Zoe Saldaña's character, CIA officer Joe McNamara, has been abducted and subjected to torture in the third season of the Paramount+ series Lioness. Actor Ian Bohen, who portrays Delta Force operator Grady, suggests that the character's suffering will only intensify as the narrative unfolds.
The Chinese water torture of Joe McNamara
In the third episode of Lioness season 3, the narrative takes a sharp turn toward the visceral when Joe McNamara is captured and subjected to Chinese water torture. According to the report, this specific plot point has already sparked some controversy due to its intensity, signaling a shift in the show's approach to violence and psychological distress.
This abduction strips Joe McNamara of the operational control she typically wields as a high-ranking CIA officer. By placing a character known for her strength and strategic brilliance in a position of total helplessness,creator Taylor Sheridan is forcing the audience to engage with the character's vulnerability in a way previously unseen in the series.
Ian Bohen's warning of a 'barbaric' escalation
During an interview with ScreenRant's Liam Crowley, actor Ian Bohen warned that the captivity of Joe McNamara is designed to be "increasingly more barbaric" and "skin-crawling." Bohen emphasized that the captors in the story are patient, taking a sadistic delight in the time they have to torment the CIA officer.
As reported by the source, Bohen believes the audience's reaction will be one of visceral discomfort. The actor's comments suggest that the show is not looking for a quick resolution to the cliffhanger, but rather intends to draw out the psychological and physical toll of the imprisonment to maximize the emotional impact on the viewers.
Five episodes remaining to resolve the cliffhanger
With Lioness season 3 consisting of eight episodes in total, there are five installments remaining following the events of episode 3. This timeline suggests that the captivity of Joe McNamara could occupy a significant portion of the season's second half, rather than being a brief detour in the plot.
The pacing of this storyline is critical, as the show must balance the brutality of the captivity with the broader espionage plot. given that the season premiere already broke viewership records, Paramount+ has a massive audience invested in whether the CIA's top operative can survive an ordeal that Bohen describes as "just awful."
Stripping the power from a Taylor Sheridan protagonist
The current trajectory of Lioness echoes a broader trend in modern prestige dramas where the "invincible" protagonist is systematically broken down. By removing Joe McNamara's agency, Taylor Sheridan is moving the show away from a standard procedural espionage thriller and toward a character study on endurance and trauma.
This shift mirrors the high-stakes storytelling found in other Sheridan projects, where the environment often becomes the primary antagonist. for the readers and viewers of Lioness, the stake is no longer just the success of the mission, but the fundamental survival of the show's central pillar.
Will the premium streaming format lead to a tragedy?
A significant point of uncertainty remains regarding whether Joe McNamara will actually survive her ordeal. Ian Bohen explicitly noted that because Lioness is a premium streaming show, it "doesn't have to have a happy ending" and could potentially end in tragedy.
While Bohen did not confirm the death of Zoe Saldaña's character, his refusal to guarantee a positive outcome raises the stakes. It remains unclear if the show will opt for a traditional rescue arc or if it will take the risk of killing off its lead character to maintain the "barbaric" realism Bohen described.
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