Where Did ‘Lioness’ Leave Off? Catching Up Ahead of Season 3

The second season of Lioness brought in a new operator and an all-new mission. After the abduction of a Congresswoman on U.S. soil, the Lioness team sought to infiltrate the Los Tigres cartel that had been associated with a fatal border crossing incident involving Iranian and Chinese operatives. Ahead of Season 3’s premiere, on Sunday, August 2, here’s a refresher on what went down.

The new Lioness needed some assistance

To get close to the head of the snake, Joe (Zoe Saldana) recruited his own niece, Josie Carillo (Genesis Rodriguez), to become the new Lioness. As an experienced helicopter pilot and combat soldier, not to mention a close relative of the prime target, she had all the right credentials. However, Joe didn’t trust her and brought back a very reluctant Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliveira) to shadow the new operative.

The two ended up becoming close — romantically so — by the end of the season and worked together well on their final mission … until things spiraled out of their control, of course.

The mission was successful, but costly

After Josie’s father became the prime target of the mission, with the assumption that he could help the team access his brother, Kaitlyn Meade (Nicole Kidman) and Byron Westfield (Michael Kelly) sold him on the mission. His entire family would move its operations to the United States, under the protection of that banner, if he helped them eliminate his brother. And he did so, shooting his brother in the head and taking control of his empire, gifting Kaitlyn and Bryon the captured Chinese operative in their charge in exchange for the freedom they promised him.

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Meanwhile, though, the ground team faced heavy resistance, with Carillo and Cruz’s helicopter downed. When Joe’s team joined them on the field, they were quickly surrounded and only saved by the nick-of-time arrival of air support. Injured in the melee were Carillo, Two Cups (James Jordan), Tucker (LaMonica Garrett), and Bobby (Jill Wagner). They all appeared to survive their injuries and were treated in the green zone.

Joe faced fury from her family, too

Though Joe’s husband, Neal (Dave Annable), has been holding down the fort in her absence for years, his patience began to wear thin by the end of Season 2, especially after Joe took shrapnel earlier in the season. By the end of the season, Joe seemed ready to hang up her sidearm for duty on the stateside only, especially after nearly losing her life in the final skirmish overseas.

Lioness, Season 3 Premiere, August 2, Paramount+