Taylor Sheridan's CIA Thriller Might Be The Best Show Of 2023: REVIEW

Taylor Sheridan has another monster hit on his hands with "Special Ops: Lioness."

The CIA/military thriller has been being hyped up for months ahead of its July 23 premiere on Paramount+, and expectations are that Sheridan will, once again, deliver the goods.

I was lucky enough to catch an early screening of the premiere, and let's just say that it doesn't disappoint at all.

"Special Ops: Lioness" is outstanding. (Photo Credit: Paramount+)

"Special Ops: Lioness" is outstanding.

Let's get the two biggest things out of the way right from the jump. First, the cast is ridiculous. Zoe Saldana, Michael Kelly, Morgan Freeman, Nicole Kidman and Laysla De Oliveira (the man female character) all star in the series.

That would be an A+ lineup for a movie. This is TV, but it's also Taylor Sheridan. The rules are always different when it comes to the "Yellowstone" creator. People want to work with him because he's the most influential person in entertainment right now.

Second, the plot revolves around a CIA agent in the SAD - Saldana's Joe - recruiting a young woman to the Lioness program. This turns out to be Oliveira's Cruz. The goal is simple. Get close to the female family members of terrorist leaders and help take them out.

That's more or less all you need to know going into it.

Zoe Saldana, Michael Kelly, Morgan Freeman, Nicole Kidman and Laysla De Oliveira star in "Special Ops: Lioness." (Photo Credit: Lynsey Addario/Paramount+)

The show is unbelievably dark.

Now, I'm not going to spoil anything here. What I will say is that the show is similar to Sheridan's previous work when it comes to living in the gray.

Nothing is cut and dry. There might be good guys and bad guys, but nobody is perfectly clean. Tough choices - just like in real life in war - have to be made.

This is made crystal clear in the opening scenes of the premiere. War is dirty. It's downright disgusting at times. Impossible calls have to be made and the outcome of those calls stick with people forever.

"Special Ops: Lioness" doesn't shy away from this reality. In fact, Sheridan embraces it and leans into it.

What is "Special Ops: Lioness" about? (Photo Credit: Lynsey Addario/Paramount+)

Is "Special Ops: Lioness" realistic?

As for how realistic the show is, I truly don't know. What I do know is programs like the one in the series are very real, and I know from people involved in the black ops world that female operators have led to some very impressive kills and success on the battlefield.

Did it happen as portrayed in "Special Ops: Lioness"? I can't say, and the reality is the answer to that question is highly-classified.

What we know for sure is badass female operators exist, they do a damn good job and Sheridan appears to have put together an epic show honoring them.

It's too bad the public doesn't know more about these women. I wish they did, but the American government has no interest in making these women known. They're simply too valuable in the fight against terror.

"Special Ops" Lioness premieres July 23. (Photo Credit: Lynsey Addario/Paramount+)

If you love Sheridan's other work, such as "Yellowstone," then you're going to be obsessed with "Special Ops: Lioness." You can catch the premiere starting July 23 on Paramount+.