"Special Ops: Lioness (Sheridan, 2023)" Wed Aug-16-23 12:32 PM by navajo joe
Sicario for the OANN set.
It's sleek and well-crafted rightwing fan-fiction. It's on some real ra-ra operator shit that guys who drive F-150s and Michael Bay would edge to. It's also very watchable in large part due to solid direction from folks like Hillcoat and others and the quality of the cast esp. Saldana and that it moves fast enough and is stupid enough that you just have to sit back and say "fuck it." or as characters would say in this show "fucking fuck it." Sheridan uses "fuck" in between each word in dialogue like other people use spaces.
It's also clear they poured money into this thing. The action, while generally brief is well-done and mirrors some of the tension/release from the first Sicario film. I hope other major franchise trying to do spy/special ops shit take notes from this in terms of scope/scale and execution.
Sheridan returns to his Soldaldo boogeyman of "cartels are trafficking mooslim terrorists across the borders" again. It further cements my theory that Sheridan is having the career Nic Pizzolatto would have had had season 2 of True Detective not eaten shit and derailed his career.
They're also similar in the sense that you can tell just how far the quality can fall off when left to their own devices or not paired with creative talent that can withstand their baser instincts and overcome their artistic inadequacies.
Unless this is some anthology show that I am unaware of, the fact that they had to put "Special Ops:" in front of Lioness tells you just what level of intelligence of the target audience.
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A lot of you players ain't okay.
We would have been better off with an okaycivics board instead of an okayactivist board
2. "I tapped out of Tulsa King early " In response to Reply # 1
The black driver shit took me out as soon as I came through the door. It might have gotten better.
I haven't watched any of the Yellowstone stuff but have been intrigued with 1883 and 1923. I'm looking forward to the Bass Reeves joint
The Sheridan-Industrial Complex is really something else.
I just wish he wasn't such a fucking dick. That Wind River shit he tried to pull was so fucking flagarant and his writer's strike shit really showed his colors.
But you're right he's got a lane and it's HIS lane.
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A lot of you players ain't okay.
We would have been better off with an okaycivics board instead of an okayactivist board
3. "yeah 1883 blows everything he's done out of the water " In response to Reply # 1
I was hoping 1923 was gonna bring back that magic, but it's the most frustrating show I've ever seen ever, but I'm also fully captured for the next season because I feel so invested.
I do wish Tulsa King was even a little bit as miserable and dark as 1923, but it's just goofy.
Maybe one and done is the best formula for Sheridan but I'm only basing that on 1883, even the first season of Yellowstone was spent just heaping misery on its characters. Haven't tried Lionness but I'll give it a look
10. "this shit goes hard" In response to Reply # 0
Feels like Paramount+ bungled the release of this cuz I don't hear anyone talking about what is one of the most entertaining and well-made shows I've seen in a long ass time. It's like if a CBS drama had an unlimited budget and the best actors available.
11. "I saw articles saying the 1st ep did record numbers for Pararmount+" In response to Reply # 10
Not sure if those numbers held throughout the course of the run.
I hope they get another season. But I think Paramount didn't know exactly what to do which is why the DTV-esque "Special Ops:" was added to the title.
I will say the finale felt rushed and just ended without much resolution for one of the key characters. They could have used another episode or a 10 episode season.
Also, the team never really faced any real opposition so while they is some masterful tension building in throughout the season leading up to any conflict it's over almost instantly.
But overall I really enjoy it. This is my CSI/NCIS/SWAT show
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A lot of you players ain't okay.
We would have been better off with an okaycivics board instead of an okayactivist board
His stuff lately, outside of the 1800 series, has been pretty bad. But i'll give him props for giving me my Bass Reeves mini series i've always dreamed of.
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"The world is before you and you need not take it or leave it as it was when you came in." - James Baldwin
little things. i love how they flipped the nagging wife trope, instead of a wife with a bag of groceries in the kitchen, holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder, asking when are you gonna come home, i'm raising these kids all alone, and when he comes home briefly and after they fuck, she goes through the whole spiel again... they turned that character into a brain surgeon husband, who is partially resentful and nagging but also understanding.
they still have the pissed off rebellious kid tho... i mean i really wonder if there's a requirement at this point for shows like this to include an asshole teenage daughter.
i do agree that the ending felt rushed. kinda walked away like, well that was easy.
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