'Lioness' Season 2 Ending Explained: Did Anyone Die? Will There Be A Season 3?

The funniest thing about the ending of Lioness season 2 is Joe’s dialogue where she heroically declared, “I observe and give advice unless one of my assets goes down.” Byron had literally ordered her to stay on the base, but she changed the rules as if she was the superior here. I understand what the showrunners were going for here, but seriously it’s not some private ranch in Montana, it’s a Middle-Eastern country with which you have weak diplomatic relations, and if anything goes south, then Joe’s heroism could start a war where more people would get killed just to justify the mess. Also, on a technical level, Joe’s lines ruined the ending of the show because she already hinted at what was going to happen in the climax. But let’s just accept all these stupid notions in the name of entertainment and propaganda. I know it’s not my place to comment on the political conflicts of a first world country, but it does make you wonder where all this is going when the elected president of the country isn’t informed about how some people like Edwin Mullins are planning to secure the “border.” I guess, it’s happening everywhere now (even in my country) where violence indeed has become an instrument to maintain peace, no matter how ugly the cost might be. So, without further ado, let’s break down everything that went in Lioness season 2’s ending.

Spoiler Alert

Pablo Carrillo Killed His Little Brother

In the previous episodes, Byron Westfield and his intelligence team found that China had developed close ties with the Mexican Cartel, Los Tigres, and on the commands of the foreign enemy, the criminal organization had been planning attacks on American soil posing a serious threat to the country’s National Security. This was the reason why Joe brought Josephina into the Special Ops: Lioness program so she could plant her as an asset to bring down her uncle, Alvaro, the head of the Los Tigres cartel. 

With the help of Josephina, Joe and her team captured her father Pablo Carrillo and brought him to America, where they gave him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Byron and Kaitlyn Meade offered to help Pablo replace his brother, meaning, they wanted Pablo to kill his brother and take over his reign, and in exchange, they wanted the cartel to cut all ties with their foreign enemies and work with the US government to eliminate their influence in Mexico. So, you see, it wasn’t something new but a proven strategy that all first world countries had been employing in middle-east to exercise their control over their affairs. Byron, in a nice way, asked Pablo to keep trafficking kids, selling drugs and arms, and killing innocent people, but just don’t do it for China. Just like they told Talibanes, to keep killing women and children, just don’t do it for Russia. I guess that’s what ugly way of “keeping the peace” really means.

With Pablo becoming the new head of The Los Tigres, I guess, he would have some role to play in the third season of Lioness, which I guess Taylor Sheridan and his writing team have already been working on, because Paramount loves this man too much.

POTUS Saved The Day

Edwin Mullins sounds all more stupid right now when you know the man just created a huge mess for everyone around by trying to become someone like George Bush, and at the end of the day, when he realized that he had sent eight special agents to die in the enemy soil, he finally decided to call in the President because he is the only person here with some actual powers. I am still not getting the logic behind not informing the President about a covert mission behind the enemy lines, but maybe Mullins, just like Joe, wanted a pat on his shoulder once they had tasted victory. Well, now, he wouldn’t, or should I say “shouldn’t.” And thank god, none of these eight soldiers died.

In Lioness season 2’s ending, an Iranian tank (armor) shot down Josephina’s apache helicopter because of which she had to make a crash landing that wounded her leg. She couldn’t move and Cruz couldn’t just pick her up and run because enemy vehicles were approaching them from all sides. It was when Joe herself decided to take other six agents to the battlefield as she believed that they would be able to extract Josephina and Cruz before the enemy soldiers reached the location, but she was wrong like always. In the end, all eight soldiers (including two Delta snipers) were surrounded and Mullins didn’t have any other option to inform the President, who was the only person who could call an air-strike and send an emergency army aid to retrieve the agents stuck in a dire situation. Some of the agents received bullet wounds while others were severely wounded, and all the credit goes to two people, Joe and Mullins.

Joe And Mullins Should Resign

If you watch the ending sequence once again, Joe didn’t actually do anything there. She just put more lives in danger. I mean, what was she really thinking? In the previous episode, Byron had literally asked to stay on the base, but she doesn’t seem like the person who understands orders or may have grown a habit of breaking them, and it would be in the best interest of the entire Lioness program if Joe just stepped down from her position in the next season. Also, I believe the President might take strict actions against Mullins for holding back such intel from him, and for executing such a controversial operation in the enemy soil. Well, Mullins was already in a mood to take the fall and I guess, he would likely resign himself.

As far as Joe is concerned, I really believe that she’s not suited for this job anymore. Being an agent of the most powerful country, you cannot let your emotions guide your way. You have to do what’s logical. And throughout season 2, Joe’s reckless decisions only suggests that it’s a good time for her to step down from her post, and spend the rest of the time with her family, who too, want her to stay at home and not put everyone’s life, including hers, in danger. In a real world scenario, Byron had suspended Joe, a long time ago, and the way she keeps coming back, only yells how illogical the show has become. Same goes for Mullins, who was feeling too proud of his achievements, and wanted to keep Chinese Ambassador Feng waiting, when in reality, he didn’t really earn a victory here. When things went south, all he did was call the President, who’s the one who saved eight lives which Mullins had put in danger because of his reckless planning.

And last but not the least, what really happened to those Chinese assets who had stolen nuclear intel from the United States? In Lioness season 2’s ending, Josephina did strike their convoy with missiles but are they really dead? They were seated in an armoured truck and we didn’t see any dead bodies right? Or did I miss something? The entire climax scene was so chaotic and rushed that I am not sure what they were trying to achieve. And if these Chinese agents are still alive, then it wouldn’t be wrong to assume that the entire mission was a failure right? Ambassador Feng had made a call to Mullins but he refused to let them keep waiting. I guess, the underlying theme of the show is how arrogance can sometimes be misunderstood as heroism, and not the other way around.

What Will Season 3 Be About?

Just like the previous two seasons, it could be assumed that the third installment of Lioness, would follow a completely new mission with the same old characters that have already been established so far. Josephina and Cruz’s relationship might develop further in season 3, and other parties, like Joe and Mullins, might have to face consequences for their actions but other than that, there’s going to be a completely different story, and let’s see which country showmakers chooses the next time around for their agents’ outing.

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