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With the hit Paramount+ series Lioness, Taylor Sheridan has reminded audiences that he can do a lot more than just make a dramatic neo-Western. The filmmaker has successfully ventured into political and military thrillers as well, with the Zoe Saldaña-led series proving to be even better this season than the last. But despite the series’ improvements, there’s one story that seems to have taken an unfortunate turn. After being hit in the field, Joe McNamara (Saldaña) was at death’s door, and instead of taking the time to heal, she jumped right back into the fire. But her husband, Neal (Dave Annable), is right; she can’t continue to live this double life. Eventually, a choice must be made.
Neal Has a Point, Joe Can’t Thrive as an Operator and at Home
When Lioness Season 1 ended, Joe was going to try for a desk job. After an incredibly hard mission with Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliveira), she opted to get out of the field, hoping to make things work back at home. Her daughter Kate’s (Hannah Love Lanier) car crash and miscarriage didn’t help either. In some ways, this had been a long time coming, with Joe choosing to make her husband and children a bigger priority than her country a necessity after years of neglect. Even as Season 2 began, it seemed like that was still a potential pathway for her. Though Joe remained in the field leading her Lioness team, she did so closer to home. This season’s more domestic threats (à la Sicario) meant that Joe was stateside, and her relationship with both her husband and daughters only strengthened as a result.
But after her most recent near-death experience in “Shatter the Moon,” she unsurprisingly decides to ignore her doctor’s orders (thus, further risking her own life). It seems as if Joe will never make her daughters or her husband the priority they need to be, and can’t see why taking care of herself is pivotal. There will always be another mission, and there will always be another threat standing between her and Neal. In fact, that’s exactly why Neal’s angry outburst at the end of “The Devil Has Aces” is perfectly justified, especially considering he’s a doctor who knows better. After all, Joe was initially benched before she convinced her superiors to allow her to travel to Iraq, entirely behind her husband’s back. Joe’s misguided sense of duty continually pushes her to forsake the needs of her family and, in this case, ignore her own safety as a result.
Admittedly, it’s a tough job and an honorable one. What Joe does here is not unlike what so many courageous men and women have done before her, and Neal supports that. But that support has its limits. Considering that Joe could potentially bleed out at any time if the wrong artery is pinched, this is easily the last straw for Neal — and we can’t help but agree. Joe’s bullheadedness and single-minded nature may prove her undoing, and even if she does survive this latest mission, Neal may never be able to move past this selfish (and foolish) choice.
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‘Lioness’ Thrives on the Tension Between Duty and Family, but That Can’t Last Forever
Again, there’s a time and a place for Joe’s work on Team Lioness. Most of the time, it’s good for her to be with her team, leading from the ground. But, as Kaitlyn (Nicole Kidman) and Byron (Michael Kelly) initially noted, there’s no reason that Joe couldn’t run this next mission from D.C., which would allow her to heal up from afar. Of course, Joe disagrees and fights to be on the ground with her team anyhow, but what use to her operators, her country, or her family is she winds up dead? Throughout the season, Kaitlyn has continually pounded the narrative into Joe’s head that she can’t trust anyone. While that’s probably a good code to live by when dealing with international threats and espionage, it’s also pushed Joe into a corner.
If she’s unable to trust her team to do the job correctly without her present, then it’s no wonder that she fights to remain in control, at risk to her own health. Unfortunately, this means that Neal is left behind again, and after all the work the two of them have done to fix their marriage and heal their family, Joe has effectively ripped out every stitch. It’s tragic, really, and immensely disappointing. Maybe this mission in Iraq will finally open Joe’s eyes and remind her of those most important to her.
Lioness Season 2 airs every Sunday on Paramount+ in the U.S.
Lioness
Special Ops: Lioness is a Paramount+ original series starring Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman. The series centers on a marine and a CIA agent who work together with the daughter of a dangerous terrorist group to destroy the organization. Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone co-creator) and Jill Wagner created the series, which was directed by Paul Cameron and Anthony Byrne.
- Release Date
- July 23, 2023
- Seasons
- 1
- Streaming Service(s)
- Paramount Plus
- Story By
- Taylor Sheridan, Jill Wagner
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