‘Lioness’ Season 3 Earns 86% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, Critics Praise Taylor Sheridan’s Spy Drama
On August 2, 2026, the third season of Taylor Sheridan’s Lioness debuted on Paramount+, with the first episode earning an 86% “fresh” rating from seven critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The show features Zoe Saldaña in the role of CIA Station Chief Joe McNamara, who oversees a covert operations unit focused on combating terrorism. Nicole Kidman reprises her role as Kaitlyn Meade, alongside Michael Kelly as Byron Westfield and Morgan Freeman as Edwin Mullins. The premiere showcases Joe's team executing a secret mission in Ukraine while navigating challenges in Washington, D.C. While critics lauded the season's thrilling action and emotional stakes, one review pointed out a lack of depth. The first two seasons received ratings of 54% and 90%, respectively, with all episodes accessible on Paramount+.
Key facts
- Lioness Season 3 premiered on Paramount+ on Sunday, August 2, 2026, with Episode 1.
- The season has an 86% fresh critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes based on seven reviews.
- Zoe Saldaña stars as CIA Station Chief Joe McNamara, with Nicole Kidman as Kaitlyn Meade.
- The premiere involves a covert strike team in Ukraine and a threat that follows Joe to Washington, D.C.
- Richard Roeper, M.N. Miller, Katie Doll, and Therese Lacson gave fresh reviews; Brittany Frederick gave a rotten review.
- Season 1 had a 54% rotten score, while Season 2 had a 90% fresh score.
- The cast includes Dave Annable, Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett, Genesis Rodriguez, Thad Luckenbill, James Jordan, Austin Hébert, Jonah Wharton, Hannah Love Lanier, and Ian Bohen.
- Taylor Sheridan appears in a guest role in Episode 1.
Entities
Artists
- Taylor Sheridan
- Zoe Saldaña
- Nicole Kidman
- Michael Kelly
- Morgan Freeman
- Dave Annable
- Jill Wagner
- LaMonica Garrett
- Genesis Rodriguez
- Thad Luckenbill
- James Jordan
- Austin Hébert
- Jonah Wharton
- Hannah Love Lanier
- Ian Bohen
- Richard Roeper
- M.N. Miller
- Katie Doll
- Therese Lacson
- Brittany Frederick
- Laysla De Oliveira
- Dave Annabelle
- Lamonica Garrett
Institutions
- Paramount+
- Rotten Tomatoes
- RogerEbert.com
- FandomWire
- CBR
- Collider
- TVBrittanyF.com
Locations
- Ukraine
- Washington, D.C.
- United States