Lioness: Taylor Sheridan's Spy Thriller Keeps Getting Better After 7.1M Premiere

Published Sep 8, 2026, 2:49 PM EDT Greg is a Lead TV Writer & Critic at Screen Rant with expertise in new streaming releases. He's published over 3000 articles at SR, including weekly recommendation guides and dozens of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. He previously worked in Development at ABC Television & Lawrence Bender Productions. Greg majored in Film Production at Chapman University's Dodge College. Greg also has years of broadcast TV production experience at major networks such as NBC, TNT, and ESPN. He currently lives in Greater Boston. Taylor Sheridan's spy action thriller series on Paramount+ keeps getting better after its premiere episode drew more than 7 million views in its first seven days. Released on August 2, 2026, the third season of Sheridan's gripping series is well underway and has offered viewers the most intense situations yet, with Sheridan still writing the script for every single episode. With its stacked ensemble cast including Morgan Freeman, strong 85% Rotten Tomatoes score, and #1 worldwide status, Sheridan's hit show is the gift that keeps on giving. Taylor Sheridan's Lioness just keeps getting better on Paramount+. Now six of eight episodes into its third season, the stakes are at an all-time high, and episode 6, "Sugar Land," was one of the most celebrated of the entire show, earning an 8.8 IMDb score. With hype building for the finale on September 20, which a cast member has already described as a massive cliffhanger, Lioness proves it has only improved after its premiere episode pulled in a series-high 7.1 million views, more than both season 1 and 2's premieres combined. Lioness Season 3's Viewership Has Grown Along With Its Quality Lioness is one of the best shows to binge-watch on Paramount+ right now and is currently enjoying all-time highs in both viewership and quality. Since its first season, when it was titled Lioness: Special Ops, the Sheridan series has established a fast-paced and distinctive tone, serving as an espionage thriller, a political drama, and a military action series. The series has also impressively maintained its elite ensemble cast throughout all three of its seasons, led by Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Kelly, and more. Similar to Yellowstone and Mayor of Kingstown, Lioness was critically panned in its first season by critics, earning only a 54% Rotten Tomatoes score for its first season, followed by a 90% rating in season 2 and an 85% score in season 3. Compare season 1's score to the show's overall 75% RT audience rating, and that number paints a different picture entirely, especially since Lioness' viewership took a big jump from season 2 to season 3. It's another example in Sheridan's filmography of how the writer/producer seems to be immune to bad reviews. In the case of Lioness specifically, the series has genuinely gotten better in terms of its story and pacing, although the performances and writing in general have always been top-notch since the pilot episode. Each season of Lioness centers on a different threat to U.S. national security, starting with an Iraqi billionaire who finances acts of terror in season 1, continuing with a ruthless drug-smuggling Mexican cartel in season 2, and ending on season 3's Cold War-like conflicts with Russian intelligence agents. As evidenced by these intriguing changes in setting and antagonists, Lioness has always prioritized entertainment value, and season 3 has hit a new peak. Taylor Sheridan's Spy Thriller Is So Good, It Deserves Season 4 Lauren "Lo" Smith/Paramount+ Even though there are a few episodes left to be released in Lioness season 3, the series is so compelling that it deserves a fourth season, especially with the rumored upcoming cliffhanger ending arriving on September 20. It seems improbable that Sheridan would not get the green light on Lioness season 4, considering season 3 has been the #1 most-watched series on Paramount+ for weeks and his exclusive deal with the streamer will continue until the end of 2028. If the main ensemble is also set to return as well, then Lioness season 4 is a total no-brainer. Lioness is following a similar trajectory to another hit series Sheridan created, Mayor of Kingstown, in which each season has used the positive momentum from the previous one, built upon it with more interesting storylines and higher stakes, and sharpened a signature tone that makes it easier and easier to come back to. While Sheridan no longer writes every episode of Mayor of Kingstown, the trajectory of that series is interesting to compare to Lioness, which just doesn't show any signs of slowing down as it charges towards its season 3 finale. Lioness Release Date July 23, 2023 Network Paramount+ Cast Laysla De Oliveira Cruz Manuelos Showrunner Taylor Sheridan