Lioness Season 3 Episode 1 Review: A Thrilling Premiere With Life-Changing Consequences

Critic’s Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

4.5

One thing Lioness has always done well is remind us that Joe’s most dangerous mission isn’t overseas — it’s convincing herself that her family can stay untouched by the life she’s chosen.

Lioness Season 3 Episode 1 finally shattered that illusion.

The series opened with what looked like Joe being kidnapped before revealing it was an elaborate fakeout ahead of the mission to Ukraine with Cody and his team.

(Emerson Miller/Paramount+.)

It was a clever way to lull viewers into a false sense of security because the real threat wasn’t waiting on the battlefield.

It was waiting at home.

Just when it seemed like Joe had survived another impossible mission, two armed men posing as state police arrived at her house in the middle of the night, turning her greatest fear into reality.

For Joe, this has always been the nightmare scenario.

She’s spent years convincing herself that her work would eventually spill over into her personal life. Every mission, every disappearance, every lie she’s told Neal has been building toward this moment.

(Emerson Miller/Paramount+.)

We saw just how deeply that paranoia runs during Lioness Season 2 when Joe pulled a gun on the couple who approached her youngest daughter about buying her artwork.

It looked like an outrageous overreaction at the time.

Now? Not so much.

Lioness Season 3 is More Personal Than Ever

Joe has always expected the worst, and this attack proves those fears were never entirely irrational.

The terrifying part is how close she came to losing everything. Had she arrived home only a few minutes later, Neal and the kids could have been taken — or worse.

(Emerson Miller/Paramount+.)

Without knowing who these men were or who sent them, it’s impossible to predict what’s coming next, but Neal’s expression said everything.

His worst fears have been realized.

He’s spent years begging Joe to slow down and consider what this job is doing to their family. Every time she disappears, he has to prepare himself for the possibility that she’ll never come home.

Now he’s been forced to confront another terrifying possibility: maybe home isn’t safe anymore, either.

It’s difficult to imagine Neal ever looking at Joe the same way again.

(Emerson Miller/Paramount+.)

Every time their marriage seems to find solid ground, another crisis tears it apart. That’s what makes their relationship so compelling.

Despite the secrecy, resentment, and impossible circumstances, they’ve always found a way back to one another. This feels different.

How do you move forward after armed men show up at your front door pretending to be law enforcement?

The fallout will almost certainly force Neal and the kids into protective custody or a safe house, completely upending the normal life Joe has fought so hard to preserve.

That alone is enough to create resentment.

(Greg Lewis/Paramount+)

Back on Lioness Season 1, Joe believed putting distance between herself and her eldest daughter would somehow protect both of them. Instead, it only widened the emotional gap between them.

Now that danger has arrived on her doorstep, she’ll have to face the reality that no amount of distance can shield the people she loves.

I’m just thankful the kids didn’t wake up to find two dead bodies on their front porch. That’s the sort of trauma no family ever truly recovers from.

Naturally, Joe is going to make finding those responsible her top priority. The only problem?

Her superiors almost certainly won’t want her leading the investigation.

(Luke Varley/Paramount+)

They’ll have protocols, strategies, and carefully planned responses. Joe has never been interested in following orders when emotions aren’t involved, so there’s little chance she’ll suddenly become cooperative now that the attack is personal.

That’s always been Joe’s greatest strength and greatest weakness.

Joe Needs Answers

She gets results because she’s willing to ignore the rulebook, but this time, that recklessness could cost her far more than a mission.

The Ukraine operation itself was exhilarating.

Once the team reached the battlefield, it became abundantly clear that Joe and her operators were stepping into a conflict they didn’t fully understand.

(Lynsey Addario/Paramount+)

Cody and his team recognized that immediately, forcing Joe to trust people with experience she simply didn’t have.

Had they rushed in believing brute force could solve everything, they wouldn’t have stood a chance.

As someone who’s often criticized Taylor Sheridan for writing himself into his own shows, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Cody here.

He isn’t simply an extension of Sheridan’s ego anymore. He’s become an effective foil for Joe.

They’re remarkably similar leaders — confident, fearless, and willing to make impossible decisions — but their different experiences create an engaging dynamic that elevates every scene they share.

(Greg Lewis/Paramount+)

If Lioness can continue exploring both Joe’s fractured home life and her evolving partnership with Cody, Lioness Season 3 could be heading toward its strongest run yet.

Does Lioness still have ridiculous scenes? Of course, but it’s one of those shows where you just buckle up and enjoy the ride.

It’s a fun hour each week that takes my mind off everything else going on in the world, and that’s about as much as I can ask for any TV show nowadays.

What did you think of Joe’s cover finally being blown? Do you think Neal can ever forgive her, or has their marriage reached the point of no return?

(Ryan Green/Paramount+)

What’s your take on Joe and Cody going up against one another? Are you liking this direction?

Let’s start a conversation about it!

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• Joe’s life changes forever on Lioness Season 3 Episode 1, and it isn’t her fault. Read our review of the premiere.

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• Lioness is one of the most unhinged TV shows I’ve ever watched, but I cannot look away. Let’s break it all down.

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