Taylor Sheridan‘s hit spy thriller Lioness is back with a third season, and the first reviews are in. While the Zoe Saldaña-led series’ return has sent it back up the streaming charts, critics have offered mixed reactions following Season 2’s strong reception. At the time of writing, Lioness Season 3 holds an 82% “Fresh” score based on 11 critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

ScreenRant‘s Cher Thompson was among the season’s strongest supporters, writing that “the show’s newest season could easily become its best yet.” She praised the season’s shift toward a bigger, more ambitious storyline and how it lets the cast dig into higher-stakes material.

M.N. Miller of FandomWire described the season as lean and tightly paced and wrote, “making Lioness a spectacular pressure cooker of espionage, politics, and personal sacrifice.”

CBR‘s Katie Doll had a similarly positive reaction, saying the season has “finally found the correct balance between action and grounded drama.” She pointed to the show’s willingness to slow down between set pieces, giving its characters more room to breathe.

Therese Lackson of Collider described the season as “messy and chaotic” in both good and bad ways, while noting the show is heading into new territory and experiencing some growing pains. Despite those criticisms, she ultimately gave the season a positive review.

How Lioness Season 3 compares to previous seasons

The third season currently holds an 82% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. In contrast, Season 2 earned a 90% “Fresh” score, while Season 1 holds a 54% “Rotten” rating. Although the new season scored lower than its predecessor, it still outperformed the show’s debut with critics.

Lioness Season 3 shifts the series beyond its undercover-mission premise into a larger-scale geopolitical thriller. Despite a drop in Rotten Tomatoes score, critics still praised the third season for maintaining the show’s tense action and emotional stakes.

Lioness Season 3 premiered on August 2 with its first episode, bringing back Zoe Saldaña as CIA operative Joe alongside returning stars Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Kelly, and LaMonica Garrett. Overall, the response has been positive, though it has not matched the critical acclaim of Season 2.

Lioness Season 3, Episode 1 is now streaming on Paramount+, along with previous seasons. New episodes will drop every Sunday, with the second episode releasing on August 9, 2026.