TV Show review
July 23, 2023 · TV-MA · Returning Series
Woke Score
Lower is better
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Lioness.
Woke representation / casting
Female leads and operatives are central by the show’s premise and match the real historical program; cast diversity fits natural military and CIA demographics with no evident quotas or swaps; one same-sex romance subplot appears in Season 1 as a mission tool that develops feelings.
Woke political dialogue
Season 2 contains brief skeptical comments on transgender issues, non-binary language, and media bias delivered by characters; these read as pushback rather than promotion of identity politics, with no extended activist speeches.
Identity-driven story themes
The Season 1 undercover romance between two women drives personal conflict and mission tension for one character; broader narrative stays focused on counter-terror operations, duty, family strain, and geopolitical threats rather than identity or representation as core drivers.
Western institutional / cultural critique
The series shows moral costs of intelligence work, family damage from high-pressure jobs, and some cynicism toward media and bureaucracy; it ultimately supports U.S. efforts against terrorism without framing Western institutions, masculinity, or traditions as inherently toxic or oppressive.
Review
Lioness is a Paramount+ spy thriller created by Taylor Sheridan. It follows CIA station chief Joe and her team of female undercover operatives, recruited mainly from the Marines, as they infiltrate terrorist networks and high-value targets to stop attacks. The premise draws from a real U.S. military program that used female service members for cultural access in conflict zones. Season 1 centers on one operative’s undercover romance with a target’s daughter that turns personal, while Season 2 shifts to cartel threats with Chinese ties and includes occasional pointed comments on media and gender topics. No dominant identity-driven messaging or DEI-style lectures appear in the core story or marketing.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Some left-leaning reviews attacked the show as jingoistic or insufficiently feminist; right-leaning viewers largely defended it as refreshingly direct and non-woke; specific complaints about queerness or political asides remained limited and fringe.
Creator track record context
Taylor Sheridan’s public statements and body of work show consistent pushback against woke trends in favor of traditional storytelling; other key crew members have no recorded activist or identity-focused patterns.
Production
