This 'Lioness' Returning Original Character Is Season 4's Biggest Threat

Published Oct 21, 2026, 2:11 PM EDT

Dyah (pronounced Dee-yah) is a Senior Author at Collider, responsible for both writing and transcription duties. She joined the website in 2022 as a Resource Writer before stepping into her current role in April 2023. As a Senior Author, she writes Features and Lists covering TV, music, and movies, making her a true Jill of all trades. In addition to her writing, Dyah also serves as an interview transcriber, primarily for events such as San Diego Comic-Con, the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Sundance Film Festival.

Dyah graduated from Satya Wacana Christian University in October 2019 with a Bachelor's degree in English Literature, concentrating on Creative Writing. On March 2026, Dyah graduated with Master's degree in English Literature Studies, with a thesis on intersectionality in postcolonial-feminist studies in Asian literary works.

Born and raised between Indonesia and Singapore, Dyah is no stranger to different cultures. She now resides in the small town of Kendal with her husband and four cats, where she spends her free time cooking or cycling.

Season 3 of Lioness has officially wrapped, but the real threat is just beginning. The third installment of Taylor Sheridan’s political thriller finally puts CIA senior case officer Joe McNamara (Zoe Saldaña) through the wringer, as things quickly go from bad to worse. Over the past two seasons, Joe has always monitored every move by the officers she recruits for the notoriously off-the-books Lioness program. This time around, however, Joe finds herself on the other side of the operation when she becomes the victim of an unwanted abduction.

With her own life at stake, Joe has completely lost control of the situation and doesn’t even know the identity of the person plotting to kill her. But as the final minutes of the Season 3 finale reveal, the most dangerous enemies are often those with the strongest personal agendas — and, typically, the deepest pockets.

What Happens in the 'Lioness' Season 3 Finale?

Season 3 of Lioness follows two timelines, opening in the present with the shocking abduction of Joe McNamara (Saldaña) in broad daylight, not far from her own home. As the CIA and her team scramble to figure out who would dare kidnap a senior case officer, the agency tries to connect the attack to Joe’s past dealings with a Ukrainian double agent she had been in regular contact with. While the CIA suspects that Iran, Belarus, Russia, or Ukraine could be involved, the real twist doesn't come until the finale.

The Season 3 finale delivers arguably the show's biggest surprise yet, as viewers finally learn who's behind Joe's kidnapping. It's not a foreign enemy or a domestic cartel, but Aaliyah Amrohi (Stephanie Nur), whom audiences last saw in Season 1. Considering the carnage that happened back in Season 1, knowing that Aaliyah is behind the abduction makes the prospect of a fourth season even more complicated.

Aaliyah Amrohi Could Be 'Lioness' Most Dangerous Enemy in Season 4

As a refresher, Lioness Season 1 follows Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliveira) as she infiltrates the family of a billionaire oil tycoon who secretly funds terrorist groups. Her direct point of contact is Aaliyah, the tycoon’s daughter. Aaliyah finds solace in Cruz, eventually developing a physical attraction to her, but she is also painfully aware of the privileged yet restrictive world she was raised in. She is forced toward a marriage she doesn’t want, but she never openly love Cruz because their attraction could put her life at risk. Then Cruz kills Aaliyah’s father and fiancé under the same roof, leaving Aaliyah shocked and grieving.

Lioness Season 1 never fully explores what that trauma does to Aaliyah, but Season 3 makes it clear that it changed her completely. She once wanted to shop, party, and enjoy herself before being trapped in an unwanted marriage. Now, she's orchestrated the kidnapping of a high-level CIA agent, manipulating terrorists and hitmen from different nationalities like pawns. Given her history with Cruz, Aaliyah could be Lioness' most dangerous antagonist yet — not because she wants power, but because her agenda is deeply personal. She was betrayed by the one person she trusted, and now she has the resources to make Joe and Cruz pay.

'Lioness' Hasn't Officially Been Renewed for Season 4 (Yet)

Image via Paramount+

Although the Season 3 finale leaves plenty of questions unanswered, Paramount has yet to announce whether Lioness Season 4 is on the way. Saldaña has expressed her hopes for the show’s future in a conversation with Collider. Given the nature of the cliffhanger, she said, “If we get canceled after this positive reception, I am going to be a little vocal about it.”

Most recently, Sheridan has premiered new seasons of the Yellowstone spin-off Marshals and the mafia-inspired crime thriller Tulsa King. He is also preparing for upcoming productions, including Tulsa King Season 5, the Tulsa King spin-off Frisco King, and Landman Season 3. Given Sheridan’s track record of long-running series and Lioness’ proven success at the top of the streaming charts, a fourth season makes plenty of sense. Bringing Aaliyah back into the story could also bring Lioness full circle by officially tying back to the memorably catastrophic events of Season 1.

Lioness

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