Taylor Sheridan's spy thriller series "Lioness" is returning for its third season this week, marking the latest instalment of his grittier, espionage-focused counterpart to the "Yellowstone" franchise. Inspired by the real-life CIA Lioness Program, the show follows senior CIA case officer Joe McNamara, played by Zoe Saldaña, who also serves as executive producer, as she recruits and trains female operatives for high-risk undercover missions against terrorist and criminal networks.

Unlike the multi-generational family drama of "Yellowstone", "Lioness" centres on covert operatives who infiltrate dangerous organisations by embedding themselves within targets' families and inner circles, operating with no official backup if compromised. Previous seasons have featured operatives such as Marine Cruz Manuelos, who infiltrated an oil tycoon's family funding terrorism, and helicopter pilot Josie Carrillo, who targeted a cartel leader's household, with both storylines emphasising the brutal training and lasting personal toll faced by these assets.