This 3-Part 'Homeland' Meets 'Sicario' Thriller Is One of the Biggest Streaming Hits in the World

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Published Sep 9, 2026, 2:11 PM EDT

Dyah (pronounced Dee-yah) is a Senior Author at Collider, responsible for both writing and transcription duties. She joined the website in 2022 as a Resource Writer before stepping into her current role in April 2023. As a Senior Author, she writes Features and Lists covering TV, music, and movies, making her a true Jill of all trades. In addition to her writing, Dyah also serves as an interview transcriber, primarily for events such as San Diego Comic-Con, the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Sundance Film Festival.

Dyah graduated from Satya Wacana Christian University in October 2019 with a Bachelor's degree in English Literature, concentrating on Creative Writing. She is currently completing her Master's degree in English Literature Studies, with a thesis on intersectionality in postcolonial-feminist studies in Asian literary works, and is expected to graduate in 2026.

Born and raised between Indonesia and Singapore, Dyah is no stranger to different cultures. She now resides in the small town of Kendal with her husband and four cats, where she spends her free time cooking or cycling.

Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Lioness Season 3.

Fans can't get enough of Lioness, currently sitting at the No. 1 spot on Paramount+. With Season 3 currently ongoing, Taylor Sheridan's political thriller starring Zoe Saldaña is the perfect combination of Homeland and Sicario. Similar to Homeland, Lioness follows a CIA senior case officer on the front lines protecting the U.S. from terrorism and other international threats. While the first two seasons focused more on the Lioness program and its efforts to infiltrate enemy lines with the utmost discretion, Season 3 takes a more in-your-face, action-heavy approach reminiscent of Sicario, which Sheridan wrote back in 2015.

What Is 'Lioness' About?

Inspired by the CIA's real-life program, Lioness follows Joe McNamara (Saldaña) as she supervises a covert team of female operatives. A major part of their missions involves infiltrating the inner circles of high-value targets, earning their trust and getting as close as possible to the objective, but undercover work comes with immense risks. Since the Lioness program operates off the books, there is no CIA protocol telling these operatives what's right or wrong. There are only three rules: don't get caught, don't get killed, and don't break under any circumstances.

In Season 1, Joe gets into deep trouble when her initial Lioness agent is killed in action on enemy soil. To recoup the CIA’s losses, Joe recruits high-achieving Sergeant Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliveira) for her next Lioness mission: to get close to the daughter of a billionaire oil tycoon suspected of funding terrorists. Season 2 continues the Lioness program with a different agent, soldier and helicopter pilot Josie Carrillo (Genesis Rodriguez), infiltrating a Mexican cartel. But Joe, who's the type to pick up a person’s inconsistencies, quickly notices something amiss with Josie’s background.

‘Lioness’ Doesn’t Glorify the CIA’s Counterterrorism Life

Lioness isn't a story about the making of an all-American hero; it’s a tragic tale about the cost of patriotism. Being chosen for the Lioness program is a physically, mentally, and emotionally taxing ordeal. Before they even set foot in the field, these agents are subjected to viciously unforgiving training sessions designed not simply to toughen them up, but to determine whether they have even the slightest chance of breaking under enemy torture. The safety of its agents is the Lioness program’s least concern; what matters more is ensuring that they never expose the CIA's involvement in international affairs, eroding other countries' trust in the U.S. government.

Soldiers like Cruz and Josie have trained their entire lives to kill for America's safety, but on the battlefield, they're ultimately pawns that can be swapped in and out at any time. Since Lioness agents operate deep undercover, they're no longer just soldiers — they're the operation itself. Every detail of their identities, every step they take, even the simplest exchange of words, is carefully planned to avoid suspicion. If their cover is blown, there’s no guarantee the CIA will come to save them.

‘Lioness’ Season 3 Puts Joe McNamara in an Impossible Situation

Zoe Saldaña as Joe McNamara and Nicole Kidman as Kaitlyn Meade in Lioness Season 3.

As Lioness Season 3 approaches its conclusion, the stakes have only continued to rise. For the first time in the series, the story is unfolding across two timelines, slowly revealing the events that have put Joe and the CIA in an increasingly dangerous situation. Instead of billionaire-funded terrorist groups or Mexican cartels, the agency is finally facing its biggest rival yet: Russian intelligence operating covertly on U.S. soil. As threats hide in the shadows, Joe must put her trust in allies who claim to be on the CIA's side.

Still reeling from the aftermath of the Lioness Season 2 finale, Joe is closer to her family than ever, but even renewing ties with her loved ones isn’t enough to pull her away from the CIA. When shadowy figures blur the lines between her professional and personal life, she starts to question whether she can truly keep the two worlds separate. As the stakes rise, Joe must worry not only about protecting the people back home but also about keeping herself safe. After enduring so much to protect her country, Lioness Season 3 is about to prove that even the toughest people have their breaking point.