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Also known as Special Ops: Lioness, Lioness is a spy thriller series created by Taylor Sheridan and stars Zoe Saldaña, Laysla De Oliveira, Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman, and others.
The show is about a Force Recon Marine, Cruz (Oliveira), who is recruited into the CIA's secret program, known as the Lioness. Recruited by Joe (Saldaña), who is the CIA officer in charge of the program, Cruz must befriend the daughter of a terrorist financier.
She must also infiltrate dangerous terrorist groups while concealing her identity and complete high-stakes missions. The show investigates the personal toll of such missions and covers themes of terrorism, loyalty, and morality.
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Viewers who enjoy action-packed shows and are waiting for Lioness' second season can check the list below for similarly themed series in the meantime.
Quantico, Alias, and other shows like Lioness
1) Homeland - Amazon Prime Video
An espionage thriller, Homeland, is based on the Israeli series Prisoners of War and features Claire Danes in the titular role. The show is about a CIA officer, Carrie (Claire), who struggles with bipolar disorder and believes that a Marine officer has been converted by al-Qaeda and is now a threat to the nation.
The series received positive reviews and won several awards. Like Lioness, the show is a female-led thriller and revolves around the world of intelligence. The show also focuses on mental health issues.
2) Berlin Station - Amazon Prime Video
Created by Olen Steinhauer, Berlin Station is a thriller series starring Richard Armitage, Rhys Ifans, Keke Palmer, and others. Set in Berlin, Germany, the series follows a young CIA officer, Daniel Miller (Richard), who is sent to the city to find the person who is leaking classified information about the CIA.
Like Cruz in Lioness, Daniel goes down a spiraling path of covert operations and secret missions. Both shows focus on the personal and professional lives of the CIA operatives and explore their moral dilemmas.
3) Quantico - Amazon Prime Video
Starring Priyanka Chopra, Jake McLaughlin, Josh Hopkins, and others, Quantico is a thriller and action-drama created by Joshua Safran. It centers around Alex Parish (Chopra), who joins the FBI after graduating from the FBI Academy and unwittingly becomes a suspect when a terrorist attack occurs in New York City.
Chopra became the first South Asian woman to lead a US network series and was praised for her performance. Like Lioness, the show has a strong female lead and highlights a similar world of terrorism, espionage, loyalty, conspiracies, and identity.
4) The Little Drummer Girl - Amazon Prime Video
Directed by Park Chan-wook and starring Florence Pugh, Alexander Skarsgård, and others, The Little Drummer Girl is a British espionage show based on a novel by John le Carré. Set in 1979, the show is about a young and ambitious actress (Pugh), who gets sucked into the world of espionage and terrorism when she is recruited by an intelligence officer.
Like Lioness, the show is about a female protagonist who is an undercover agent in a terrorist group. Both shows have similar themes and explore the psychological toll of such missions and moral dilemmas.
5) Covert Affairs - Amazon Prime Video
Starring Piper Perabo, Christopher Gorham, Nic Bishop, and others, Covert Affairs is an action-drama series about a young CIA trainee, Annie Walker (Piper), who is sent to work as a field agent in the Domestic Protection Division. Over the seasons, the show covers Annie’s transformation from a budding agent to a hardened spy.
Similar to Lioness, the show follows an ambitious female agent who is tasked with handling dangerous missions and concealing her identity. Like Cruz and Joe’s relationship, Covert Affairs also focuses on Annie and her handler’s relationship.
6) Alias - Amazon Prime Video
Starring Jennifer Garner, Bradley Cooper, Rachel Nichols, and others, Alias is an action thriller created by J.J. Abrams. It revolves around a double agent, Sydney (Jennifer), who works for the CIA and as an operative for the criminal organization known as the SD-6.
Tasked with bringing down the organization, she navigates a world of espionage, terror, and treachery. Similar to Lioness, the show centers around a strong female lead and has aspects of spy drama, character-driven storytelling, and action sequences.
7) The Unit - Amazon Video
Created by David Mamet and based on a memoir by Eric L. Haney, The Unit is an action-drama that focuses on the elite armed forces unit known as The Unit. Starring Dennis Haysbert, Robert Patrick, and others, the show is about the top-secret missions the unit investigates overseas.
Modeled after the real-life Delta Force, the show covered the harsh and rigorous lives of the unit’s members and their personal lives and their families’ lives. Like Lioness, the series is based around an elite military group, focuses on high-profile targets, and has high-octane action.
Viewers can go through the list and choose an action-packed show of their liking.
