Special Ops: Lioness Season 1 recap: All you need to remember before Season 2 arrives

Special Ops: Lioness Season 1 is the first installment of an American spy thriller television series. It premiered via Paramount + on July 23, 2023. Earlier this year in May 2024, the series was renewed for its second season, which is now slated to release on October 27, 2024.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Special Ops: Lioness Season 1.

The second season is expected to pick up from where the first one left off. At the end of Special Ops: Lioness Season 1, Sergeant Cruz Manuelos slept with one of her targets named Aaliyah, and confessed that she was in love.

Still, Joe was determined to take down the terrorist network as per their mission. At the end of the episode, Joe was also determined to make more efforts to stay close to her family. These storylines are sure to be explored further in the upcoming season, since the story ended on an unfinished note for the characters.

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What is the status of Joe and her family at the end of Special Ops: Lioness Season 1?

Zoe Saldana as Joe in a still from Special Ops: Lioness Season 1 (via @lionnessplus / Instagram)

Joe was seen struggling with being away from her family in Special Ops: Lioness Season 1. She was estranged from her husband Neil due to their demanding jobs. This also led to Joe being distant from her daughters at times, which was clear since the premiere episode of the series.

Joe decided to make more of an effort for her family. She promised Neil that, after one last mission, she would take a desk job so that she had time for her home. She even broke down and was vulnerable with him about how she felt. However, the season ended with no concrete answer about whether Joe was leaving leadership of the team.

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What happened to Cruz and Aaliyah in Special Ops: Lioness Season 1?

Laysla De Olivera as Cruz in a still from Special Ops: Lioness Season 1 (via @lionnessplus / Instagram)

Season 1 ended on an interesting note for Cruz, especially since she fell in love with the daughter of a dangerous terrorist Asmar Ali Amrohi. Even then, she continued with her mission to bring down the terrorist syndicate.

At the end of the season, Cruz ended up stabbing and killing Asmar and Aaliyah's fiancee Ehsan, before escaping with the Lioness team. She was distraught about what she had to do, and ended up confronting Joe and wanting to break ties with the ops team. However, the future of Cruz and Aaliyah is still in mystery.

Cruz's fate is also yet to be decided by the United States government, since they were never on board with killing Asmar in the first place. The terrorist also had ties to the oil industry, making the political landscape of the show more nuanced to deal with in the upcoming season.

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Audiences will be able to watch Special Ops: Lionness Season 2 releasing on Paramount+ on October 27, 2024.