken several life-threatening injuries.

Meanwhile, blood reports of Kate reveal that she is pregnant, something the 14-year-old’s father warned heavily about. The pregnancy makes Kate’s condition even more complicated than it already was. There is a serious injury on Kate’s leg, and surgery is necessary. As Neal reveals all the bad news to Kate, he impresses on her that if the pregnancy survives all the procedures, she will have a huge decision to make. Neal also mentions that despite all the faults, she has the chance to improve her life and her condition. Something her deceased friend can no longer do.

The Repercussion

In the last episode, Joe’s CIA colleague, Kyle (Thad Luckinbill), asked for some members of her team to go for an unsanctioned rogue mission. Joe reluctantly obliged, and as a result, Kyle completed his extraction of a notorious criminal. But to get this ‘contact’ of Kyle’s, there were multiple casualties; something that does not go unnoticed by the top brass of the CIA. Kaitlyn Meade (Nicole Kidman), who is Joe’s supervisor, and Byron Westfield (Michael Kelly), who Kaitlyn reports to, bring Kyle in for a chat. It immediately becomes clear to Kyle that Kaitlyn and Byron are aware of his rogue mission.

Kyle has been photographed in a traffic dashcam near the place of the extraction. So, Kyle’s efforts to masquerade the extraction as a heist by cartel members fall flat. Kyle has to admit to taking help from Joe’s “Lioness” team, putting the absent Joe in a tight spot in front of Kaitlyn. But he also plays his ace. He produces the details of the five Al-Qaeda members that he got from the contact. Kaitlyn tells him to bring more proof. This could well be the save he needed.

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) Episode 4 Ending Explained:

Who Kidnaps Cruz?

In the club, a serial womanizer flirts with Cruz after his failed attempts on Joe, who was pretending to be a model. At first, the guy seemed like a typical flirt looking to hook up with any woman. However, things change when he puts something in Cruz’s drink when she is not looking. Using the loud music and some commotion, the man takes Cruz away just when Joe is distracted for a bit.

But Joe immediately notices Cruz is missing and gets out of the club. Her team follows the trail that is left by Cruz’s implanted bug. They become aware of the area where the rapist stops to rape the drugged, unconscious Cruz. Joe and the rest of the team members reach just in time to stop the rapist, and they punish the guy adequately. They take the unconscious Cruz away.

Will Joe Be in Trouble?

This episode had Joe taking hits one after another. The news of Kate’s accident disrupts her focus. Cruz’s accident makes her even more vulnerable in front of Kaitlyn, who was there to talk to her about the ‘Kyle’ situation. Kaitlyn doubts Cruz’s ability to survive, seeing she could not read a predator’s simple move on home soil. Kyle’s mission puts Joe in a tough spot too. Kaitlyn reveals that along with Kyle, Joe’s team members are also captured on cameras of Border Security patrol.

What is next for Kate?

The thing Joe feared and warned Neal about happened, and it could not have come at the worst possible time. At the hospital bed, while fighting for her life, Kate learns that she is pregnant, which is clearly unwanted. She does not seem to be in mortal danger, but the full extent of her injuries is unknown. If the pregnancy does not get terminated during all the complicated medical procedures, then she would have to decide on abortion. Joe has mentioned to Neal that she is coming to see her daughter. The relationship between Kate and Joe is about to take another turn as well, it seems. It could be for the better, or it could further deteriorate the already frosty mother-daughter relationship.

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) Episode 5: Recap & Ending Explained – Is There More to Aaliyah and Cruz’s Friendship?

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) streaming on Paramount+ has a better outing in episode 5, which is called “Truth is the Shrewdest Lie.” Solid dialogue-writing from Taylor Sheridan, neat and swift action pieces, and a superb Zoe Saldana form the heart of the episode. With three episodes remaining, the slow-burn espionage thriller has started to pick some pace up as it inches towards its season finale. Here is a recap of everything that has happened in this eventful episode.

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) Episode 5 Recap:

Joe Visits Kate

The last Episode saw Kate’s (Hannah Love Lanier) entire world getting upended when she met with a car accident. Understandably, this puts her already stressed parents, Joe (Zoe Saldana) and Neal (Dave Annable) absolutely on the edge. Two of Kate’s girlfriends have died already, and Neal has notified all the tragedies to Kate. It is not just her friends’ deaths, the physical injuries that may make her crippled, the trauma of the accident; Kate also learned that she was pregnant. Joe, accompanied by Kaitlyn (Nicole Kidman), finally reaches the hospital. The hitherto formidable Joe finally breaks down, seeing her daughter lying like that. Kate, who probably expected Joe to yell at her, is surprised to see Joe like this. Joe cries and apologizes to Kate for not being there. Joe assumes, and she is probably correct at that, that Kate’s reckless behavior that culminated in lying on the hospital bed is her coping mechanism to tackle her mother’s absence in her life.

Kate confirms this more or less as she says she does not hate her mother. She just misses her. This follows what could be Joe at her most passionately emotional moment. She tells Kate that all of her and Neal’s efforts are just to protect Kate from life as we know it for as long as they can. Kate is going through adult problems, and they wanted her not to go through these in her teenage years. But despite all that effort, life has snuck up on Kate. And there is no going back. All she can do now is cope with it. All Joe and Neal can now do is give her advice. Gone are the days of grounding for rule-breaking and all that. The mother-daughter moment could not last for long as Kaitlyn reminds Joe that they have to return soon. Neal does not look surprised. When he saw Kaitlyn accompanying Joe, he knew that Joe must have other problems as well. Having her daughter going through the aftermath of a car wreck is the most pressing problem of Joe’s life, but it is not the only one that could change her whole life.

The Home-soil Mission

The other problem is the wreck that happened during Kyle’s (Thad Luckinbill) extraction mission. When Kyle pulled an unsanctioned heist, he had used Joe’s three team members. Now, when all this got exposed in the last episode, Kyle’s (and consequently Joe’s) only fallback is the intel that Kyle got from the resource he extracted. The good news is that the intel is something that could really save the situation. Kyle informs Byron Westfield (Michael Kelly), the superior CIA officer of Kyle, Joe, and Kaitlyn, the location of the next terrorist attack. However, since the extraction was unofficial, the intel is unofficial too. As a result, the mission to stop the terrorist attack has to be done tactfully. For this, Joe’s Lioness team would once again be involved, as US Military cannot perform the home-soil mission without getting approval of it from the proper channels.

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) Episode 5 Ending Explained:

Did Neal Understand What Joe Did?

Cruz (Laysla De Oliviera), who was drugged and almost raped in the last episode, starts her recovery the next morning. As she is not to communicate with Aaliyah (Stephanie Nur) till she is ready, her responsibilities as an ‘Asset’ is limited. Resultantly, she asks to be part of the Lioness team as a soldier. To help them in the terrorist attack mission in San Antonio. Joe, who was initially reluctant to involve Cruz, relents as they would need extra manpower to complete the mission as covertly as possible. The mission goes as smoothly as possible. The terrorists are cleaned by the Lioness team with their ruthlessly efficient but silent gun work.

The only hiccup was that one of the ISIS terrorists had a suicide vest, but Cruz made the intervention just in time to kill the man before he could detonate it. But the vest is activated, so the Lioness team leaves the scene to the local police and bomb squad to complete the remaining task. As the neighborhood starts to get evacuated, it is ensured that the credit for the neat work does not come back to Joe’s team or the CIA. When Joe reaches the hospital once more, Neal is surprised to see specks of blood on her cheek. It was the blood of one of her kills. Neal assumes the worst, as Joe is not supposed to be involved in any mission on American soil. He wonders if Joe, and her team, have started to become assassins for every other op. But soon, his doubts are cleared as he watches the news of the terrorists in San Antonio.

Is There More to Aaliyah and Cruz’s Friendship?

Aaliyah has been texting Cruz ever since she had to leave the pub with her friends. She told Cruz she was sorry to leave like that, and she sent her people to the pub again but could not find her. Aaliyah clearly does not know about Cruz’s ordeal at the hands of a predator. Cruz does not reply to Aaliyah’s texts immediately. But after the San Antonio mission is over, she calls her.

Aaliyah informs she is still in the Hamptons and asks Cruz, who is known as Zara to Aaliyah, to come back. Aaliyah mentions “Lady and the Tramp,” and she shows her body in a new bikini. Although she adds that this would ‘drive the boys crazy,’ one cannot help but notice the tension between Aaliyah and Cruz during the video call. It seems possible that Aaliyah has fallen for Cruz. If that is the case, then we could expect the dangers of the mission to increase, as homosexuality is a criminal offense where Aaliyah comes from.

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) Episode 6: Recap and Ending Explained – Are Aaliyah and Cruz in Love?

Episode 6 of Paramount+’s  “Special Ops: Lioness,” Season 1, titled “The Lie Is the Truth,” takes massive strides in the main plot as the ‘Lioness’ operation seems to have its showdown location confirmed. Creator Taylor Sheridan concentrates on wrapping up the subplots in this episode, so the final two episodes can focus on the main story. Maintaining the intrigue all the while. This episode also finally brings the much-anticipated appearance of Morgan Freeman’s authoritative White House figure.

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) Episode 6 Recap:

Visit to the White House

We start with Joe (Zoe Saldana) and Kaitlyn (Nicole Kidman), still dealing with the aftermath of the ill-fated unauthorized extraction mission of Kyle (Thad Luckinbill). With their CIA superior, Byron Westfield (Michael Kelly), they attend an intense debrief session at the White House. Kyle joins them as well. The President’s underling leads the debriefing committee. Edwin Mullins (Morgan Freeman) questions the extraction mission and the neutralizing mission Joe’s Lioness team carried out in San Antonio in the last episode. The Al-Qaeda terrorists were swiftly killed, and the bomb was allowed to go off safely.

The operation was done swiftly, and Kaitlyn ensured that the entire credit went to the local police and the bomb squad. That way, Joe and the Lioness team could be off the hook. However, the debriefing committee is quick to notice that the expertise shown in neutralizing the terrorists reflects the characteristics of Joe’s team. The Lioness team, reporting to the CIA, is not authorized for any operation on American soil. This is a fact that Mullins emphasizes even if he somewhat admits to the effectiveness of the San Antonio operation after Byron Westfield’s passionate rant on ‘saving lives.’

After Mullins asks Kyle to leave, the attention is turned towards the ‘Lioness’ mission. Joe provides updates about her plant, Cruz’s (Laysla De Oliviera) progress in befriending Aaliyah Amrohi (Stephanie Nur). The discussion reflects that Cruz has always been seen as the sacrifice to get to the Amrohi family, who has ties with the Islamic State.

Safety of the Safe House

Meanwhile, three young hooligans enter the safe house of the Lioness team. Intending to rob the house, they quickly realize that they bit way more than they can chew as the Lioness team quickly rounds them up. This poses a risk for the Lioness team as they would like to be as covert as possible. Joe, along with Kaitlyn, asks Kyle to return the favor. Not wanting to sully their own hands with a trivial but potentially dangerous issue like this, Joe and Kaitlyn have Kyle flown to the safe house to solve this problem.

Kyle shows his fearsome negotiation skills as he outlines the options before the three boys. Kyle reminds them that the people around them are professionals at neutralizing threats. But the young robbers are not considered threats yet. They are mere ‘nuisances.’ The boys are given ten thousand dollars each in exchange for collective amnesia. Kyle reminds them that if they ever mention this to anyone, then they will become ‘threats.’ In fact, by now, they know what happens to threats.

Kate’s Recovery

When Joe reaches home, he finds Neal (Dave Annable) getting the house ready for Kate. Neal informs that Kate is having good days and bad days at the hospital. But, he is expecting her to be released from the hospital, albeit in a wheelchair. During a poolside nightcap, Joe and Neal promise to be more communicative with each other for the sake of Kate’s recovery. The one good thing we can expect is that Kate and Joe could have a more cordial relationship, especially after Neal mentions that Joe’s pep talk from the last episode has put Kate in the right mindset.

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) Episode 6 Ending Explained:

Are Aaliyah and Cruz in Love?

While all the subplots are seemingly coming toward their respective conclusions, the main plot takes a massive jump. As indicated in my analysis of the previous episode, Aaliyah did indicate hints of liking Cruz in a non-platonic way. This episode confirms that. The two women spend a pleasant and relaxing day, which starts with calming massages. Then they proceed to enjoy a movie night, making the night a true girls’ sleepover. Amidst all these, they share their past trauma and deepest fears.

Cruz, under the guise of Zara, also shares her true fears. As Joe has advised, Cruz uses true events and experiences to fabricate the lie rather than inventing a new one. It becomes evident that although Cruz is technically lying, her feelings seem to be genuine. Now, this already fully-blossomed friendship takes a new turn the following morning. While celebrating the news of Aaliyah’s wedding venue, Cruz and Aaliyah start kissing each other. Although Cruz stopped before it could proceed to anything more, the interaction seemed organic.

This opens the doors for more treacherous paths for both Aaliyah and Cruz. It is not only a love that could destabilize Aaliyah’s upcoming wedding but also a relationship that could mean the death sentence for both women, as homosexuality is mostly met with hostile reactions from their religious community.

What Can We Expect in Aaliyah’s Wedding?

Despite the kiss, Aaliyah tries to be normal and sweeps the passionate embrace under the carpet. She mentions that Cruz will love the wedding as it is now scheduled to be in Mallorca. Notwithstanding the two women’s feelings, the wedding location seems to be on the positive side from the perspective of the “Lioness” mission. Mallorca would be a place where Joe and her team would not face too much difficulty in blending in, making it the perfect location for them to carry out the final actions.

The wedding would have the Amrohi family and senior members of Qudrah Oil. Something that Kaitlyn, and her world economics expert husband, Errol (Martin Donovan), would be interested in.

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) Episode 7: Recap & Ending Explained – Why Did Cruz Switch the Transmitter off?

In its penultimate episode of the first season, Special Ops: Lioness positions the pieces in their places to gear up for the final mission it has teased for the entirety of the season. ‘Goodbyes’ are said, and shaken resolves are firmed up. Now, Zoe Saldana leads us toward the season finale, where we can expect destruction of love and life. The Paramount+ show, by Taylor Sheridan, has been a steady, unhurried and engrossing affair so far. We can hope for the finale to be the show’s energetic peak. But before that, here is a recap of everything that went down in the seventh episode, titled “Wish the Fight Away.”

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) Episode 7 Recap:

Cruz and Aaliyah’s Day Out

Cruz (Laysla De Oliviera), who is still with Aaliyah (Stephanie Nur), is preoccupied with what happened in the morning (shown in the last episode). Cruz, known to Aaliyah as Zara, was kissed by Aaliyah. Cruz also reciprocated that. But, the make-out session came to an abrupt end as Cruz withdrew, remembering the various types of risks involved in this. Aaliyah also seemed to realize that they had been caught up in the moment.

Now, Cruz and Aaliyah embark on a luxurious shopping spree. The luxury, the romp, the glitz seem to distract Aaliyah from her reality. The reality of her wedding is coming too quickly for her. In the exclusive trial room, Aaliyah and Cruz get swayed by the pretty outfits and eventually get swayed by each other once more. However, the inconvenient knock from the helper girl stops that. They realize that they need to be in a little more private space. Aaliyah takes Cruz to one of the hotel rooms she has access to.

Out of sight of prying eyes, the pair could finally be completely free in each others’ arms. They finally embrace their real selves, giving in to their innermost desires. Careful not to raise any doubts from the entourage of bodyguards that Aaliyah has, they indulge and have sex.

Cruz’s Dilemma

Meanwhile, Joe (Zoe Saldana) starts the preparation for the final stage of the ‘Lioness’ operation. As the wedding is in Mallorca, Joe discusses the operation’s approach with Kaitlyn (Nicole Kidman) and Byron (Michael Kelly) at the CIA headquarters. Byron suggests involving the Spanish military, but Kaitlyn reminds them that they would have to follow NATO protocols in that case. This would definitely put them in the crosshairs of the White House once again. Given the debrief they had in the last episode, that is something all would like to avoid.

Byron reluctantly agrees to make the operative unknown to the Spanish authorities but asks Kaitlyn to be present physically there. Joe, on the other hand, calls Kyle (Thad Luckinbill)  once more. She asks for the second part of the favor that Kyle owes her. She would like Kyle to be included in the operation as well. On her instructions, Kyle follows Aaliyah and Cruz during their day out. As a result, Kyle hears everything that goes between Aaliyah and Cruz through the transmitter Cruz is carrying. When Joe reaches the hotel where Aaliyah, Cruz, and Kyle are staying (Kyle taking a room two floors above), Kyle tells Joe that Cruz and Aaliyah are a couple now.

Meanwhile, Cruz, after having sex with Aaliyah, goes through a range of emotions and leaves the room. When Aaliyah asks if she is going to come back or not, Cruz replies that she does not know. Cruz comes to Kyle’s room, and Joe confronts her there. Cruz tells her that she is not cut out for this. She feels that she is now in love with Aaliyah. Joe tries to be sympathetic and yet firm. She reminds Cruz who Aaliyah’s father is and how terrorist organizations benefit from the oil money of Aaliyah Amrohi’s father. This seems to work to some extent as Cruz goes back to Aaliyah’s room.

Joe’s Preparation

Meanwhile, in Joe’s household, Neal (Dave Annable) and Joe welcome Kate (Hannah Love Lanier) back to start her recovery from home. The wheelchair-bound Kate seems to be glad to see her mother, Joe, back. But Joe has to let her know that she will not be able to stay for long. Kate protests at first, but she understands that the job Joe goes to is already taxing enough without her efforts. Joe knows that there is a life risk at this final stage of the Amrohi operation. She takes all the time she can to say goodbyes to her family, fearing that this goodbye could be her last.

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) Episode 7 Ending Explained:

Why Did Cruz Switch the Transmitter off?

After getting convinced by Joe’s words, Cruz goes back to Aaliyah’s room in the hotel. However, she switches off the transmitter once during her conversation with Aaliyah, making Joe fear the worst. Joe and Kyle get ready to accept that Cruz is confessing and thus blowing up the entire operation. But, the transmitter gets switched on again by Cruz, and they realize Cruz has not yet confessed.

It is possible that Cruz was going to confess to Aaliyah, whose feelings seem to be genuine for Cruz. When Aaliyah tells her that her father will not be present at her wedding, Cruz switches the transmitter on. Another possibility as to why Cruz turned the transmitter off is she did not want Kyle and Joe to eavesdrop on her genuine moments with Aaliyah. She does love her, and she wanted her to know that without anyone knowing that. She tells Aaliyah that their relationship has no future. It is not only going to be considered semi-adultery but something a lot worse as it is a homosexual relationship.

Will Cruz Find a New Resolve?

Joe finally takes a drastic step to address the dwindling allegiance of Cruz. When the team is taking the jet to go to Mallorca for Aaliyah’s wedding, Joe puts Cruz in front of a laptop. She asks her to go through all the terrorist attacks that have occurred in the past couple of years, once again reminding her that they would not have been possible without the Amrohi money. Watching the destructive videos seems to bring the Marine inside of Cruz back.

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1 Finale), Episode 8: Recap and Ending Explained – Why Did Cruz Attack Joe?

Paramount’s Special Ops: Lioness, created by Taylor Sheridan, completes its “Lioness” story in a fitting season 1 finale, which has all the poignancy that you can expect from a Sheridan ending. Along with Sheridan’s writing, the show had Zoe Saldana’s superlative performance, some measured yet effectively shot action pieces, and a bittersweet love story captured beautifully by the duo of Laysla De Oliviera and Stephanie Nur. If you have watched the first episode and stayed with the show, then the finale turns out to be exactly what you would expect. Which is not a bad thing in this case. It reaffirms the theme of inevitability-induced pathos that the show carried for the entire season.

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1 Finale), Episode 8 Recap:

Byron Tries To Convince Mullins

Previously, The US Secretary of State, Edwin Mullins (Morgan Freeman) officially rebuked the CIA about their Lioness operation. The episode starts with Deputy General of CIA, Byron Westfield (Michael Kelly) visiting the emergency meeting room, from where the final stage of the Lioness operation would be observed by the government officials. Mullins once again complains about not getting proper information from the CIA. Byron explains that the operation is already live. They cannot call it off without causing a big scene.

Some of the government officials would not want the Lioness team to kill Amrohi, the oil tycoon. They feel that his removal would destabilize the global oil market. They are also apprehensive of the reaction from Russia and China. They put pressure on Byron to abort the mission altogether.

 Cruz Embarks on the Wedding

Cruz (Laysla De Oliviera), who had a momentary crisis of faith, seems to be emboldened on the mission’s purpose once again after Joe (Zoe Saldana) put her through the videos of many terrorist attacks. Joe seems to have done the trick, as Cruz goes for the wedding, with Kyle (Thad Luckinbill) tailing her for protection. Cruz is given two electronic beacon devices, which would help her know where the rest of the team members are when she is ready to be extracted. That should come when she is either able to kill Amrohi or when she gets blown.

The rest of the Lioness team, along with Joe’s CIA superior, Kaitlyn (Nicole Kidman), takes shelter in a yacht. The yacht is anchored as close to the wedding venue as possible, without raising eyebrows. Once Cruz enters the wedding venue, she has no contact with her team, except the beacon. Her team cannot reach her at all, so their only task is to wait for the beacon call. Meanwhile, Kaitlyn gets continuous calls from Byron, who is forced by the government folks to call the mission off. Kaitlyn tells them that there is no way they can retract now.

Cruz Meets the Amrohis

Cruz’s introduction to the wedding party does not go well. Ehsan (Ray Corasani), Aaliyah’s (Stephanie Nur) fiance, seems to be doubtful of the relationship between Cruz and Aaliyah. Aaliyah and Cruz did have sex and spent an emotional night together. Ehsan slaps Cruz, known as Zara to the Amrohi family. He asks her to be out of their life once the wedding is done. Cruz replies with some choice words herself, but Ehsan allows her to stay for the wedding as Aaliyah would not be happy otherwise.

Cruz is met with frostiness from Mrs. Amrohi, Aaliyah’s mother, as well. After showing her room, Aaliyah visits Cruz in the night. Once again, they could not help but listen to their hearts. Their love for each other is palpable. But, Cruz withdraws, knowing fully well what she is about to do would change things forever. She goes to fetch water, and that is where she finally meets her target. Aaliyah’s father, Mr. Amrohi himself.

Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1 Finale), Episode Ending Explained:

How Did Ehsan Find Cruz’s True Identity?

Ehsan is shown to be continually searching for Cruz’s identity. Aaliyah has mentioned that Ehsan is quite shrewd. During the argument where Ehsan slapped Cruz, she, in an angry outburst, mentioned that she could wipe the floor with him in a fight. Her attitude has made Ehsan feel that Cruz, or Zara to him, is not a woman he is accustomed to. That is why he continues her face scan and eventually finds a match. The CIA has erased most of her photos from the Internet but nothing can truly be removed from the Internet.

Ehsan finds a match for Cruz from one of her friend’s social media posts. Within a couple of clicks, he finds Cruz’s photo in her marine uniform.

Why Did Cruz Attack Joe?

Cruz’s meeting with Amrohi starts amicably as the man shows genuine warmth towards her. Mr. Amrohi seems to be the only person, other than Aaliyah herself, who talks to Cruz as an equal. As they are bonding over ice cream, Ehsan comes running in with the information that Cruz is an American marine. All hell breaks loose. Ehsan and Mr. Amrohi try to subdue Cruz, but cannot. Cruz quickly stabs both of them multiple times to ensure they do not take another breath. Then she signals her beacon and runs for the extraction point.

She takes hits but mostly avoids the bullets fired by the Amrohi security personnel. The Lioness team also lands onshore to provide support. The mission is being observed live by Kaitlyn, and thus, all the US government officials in that meeting room back in the USA. After a quickfire gunbattle, the Lioness team extracts Cruz successfully. The first thing Cruz does, however, is to smack Joe. As Kaitlyn confirms the killing of Amrohi to Byron, and Byron relays the same to Mullins and his parties, Cruz tells Joe that she no longer believes she did the right thing.

Cruz honestly feels that killing someone like Amrohi will not stop terrorist attacks, as Joe would have her believe. Instead, she feels that she made Aaliyah truly vindictive and her children will have no problem taking arms against the supposed civilized world. She expresses doubt whether all this happened just to decrease oil prices. She blames Cruz for making her go through this and quits the Lioness team.

Will there be a Special Ops: Lioness Season 2?

Special Ops: Lioness completes its story successfully in the first season itself. The show started with the importance of the “Lioness” operation, in neutralizing high-value targets such as Amrohi. The entire season led to the wedding of Aaliyah. Cruz completes her betrayal of Aaliyah’s trust and kills the target. The US government is not happy, as usual, and global geopolitics continue to roll as they always do. Kaitlyn’s husband, Errol, embodies the cold uncaring world of finance. The show never indicated that Joe’s team could bring any other change than execute their mission. And they did by the end. Now, Joe and Cruz, the two central characters, are left to carry that burden.

As the season ends with Joe breaking down and admitting that this was a hard mission, it seems the natural step for Joe is to rest. Now, Special Ops might still continue even though the Lioness operation seems to have completed its story. The series seems to have the makings of an anthology format. Paramount+ has not renewed it, but creator Taylor Sheridan could return. Maybe with the same characters, or with a completely different set. However, the “Lioness” story ended as poignantly as possible, and knowing Sheridan’s works, he would like to leave that as it is, in my humble opinion.

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Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) Links: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Wikipedia
Special Ops: Lioness (Season 1) Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller

Where to watch Special Ops: Lioness