Why Taylor Sheridan's Lioness Spy Thriller Series Has Become A Global Streaming Hit

Published Aug 3, 2026, 11:38 AM EDT Felipe Rangel is a Movie and TV Journalist ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more. Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics." Sign in to your ScreenRant account Taylor Sheridan's hit spy series is back, and it is like the show never left, as it is already back on top of streaming charts, with a few reasons helping explain its global success. At this point, Sheridan has established himself as one of Hollywood's biggest names. The creative has assembled a true empire on TV, with hits among different genres. Sure, the Yellowstone TV show franchise might be his most popular, with several prequels and sequels expanding the world of the Western that redefined the genre. However, Sheridan understands action in all of its forms extremely well, with shows like Mayor of Kingstown helping showcase the writer's aptitude for action-packed stories. The list of movies written by Sheridan is a further example of that. His Yellowstone fame might come up first in conversations. However, if you watch Sheridan movies like the two dark Sicario entries, the Michael B. Jordan action thriller Tom Clancy's Without Remorse, and Angelina Jolie's assassin-filled Those Who Wish Me Dead, it is clear that Sheridan excels with action. That all comes down to Sheridan's spy thriller series that is dominating the world. The Sheridan-verse · Ranch Assessment Taylor Sheridan Trivia Challenge 🏠 Yellowstone Protect the ranch 🐴 1883 The Oregon Trail 🌾 1923 Drought & dust 🔒 Kingstown Prison politics 🎼 Tulsa King Made man, new town SADDLE UP → 01 The Dutton family has controlled the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States for over a century. In which state is the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch located? A Wyoming B Montana C Idaho D Colorado ✓ Correct! The Yellowstone Dutton Ranch sits near the border of Yellowstone National Park in Montana. The show is filmed primarily in Montana, with the real-life Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby serving as the Dutton homestead. ✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Montana. The Dutton Ranch borders Yellowstone National Park in Big Sky Country. While the rugged landscape could pass for Wyoming or Idaho, the show is set — and largely filmed — in Montana. NEXT → 02 John Dutton is the iron-willed patriarch who will stop at nothing to protect his family’s land. Which Oscar-winning actor portrayed him for the first four seasons of Yellowstone? A Sam Elliott B Josh Brolin C Kevin Costner D Kurt Russell ✓ Correct! Kevin Costner brought gravitas and quiet intensity to John Dutton, anchoring Yellowstone as one of the most-watched shows on cable television. His departure ahead of Season 5B became one of the biggest stories in TV. ✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Kevin Costner. While Sam Elliott did appear in 1883, Josh Brolin has his own Sheridan series (Outer Range isn’t Sheridan’s), and Kurt Russell hasn’t joined the Sheridan-verse. Costner defined John Dutton. NEXT → 03 In the prequel series 1883, a Civil War veteran leads his family on a brutal wagon-train journey from Texas to Montana to find a new home. What is the name of this original Dutton patriarch? A James Dutton B Jacob Dutton C John Dutton Sr. D Emmett Dutton ✓ Correct! James Dutton, played by Tim McGraw, is the Civil War veteran who leads his wife Margaret and their children on the perilous journey west. His daughter Elsa narrates the series, and the family’s arrival in Montana establishes the Yellowstone Ranch. ✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is James Dutton. Jacob Dutton is the character Harrison Ford plays in 1923 — James’s brother. John Dutton Sr. doesn’t appear until later generations, and Emmett Dutton doesn’t exist in the Sheridan-verse. NEXT → 04 On the Dutton Ranch, certain cowboys receive a permanent mark of loyalty — a hot-iron brand seared into their skin that signifies a blood oath to the ranch. What symbol is this feared brand? A A “D” inside a circle B A horseshoe C A skull and crossbones D The letter “Y” ✓ Correct! The branded “Y” is the Yellowstone Ranch’s livestock mark, but for ranch hands, wearing it on their chest means a lifelong oath of silence and loyalty. “Taking someone to the train station” is what happens to those who betray it. ✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is the letter “Y” — for Yellowstone. The brand is both a ranch identifier and a mark of absolute loyalty. Characters like Rip, Kayce, and Jimmy all bear the “Y” brand, signifying they’ve sworn their lives to the ranch. NEXT → 05 In 1923, the Dutton family battles drought, Prohibition, and encroaching modernity during the Great Depression era. Which legendary Hollywood actor plays patriarch Jacob Dutton? A Robert Redford B Harrison Ford C Clint Eastwood D Tommy Lee Jones ✓ Correct! Harrison Ford stars as Jacob Dutton alongside Helen Mirren as his wife Cara. Ford’s casting marked his first major television role and brought massive star power to the expanding Sheridan-verse. The series is set during Prohibition and the early Depression. ✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Harrison Ford. In his first major TV role, Ford plays Jacob Dutton, brother of James Dutton from 1883. Helen Mirren stars opposite him as Cara Dutton. Their star power helped make 1923 Paramount+’s biggest premiere. NEXT → 06 Beth Dutton’s volatile love story with a tough ranch foreman is one of Yellowstone’s most beloved storylines. The two eventually marry in a surprise ceremony. Who is Beth’s husband? A Lloyd Pierce B Walker C Rip Wheeler D Jimmy Hurdstrom ✓ Correct! Rip Wheeler, played by Cole Hauser, is John Dutton’s most loyal enforcer and Beth’s husband. Taken in by John as a teenager after a traumatic past, Rip would do anything for the Dutton family — and his fierce devotion to Beth became a fan-favorite romance. ✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Rip Wheeler. Lloyd Pierce is the bunkhouse elder, Walker is a ranch hand and musician, and Jimmy Hurdstrom is the hapless cowboy who eventually gets sent to the 6666 Ranch in Texas. Only Rip won Beth’s wild heart. NEXT → 07 In Mayor of Kingstown, a family serves as power brokers in a Michigan town where the prison industry is the only business. Which family navigates this dark world of incarceration and corruption? A The McLusky family B The Reilly family C The Kingsley family D The Dutton family ✓ Correct! The McLusky family, led by Mike McLusky (Jeremy Renner), acts as unofficial mediators between prisoners, gangs, police, and politicians in Kingstown, Michigan. The show is one of Sheridan’s grittiest explorations of the American justice system. ✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is the McLusky family. Jeremy Renner stars as Mike McLusky, who inherits the role of “mayor” — an unofficial power broker between inmates, gangs, and law enforcement. The Duttons are Yellowstone’s dynasty, not Kingstown’s. NEXT → 08 One Dutton sibling is an adopted son and ambitious lawyer who frequently clashes with his family — sometimes even conspiring against them. His complex loyalty drives much of the show’s drama. Who is he? A Kayce Dutton B Lee Dutton C Tate Dutton D Jamie Dutton ✓ Correct! Jamie Dutton, played by Wes Bentley, is the adopted son and Harvard-educated lawyer whose desperate need for his father’s approval and political ambition create some of Yellowstone’s most dramatic betrayals. His rivalry with Beth is legendary. ✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Jamie Dutton. Kayce is John’s biological youngest son (a former Navy SEAL), Lee is the eldest son who dies in Season 1, and Tate is Kayce’s young son. Only Jamie is the adopted lawyer who conspires against the family. REVEAL MY SCORE → Round-Up Complete Your Ranch Record / 8 Are you a ranch foreman — or headed straight to the train station? ↻ RIDE AGAIN That espionage series would be Lioness, which stars Zoe Saldaña as Joe McNamara, the CIA team leader of the covert Lioness program, which takes female agents, aka Lionesses, and puts them in strategic positions to infiltrate terrorist networks and/or get close to major targets. Lioness has once again proven itself a global streaming hit. That comes after Lioness season 3 debuted on Sunday, August 2. Paramount+'s Lioness Is Trending Worldwide Paramount+'s Lioness has seen its new season become an instant streaming sensation. Merely a day after the first episode of Lioness season 3 dropped on the streaming service, Lioness has already become the most-watched TV show on Paramount+ worldwide, according to FlixPatrol. The spy thriller series leaves behind other shows either created or produced by Sheridan, including Yellowstone, which stands at 3rd, its most recent sequel series, Dutton Ranch, at 7th, and Sylvester Stallone's Tulsa King, at 8th. Interestingly, Sheridan's Lioness also ranks above two other similar shows on Paramount+'s global chart. One of those is David Boreanaz's SEAL Team, which also focuses on an elite team fighting terrorists, while the other is Michael Fassbender's The Agency, a gritty spy thriller series. At the time of writing, Lioness is trending in 28 countries, with the action series standing as the most-watched TV show on Paramount+ in 23 of them. The United States is included in the latter, with Lioness leading the streamer's nationwide TV show chart, leaving behind projects like Criminal Minds, Landman, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and more. Lioness season 3's streaming success can be explained by a few key factors. Why Lioness Is Worth Watching On Paramount+ Ryan Green/Paramount+ Before Lioness season 3 released its first episode, Paramount+ subscribers were already turning to Sheridan's spy thriller series to get ready for its new episodes. On July 13, Lioness sat at 9th on Paramount+'s US chart, making its comeback. A couple of days before the season 3 premiere, Lioness had climbed to 4th worldwide, with the show arriving at 2nd the day before the new season debuted. As such, Lioness' newfound streaming success is directly tied to the debut of season 3 and viewers either rewatching the show in droves before it returned, or finally checking out Lioness for the first time. Lioness season 2 has a near-perfect 90% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. As such, it is easy to see why viewers would be drawn to the show's new episodes, as its last chapter had been so positively received. Lioness' cast is also key to its global streaming success, as the spy thriller series features major stars like Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Kelly, and more. With another seven episodes to go, Lioness season 3 should dominate Paramount+'s charts for the next couple of months. 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