Taylor Sheridan’s Midas touch has once again come to the fore as the second season of Lioness has landed a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, almost double that of the first season. While Sheridan has become known as the mastermind behind the Yellowstone franchise, the Zoe Saldaña-led Paramount+ series has cast aside previous weak reviews to join Yellowstone as a piece of must-watch TV.
In an exact mirror of Sheridan’s Yellowstone, Lioness has shaken off the mixed response of its debut season, which was hindered by a predictable plot and slow pacing despite its strong cast. The return of the series has turned things around dramatically, with its critics’ reviews being unanimous in praising the show in a complete reversal to their original opinions. This includes a marked improvement in character development, and a good balance between action and emotion.
The praise for Lioness could not come at a better time for Sheridan. The second season of Sylvester Stallone-led crime drama Tulsa King has been sitting atop Paramount+’s TV chart since its release last month, and Yellowstone Season 5b is about to bring the flagship series to its reported close. With Lioness now roaring on its own merits, Sheridan’s dominance of Paramount’s streaming service seems guaranteed in the future.
Lioness Season 2 Sets Another High Bar for Taylor Sheridan
While Sheridan’s style of storytelling has already been cemented thanks to the century-spanning Yellowstone franchise, which has included several popular spin-offs such as 1883, 1923, and the upcoming The Madison, the high levels of praise now being enjoyed by Lioness is just another reminder of Sheridan’s standing as a great American storyteller.
Lioness proved to be a ratings winner in its first season, and despite the middling 56% approval rating from critics, audiences were much more appreciative and scored it a strong 80%. While the show’s critics’ score has taken a huge leap for Season 2, the audience score has remained quite consistent at 84%. With only a few critics choosing to rate the series this time around, there is an argument that only those who liked what they saw the first time around have come back for seconds.
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Either way, the important thing is that audiences are clearly invested in Lioness in the same way they have taken to all of Sheridan’s offerings. While there seems to be more and more shows coming out with the prolific creator’s name attached to them, as long as the quality remains as high as it has been, and his audience remains loyal, it is clear that Paramount is willing to continue backing one of their most powerful contributors. With Lioness now finding its feet with its new season, there is every chance that Zoe Saldaña’s Joe and her team will be taking on plenty more missions in the future.
- Release Date
- July 23, 2023
- Seasons
- 1
- Story By
- Taylor Sheridan, Jill Wagner
- Streaming Service(s)
- Paramount+
- Directors
- Anthony Byrne , Paul Cameron