Special Ops: Lioness is a spy thriller that is created by Taylor Sheridan and has two seasons till now. It premiered in 2023 and focuses on the leader of undercover CIA operations on the war on terror and how female operatives are enlisted in the force and termed Lionesses. The show is action-packed, gritty, and immensely entertaining. It explores the world of political intrigue, espionage, and secret undercover missions. Featuring Zoe Saldana, Jill Wagner, Nicole Kidman, and others, the show has gained positive reviews and presents a female-dominated cast. Viewers who loved Special Ops: Lioness can check out the list below for 10 similar shows.
Homeland, Berlin Station, and other shows like Special Ops: Lioness
1. Alex Rider

Based on the novel series of the same name by Anthony Horowitz, this British spy thriller is created by Guy Burtt and stars Otto Farrant, Stephen Dillane, and others. The show focuses on Alex (Farrant), who is a teenage spy and is recruited by a subdivision of the MI6 to infiltrate a controversial corrective academy. The show has three seasons and aired from 2020 to 2024. Like Special Ops: Lioness, the show delivers a lot of exciting thrills and covers the world of undercover secret missions and global conspiracies. The series is a must-watch as it has received positive reviews for its performances and cinematography. The show is stylish and targets a younger audience. Like Special Ops: Lioness, the show balances adrenaline-pumping action with well-developed character arcs. Both the shows choose to focus on women and teenage spies instead of the typical male leads.
2. Homeland

Created by Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon, this espionage thriller is based on an Israeli series by Gideon Raff. Starring Claire Danes, Damian Lewis, and others, the show focuses on Carrie (Danes), who is a CIA officer with bipolar disorder. The show’s premise focuses on Carrie being convinced that a revered Marine Corps scout sniper Nicholas (Lewis), has become loyal to al-Qaeda and is therefore a threat to the US. The show has eight seasons and aired from 2011 to 2020. The show was immensely successful and won a lot of critical praise. It also won several awards. Like Special Ops: Lioness, the show has a strong female protagonist in the lead who must also battle her personal problems while achieving her mission. Both shows are from the same genre and explore the secretive and tense world of espionage, spies, and the CIA. Like Special Ops: Lioness, the show also explores the psychological toll that such heavy missions have on a person and explores the hazy line between devotion and betrayal.
3. Deep State

Starring Mark Strong, Walton Goggins, and others, this British espionage thriller series is created by Simon Maxwell and Matthew Parkhill. The show has two seasons and aired from 2018 to 2019. Even though it is a short-lived series, it offers the same excitement and thrills as Special Ops: Lioness. The series focuses on Max (Strong), who is a former field agent for MI6 and is recruited back into the world of undercover missions. In the second season, it is Walton Goggins, who plays an ex-CIA operative who gets embroiled in a political crisis in Mali. Like Special Ops: Lioness, the show covers the world of power struggles, political intrigue, and dark secrets. Both shows feature protagonists that have to navigate secret operations and international politics. The show also focuses on the personal troubles of the main lead like Special Ops: Lioness and has themes of corruption and treachery.
4. The Recruit

Created by Alexi Hawley and starring Noah Centineo, Laura Haddock, and others, this spy adventure series has two seasons and aired from 2022 to 2025. The show focuses on Owen (Centineo), who is a newly-recruited CIA lawyer and finds himself getting embroiled in a dangerous international conflict after an asset, Max, threatens extortion if she is not freed from prison. Further, her long-term relationship with the CIA is uncovered and Owen finds himself in the middle of international politics. Like Joe in Special Ops: Lioness, this show is also about a CIA recruit. The show is charming and has plenty of action, drama, thrills, and intrigue, which makes it a perfect watch for all those who loved Special Ops: Lioness. While Lioness has a more gritty and serious tone, the Centineo starrer adopts a more charming and lighthearted approach. However, both shows have intense moments and explore the world of the CIA.
5. Hanna

Based on the 2011 movie of the same name, this action and drama series is created by David Farr and features Esme Creed-Miles, Mireille Enos, and Joel Kinnaman. The show has three seasons and aired from 2019 to 2021. The show is about a 15-year-old girl Hanna (Creed-Miles), who lives with a man called Erik in an isolated forest in Poland. However, the show uncovers the backstory of Hanna. Her father figure Erik, had recruited pregnant women in a CIA program called the UTRAX, where the children’s DNA was enhanced in order to create super-soldiers. However, Erik falls in love with Hanna’s mother and he rescues Hanna and flees. However, the CIA has now ordered an agent called Marissa, to shut down the project and kill all the babies. Like Special Ops: Lioness, the show also deals with the challenges that a female operative of the CIA has to face. Both shows focus on women and uncover the dark world of the CIA. The series offers the same level of tense atmosphere and tautness as Special Ops: Lioness and is character-focused and stealthy.
6. Killing Eve

Starring Sandra Oh, Jodie Comer, and others, this British spy thriller is based on the Villanelle novel series by Luke Jennings. The show is extremely stylish and each season of the show was helmed by a different female head writer. The show has four seasons and aired from 2018 to 2022. The show focuses on Eve (Oh), who is a bored MI5 analyst and yearns for a thrilling adventure in her life. However, her life turns upside down when she comes across an international assassin called Villanelle (Comer). Both women become obsessed with each other and a cat-and-mouse chase soon begins. The show has received positive reviews, especially for Oh and Comer’s performances. Like Special Ops: Lioness, the show places a strong focus on women and their complicated lives. While the women in Special Ops: Lioness are bound by duty, the women in the British spy thriller are morally ambiguous. Both shows are a thrilling must-watch.
7. Jack Ryan

Based on the character created by Tom Clancy, this political and action thriller is created by Carlton Ruse and Graham Roland and features John Krasinski, Abbie Cornish, and others. The show has four seasons and aired from 2018 to 2023. Like Special Ops: Lioness, the show has a lot of twists and turns and features incredible action and dangerous missions. The first season revolves around the CIA analyst Jack (Krasinski), who must leave his desk job and get in the field to uncover an extremist organization. Each season focuses on Jack being thrust into a different mission. It is the perfect watch for all those who loved Special Ops: Lioness as it features the world of espionage and focuses on a Marine battling it out against terrorism. Further, both shows have the actor Michael Kelly in them. The Tom Clancy show was a massive success and is the perfect watch after Special Ops: Lioness.
8. Berlin Station

Created by Olen Steinhauer and starring Richard Armitage, Keke Palmer, and others, this drama series has three seasons and aired from 2016 to 2019. The show focuses on Daniel Miller (Armitage), who has just started working at the CIA branch in Berlin. In the first season, he must find out the source of a leak that has supplied sensitive information to a famous whistleblower. The show has themes of deception, moral dilemmas and like Special Ops: Lioness, it is gritty and fast-paced. Both shows are action-packed and delve into the personal and professional lives of the CIA operatives. The Richard Armitage starrer is high-stakes drama and explores the world of espionage, betrayal, and secrets, which is similar to Special Ops: Lioness. Therefore, viewers who loved Lioness can also watch the other show as both series are well-loved and offer a similar atmosphere.
9. Six

Starring Barry Sloane, Walton Goggins, Kyle Schmid, and others, this military drama series is created by William Broyles and David Broyles. The show has two seasons and aired from 2017 to 2018. While the series remained short-lived, it earned a positive reception from critics and viewers and is the perfect watch after Special Ops: Lioness. The series focuses on the daily lives of a group of operators who are a part of the US Naval Special Warfare Development Group and are commonly known as SEAL Team Six. It is an elite US Armed Forces counter-terrorism unit and like Special Ops: Lioness therefore, the show’s main focus is on terrorism. Both shows are gritty and action-packed and have engaging character arcs. The Broyles’ show focuses on the unit engaging in a covert mission to eliminate a Taliban leader in Afghanistan. The show has been praised for its well-staged action scenes and is therefore a must-watch.
10. The Terminal List

Created by David DiGilo and based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Jack Carr, this action and thriller series has one season and premiered in 2022. As the show has only one season, it is the perfect watch for all those who loved Special Ops: Lioness and can be quickly watched and finished. The series was well-loved by fans and critics and features Chris Pratt as James Reece, who is a Lieutenant Commander of a US Navy SEAL. After his platoon gets ambushed in a covert operation, James returns home to his family and begins to be haunted by the event. However, he soon learns that enemy forces are out to get him and he must save himself and his loved ones. Like Special Ops: Lioness, the show has twists and turns and gritty action sequences. Both shows have a protagonist that has to undergo hardcore training and therefore both series are similar and formidable.