Taylor Sheridan's Hit Spy Action Series Returns To Near-Perfect Audience Rotten Tomatoes Score

Published Aug 4, 2026, 1:12 PM EDT Abdullah Al-Ghamdi joined Screen Rant in August 2019 and is now one of the leading contributors of the TV News team. Having written over 4000 news stories in that time , with his work cited in Buzzfeed and TV Insider, he's always bemoaning that there's too many shows and not enough time. You can contact him at: aalghamdi@hey.com. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Taylor Sheridan's returning action Lioness series is receiving a strong audience reception. Sheridan's name, for the bulk of 2026, has been attached to projects that connect to Yellowstone in one way or another. The dramatic family loss of The Madison was originally reported to be a Yellowstone spinoff, while Kayce and Beth Dutton both returned for their respective spinoffs. As the year draws to a close, though, Sheridan is turning his attention to the latest installment of Lioness. He writes the premiere episode, which is directed by Michael Friedman, and the prolific producer even reprises his role as Cody Spears for that first episode in what is essentially a high-stakes sequence that takes up the bulk of the episode. It's an approach that seems to have worked well with audiences, as Lioness debuts with a near-perfect 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. This marks an all-time high for Lioness in terms of audience scores. The first installment has a score of 76%, while the second falls slightly to 73%. But there are seven more episodes to go for Lioness season 3, so the reception of viewers could change with the coming twists and turns. Season Critic Scores on Rotten Tomatoes Lioness Season 1 56% (36 reviews) Lioness Season 2 90% (10 reviews) Lioness Season 3 82% (11 reviews) The premiere, titled "The Spider and The Fly", begins with such a twist. After taking a moment to let CIA senior officer Joe (Zoe Saldaña) breathe and catch up with her personal life, the protagonist of Lioness is abducted from her car. She is thankfully on the phone with her boss, Kaitlyn (Nicole Kidman), when it happens, and the tease is that she won't be gone for long. Lioness season 3 then flashes back, going six months in the past, with the latest episodes of the Paramount+ Original delving into what happens when national security is compromised. Michael Kelly and Morgan Freeman return alongside Saldaña in the Sheridan-created series, as do Laysla De Oliveira, Dave Annable, Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett, James Jordan, Genesis Rodriguez, Austin Hébert, Jonah Wharton, Thad Luckinbill, and Hannah Love Lanier. Teen Wolf alum Ian Bohen is among the new additions to the cast. It has seen its fortunes improve with critics. Lioness season 3 rebounded with critics after a dip in the previous outing, which is a good omen for what viewers should expect in the weeks ahead. Lioness streams Sundays on Paramount+. Release Date July 23, 2023 Network Paramount+ Showrunner Taylor Sheridan Cast Laysla De Oliveira Cruz Manuelos Directors John Hillcoat, Anthony Byrne, Paul Cameron, Stephen Kay, Taylor Sheridan Writers Taylor Sheridan, Jill Wagner Creator(s) Taylor Sheridan