Lioness is having its main character moment. Season 3 premiered on Paramount+ on Aug. 2, 2026, and it’s currently sitting at the No. 1 spot on the platform’s global charts, according to Flix Patrol. There was a two-year wait before Seasons 2 and 3 of Taylor Sheridan’s spy thriller, and judging by how fast it climbed back to the top the second it returned, it’s obvious that no one forgot just how fantastic it is. In Season 3, Zoe Saldaña’s Joe gets pulled deeper into the double life that makes the show intriguing. She runs black-ops missions overseas while trying to hold her family together back at home, with Nicole Kidman’s Kaitlyn pulling strings the whole time.
If you’re caught up and waiting on Sundays for new Lioness episodes like the rest of us, or you just finished a rewatch and need something to fill the gap between episodes, I’ve got you covered. For this list, I chose seven action thrillers that have a lot in common with Lioness. They are lightly plotted, binge-friendly, and driven by stakes that hit closer to home than a typical shootout ever could.
Why You Should Trust Me: Action thrillers and spy dramas make up a big chunk of what I cover as a writer at MovieWeb. I’ve tracked Reacher’s fight choreography as it evolved season after season, followed Jack Ryan’s four-season run from CIA analyst to acting president, and written more about Taylor Sheridan than I would care to admit. I’ve watched a lot of shows like Lioness. I chose these seven TV shows because they boast exceptional writing, great performances, and unforgettable characters.
‘The Recruit’ (2022 – 2025)
A CIA Show That Never Takes Itself Too Seriously
Watch This If: I love Lioness, but sometimes I don’t want an action thriller to emotionally destroy me. The Recruit doesn’t do that. Noah Centineo plays Owen Hendricks, a rookie CIA lawyer who is given a blackmail case on his first day. The job spirals into deeper international messes from there, and the show’s biggest strength is that it refuses to treat its hero as a competent operator. Owen improvises, panics, and talks his way out of situations that should get him killed, which gives The Recruit a comedic energy that Lioness doesn’t have. (Well, except for Joe’s team’s dynamics, which always crack me up.) Netflix canceled the show after its second season despite strong reviews. On the bright side, that means you have a complete 14-episode story to binge.
Skip This If: You want the military realism and emotional sincerity of Lioness. The Recruit has plenty of danger, but it also likes to have fun with the spy genre.
‘Black Doves’ (2024 – Present)
Keira Knightley Makes Espionage Look Very, Very Cool
Watch This If: Black Doves feels like someone threw a spy thriller, revenge story, and holiday movie into a blender and got away with it. The result is quite appetizing. Keira Knightley leads the Netflix series as Helen Webb, who spends her days as the wife of a rising British politician and her nights passing his secrets to a shadowy organization called the Black Doves. Ben Whishaw steals scenes as Sam, who joins her as an old friend and professional killer, and the chemistry between them is incredible. Since Season 1 only has six episodes, this is an easy single-sitting binge-watch. Netflix confirmed Season 2 is coming later this year after wrapping production. You can catch up now so you’re not scrambling when the new episodes arrive.
Skip This If: You need your spy TV shows to move fast from the first scene. Black Doves takes its time establishing Helen’s double life before the plot fully clicks into gear. Also, it cares about spies, assassins, and relationships more than slick action.
‘SEAL Team’ (2017 – 2024)
The Military Drama That Actually Understands the Cost of the Job
Watch This If: If the military side of Lioness is what keeps you watching, SEAL Team should be at the top of your list. David Boreanaz leads the series as Jason Hayes, the head of an elite Navy SEAL unit. However, what separates SEAL Team from most military dramas is the amount of screen time it gives to the aftermath of the high-stakes missions. PTSD, marriage strain, and the toll of repeated deployments get as much attention as the raids. While the combat feels important, so do the friendships, injuries, and sacrifices that await the team when they get home. SEAL Team ended in 2024 with all seven seasons now available to stream. It’s the biggest commitment on this list, but also the most rewarding.
Skip This If: You’re looking for a short commitment. SEAL Team has 100 episodes, so calling this a weekend binge is optimistic at best. If you’re willing to commit beyond the weekend, though, it’s one of the best military dramas on this list.
‘Bodyguard’ (2018)
Six Episodes of Pure Political Paranoia
Watch This If: Bodyguard proves I don’t need seven seasons to get completely obsessed with a thriller. It stars Richard Madden as David Budd, a war veteran assigned to protect a controversial British politician. He loathes the guy, and creator Jed Mercurio (of Line of Duty fame) mines as much tension as he can from that professional-personal collision. I became hooked after the bomb defusal sequence in the first episode. I also love how Bodyguard gets straight to the point and gives Madden’s lead enough vulnerability to make the stakes matter.
Skip This If: You’re hoping to fall in love with a show that’s actively getting more seasons. This one only has six episodes with no future in sight.
‘Tehran’ (2020 – Present)
The International Spy Thriller That Deserves More Attention
Watch This If: It’s easy for me to recommend Tehran because I watched it before Lioness premiered. However, I’m aware that it’s an overlooked thriller that deserves more recognition. Niv Sultan plays Tamar, a Mossad hacker-agent who infiltrates Tehran under a false identity, and the tension comes from watching a carefully planned operation fall apart. Hugh Laurie joined the cast of Season 3 as a South African nuclear inspector caught in Tamar’s orbit. The show earned an International Emmy for its first season, and it has kept that quality up by refusing to let Tamar become invincible. All three seasons are streaming on Apple TV now. There’s a complete arc to binge-watch before Season 4 arrives, which is already in production.
Skip This If: Tehran has subtitles for much of its runtime, which slows down your binge-watch if that’s not your thing.
‘Elite Force’ (2026)
Netflix’s New GIGN Thriller Is Built for a Quick Binge
Watch This If: If you’re already running out of familiar military thrillers, Elite Force is a perfect recent pick that I wanted to include on this list. The French Netflix series follows David Caron, a decorated commander at the French counterterrorism unit, GIGN, as he gets pulled back into active duty after an attack on his own base kills members of his team. Tomer Sisley leads the cast, and the show wastes no time getting into the action, with a full assault unfolding in its opening minutes. Director Julien Leclercq, who also made Ganglands for Netflix, choreographs every raid with the kind of hands-on authenticity that you would expect from a series made with actual GIGN cooperation. At just six episodes, Elite Force became Netflix’s most-watched show within days of its premiere, and you can realistically finish it in one sitting.
Skip This If: You want the layered character drama that makes Lioness more than a military action show. Elite Force puts its biggest emphasis on missions, suspense, and momentum.
‘The Night Agent’ (2023 – 2026)
Gabriel Basso’s Slow Rise From FBI Nobody to Global Target
Watch This If: I’ve said it enough times already, but if I could pick one show for a Lioness fan, I’d probably go with The Night Agent. Gabriel Basso plays Peter Sutherland, an FBI agent pulled into a massive conspiracy after answering a phone that rarely rings. That setup sounds simple, and I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but Netflix turned it into a surprisingly durable action franchise. The Night Agent strikes the same balance as Lioness. You get gunfights, car chases, assassinations, political conspiracies, romance, and enough twists to keep the episodes flying by. It doesn’t go as deep into military operations as Lioness, but it makes up for that with a much broader spy-thriller playground.
Skip This If: You’re not up for watching three seasons in one weekend. This is the second-biggest time commitment here after SEAL Team. That being said, The Night Agent embraces the bigger, faster, more popcorn-friendly side of the genre, and honestly, that’s what I look for in a weekend binge.
