Special Ops: Lioness episodes 1 & 2 recap: Why did Cruz join the United States Marine Corps? 

Episodes 1 & 2 of Special Ops: Lioness were titled "Sacrificial Soldiers" and "The Beating." Both of them were directed by John Hillcoat and written by Taylor Sheridan. They were released on Paramount+ on July 23, 2023.

This episode of Special Ops: Lioness saw the introduction of the two main characters, Joe and Cruz. Joe was a CIA agent, and Cruz was a female Marine working undercover. The latter had a terrible life prior to meeting Joe. Her only way out was to join the United States Marine Corps.

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Special Ops: Lioness episodes 1 & 2 recap: What was Cruz's mission?

The episodes began in the desert country of Syria. The CIA was stationed in a volatile area. It was situated right beside enemy territory. A confrontation between the CIA and the terrorists was inevitable. The CIA was led by Joe (played by Zoe Saldaña). She was a strong and level-headed leader who was respected by everyone on her team. Joe had planted a spy called Cruz Manuelos in enemy territory.

As expected, the terrorists began firing at the CIA, so the team had to retaliate. Joe received a call from Cruz. She revealed that she was hiding because her cover was blown. The terrorists had discovered that she was working for the Americans. Joe tried to save her, but the terrorists got to her first. Just when they were beginning to torture Cruz, Joe ordered them to bomb the area she was in. The Americans dropped a bomb from the sky, and it looked like nobody, including Cruz, survived.

There was a time jump, and the story of these two women was revealed. Cruz had a terrible life. She used to work in a burger joint, hardly made anything, and was also in an abusive relationship. She, her boyfriend, and a dozen other people lived in a home. Frustrated, one morning, she beat up her boyfriend and made a run for her life.

The boyfriend followed her, but before he could get hold of her, she found herself being saved by a Marine officer. Soon, Cruz got recruited by the United States Marine Corps. She was strong, highly intelligent, and impressed everyone at the corp.

CIA agent Joe, on the other hand, was married to a surgeon named Neil. Their marriage was not the best, but they tried to make it work. The couple even had two daughters. Since both parents had tedious jobs, they could hardly spend any time with their children.

Joe was given a secret mission. It was to terminate a dangerous terrorist in Syria. To achieve success, she needed an extremely efficient marine. This came in the form of Cruz. Joe was impressed with the skills Cruz possessed, so it did not take long to recruit her.

Joe and Cruz then finally made plans to capture the terrorist. The idea was simple. Cruz was supposed to get close to the target's daughter. The CIA would be able to keep close tabs on the family once the two women got close. Then when the iron was hot, the terrorists would have been taken down.

That is exactly what Cruz did. She entered a store where the target's daughter, Aaliyah, was. Cruz and Aaliyah became friends easily. While this was transpiring, Joe was monitoring everything from outside.

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Special Ops: Lioness synopsis

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the synopsis of Special Ops: Lioness reads,

"Joe attempts to balance her personal and professional life as the tip of the CIA's spear in the war on terror; the Lioness Program enlists Cruz to operate undercover alongside Joe among the power brokers of State terrorism."

Special Ops: Lioness was created by Taylor Sheridan.