Sumith Prasad
The first two episodes of the second season of Paramount+’s thriller series ‘Lioness,’ also known as ‘Special Ops: Lioness,’ follows the Lioness program’s next mission. Edwin Mullins, the Secretary of State, brings Byron Westfield and Kaitlyn Meade to discuss the kidnapping of Congresswoman Hernandez. The startling crime opens a window into the activities of the “Los Tigres” cartel in Mexico, which becomes the next target of Joe McNamara and her newly recruited Lioness. The episodes, titled ‘Beware the Old Soldier’ and ‘I Love My Country,’ introduce the new operative chosen for the mission and the stakes involved in the assignment! SPOILERS AHEAD.
The White House is Stunned by a Congresswoman’s Kidnapping
‘Beware the Old Soldier’ begins with the kidnapping of Congresswoman Hernandez from her house in Texas. The kidnappers kill her husband and child before taking her across the border to Mexico. Kyle McManus arrives at the crime scene and prepares for the extraction mission when Byron Westfield and Kaitlyn Meade arrive at The White House to brief Edwin Mullins. Meanwhile, Joe is spending time with her family and failing miserably at making breakfast. It doesn’t take long for her attention to turn to the news about the congresswoman’s kidnapping. Kaitlyn tells her that it is time to embark on the mission to bring the politician back.
Kaitlyn’s husband, Errol Meade, asks her to investigate the possible connections between the kidnapping and the global oil market. The financial investor has predicted unforeseen consequences in the same industry when his wife targets Asmar Ali Amrohi in the first season of the spy thriller. Amid the briefing at The White House, Byron clarifies that a random Mexican cartel won’t commit the kidnapping without the support of the nation’s federal government, which won’t turn against the United States without the pressure of its commercial partners, prominently China.
As the international links of the crime become apparent, the White House officials ask the CIA to unravel the scheme against the country with the help of the Lioness program. Kaitlyn informs Joe about the decision while the latter leaves for the Mexican border to find and bring Hernandez back to the United States from the hands of Los Tigres.
Joe Joins Cody to Bring the Congresswoman Back to Home
The extraction of Congresswoman Hernandez is not an easy mission for Joe, especially since she has to collaborate with Kyle to do it. Even though they were friends long ago, his behavior and ruthlessness have provoked her for a while. Thankfully, Cody from “The Unit” turns her attention away from the CIA officer. The “old soldier” joins her and her colleague to extract the politician. Joe pretends to be Cody’s girlfriend, and their playfulness helps them cross the border without any issues. After they arrive in Mexico, they wait for the cartel members to make a move with the congresswoman.
Joe and her team track Hernandez and ambush the cartel members when they transport the politician from the border region. After a fierce shootout, the American officers rescue the congresswoman from the kidnappers and call for air support to return to the home country. However, a group of Mexican authorities joins forces with the criminals to attack Joe and her gang. Cody asks for instructions and learns that they can escape only by driving his Suburban to a nearby river. The old soldier follows the instruction precisely, and another shootout soon ensues between them and the Mexican forces.
Even though the American authorities arrive at the place soon to protect Joe, Cody, and their team, the soldier loses one of his colleagues named Dean. He tries to come to terms with the demise while the Lioness program’s head talks to Hernandez. The congresswoman asks Joe to kill the people who murdered her husband and child. The CIA officer clarifies that she doesn’t need to bring the kidnappers to a court of law, clarifying that she will settle the score on the spot.
The Lioness Program Identifies the Next Target
‘I Love My Country,’ the second episode of the second season, begins with Joe reuniting with the Lioness program’s QRF team, which includes Bobby, Tucker, Two Cups, Randy, and Tex. Kyle introduces the Los Tigres cartel to the group. The Mexican criminal organization is led by a man named Alvaro Carillo. Alvaro has a brother named Pablo Carillo, a government officer in the United States. Even though they are siblings, the latter was separated from the former when he was a child, only to build his life on American soil. While there are no obvious connections between the two in recent years, Pablo’s highly opulent mansion begs to differ.
The CIA theorizes that the mansion was built using the money Pablo gained through his cartel connections. His daughter, Josephina Carillo, is a reputed Army pilot with over eight hundred kills. Kyle and Kaitlyn Meade introduce her as the potential recruit of the Lioness program. Joe seemingly wants to dismiss the proposition because her arrogant colleague offers it, but as her superior clarifies, Josephina is the best person for the job. As always, the leader of the program prioritizes the interests of her country and decides to recruit the pilot. The plan is to fire her from the Army after making a spectacle that will garner the attention of Alvaro Carillo, her uncle.
The CIA wants Josephina to leave for Mexico to blow off the steam. Byron Westfield and Kaitlyn are convinced that Los Tigres will employ her as the pilot for their operations, especially considering her impressive career in the Army. Joe and her team plan to neutralize the Chinese agent who pulls the strings to make the Mexican forces dance once the “Lioness” finds the threat. Edwin Mullins listens to the plan and the deadly consequences of the mission but gives the green light anyway. However, he reminds Byron that the CIA Deputy Director will be blamed for the possible failure of the mission if things go out of control.
Joe Recruits Josephina as the New Lioness
Joe leaves for Iraq to recruit Josephina as the new Lioness. Upon arrival, she is targeted by the local terrorists, only for a shootout to threaten her life again. As she struggles with the overwhelming number of adversaries, the woman she wants to meet arrives at the scene in a helicopter and kills the enemies. Joe witnesses the pilot’s capabilities firsthand and is impressed by how she tackles the predicament. However, Josephina is unhappy about the shootout and its deadly consequences. She confronts the CIA officer without realizing who the latter really is.
The confrontation surprises Joe, who clarifies that the Army base is under her control now. She tries to learn from Josephina how her father built his luxurious mansion using the meager salary he received as a government employee. When the soldier replies that she doesn’t know, the CIA officer asks her whether she loves her country. The question provokes the pilot, who replies that her track record answers the question. However, Joe keeps on asking the same question again and again, only for Josephina to break. She finally answers that she does. Joe gets the answer she seeks and asks the pilot to strip to look for tattoos.
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