‘Lioness’ Season 3 finale by Taylor Sheridan shocked Zoe Saldaña

Zoe Saldaña calls Taylor Sheridan 'such an MF' for 'Lioness' Season 3 bombshell Taylor is such a bleep bleep.

Key points

• The mission culminated with Cruz killing Aaliyah's fiancé, Ehsan, and her father, terrorist financier Asmar Ali Amrohi, on the eve of Aaliyah's wedding.
• Nicole Kidman recounts how Taylor Sheridan convinced her to join "Lioness" at the series' third season premiere in New York.
• This story discusses details from the "Lioness" Season 3 finale, now streaming on Paramount+.
• Seemingly forgotten, Aaliyah returned and was shockingly made public to be behind attempts to kidnap and torture CIA operative Joe McNamara (Zoe Saldaña).

Zoe Saldaña calls Taylor Sheridan 'such an MF' for 'Lioness' Season 3 bombshell "Taylor is such a bleep bleep. He's such an MF for this, " Saldaña tells USA TODAY of the "Lioness" Season 3 finale shocker brought by Taylor Sheridan. Spoilers ahead! Bryan Alexander USA TODAY. Nicole Kidman recalls how she joined Taylor Sheridan's 'Lioness'.

Spoiler alert! This story discusses details from the "Lioness" Season 3 finale, now streaming on Paramount+.

In practice, the biggest surprise in the Sunday, Sept. 20, Season 3 finale of "Lioness" came in the closing moments, with the stunning return of Aaliyah Amrohi (Stephanie Nur), the OG Season 1 target.

Even executive producer and star Saldaña was shocked to see Aaliyah appear in creator Taylor Sheridan's finale script during filming of the eight-episode season.

"OK, I'm just going to say one thing: Taylor is such a bleep, bleep. He's such an MF for this, " Saldaña tells USA TODAY. She was smiling, but not meaning "Master Facilitator" with the term.

"He's writing so plenty of indicates at once. He has so plenty of characters living in real time in his mind and heart. He was turning in scripts a week before we were needing to shoot them. So we discovered out in real time that was in that. I think we were shooting Episode 6 when turned in Episodes 7 and 8 with that major reveal." "All paths led to Aaliyah, " Saldaña adds. "I love it."

Onscreen, there are massive implications to Aaliyah emerging as the nefarious force behind the attempts to kidnap Joe. Season 3 has been filled with false leads, Joe having a toe removed, and multiple deaths.

When the CIA Lioness program sent Marine Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliveira) undercover to befriend her and infiltrate her family, aaliyah was Joe's first major target in Season 1. The mission culminated with Cruz killing Aaliyah's fiancé, Ehsan, and her father, terrorist financier Asmar Ali Amrohi, on the eve of Aaliyah's wedding.

"There's so much rage and hate in this woman's heart. She was betrayed on so plenty of levels. It changed her life forever, " Saldaña notes. "So it makes sense. There's a thing regarding the ghosts that residents like this have to live with since they alter the course of so numerous people's lives. You can't imagine that they're not going to come back to haunt you one day."

It's additionally telling that Aaliyah is going after Joe, the unseen architect of the Season 1 operation. Emerging from a bath in the finale, Aaliyah orders yet another kidnapping attempt, knowing Joe's team – including Cruz and Two Cups (James Jordan) – will try to come to her rescue. Even Kaitlyn Meade (Nicole Kidman), Joe's CIA supervisor, will join the fight or be a target. It is a pulpy TV drama.

"This is a smart woman that has sat with her rage and grief, and her heart is made of ash now, " Saldaña notes. "She's done her homework. She's going after the village. Taylor could have kept it small and had Aaliyah cast vengeance on Cruz. But Aaliyah has gone back to the Lioness program, and she wants to dismantle the queens. It are Kaitlyn and Joe. She's a smart antagonist." Another finale bombshell: Joe learns husband Neal has left home.

Joe's other major finale gut punch came at home, where she discovered that her husband, Neal (Dave Annable), had moved out, making good on his threat to leave as Joe's dangerous CIA life continued to consume their marriage and even endanger their family.

Meanwhile, the scenes of Joe coming home to an empty house were tough.

"There was something in the kitchen I wanted to do. I wanted to fix one of her daughter's paintings on the wall that was a little crooked, " notes Saldaña, the mother of three sons, whom she shares with husband Marco Perego-Saldaña. "Even after she's been defeated, you still go back and fix the frame that's crooked. Her family leaving is still devastating for Joe."

Still, Saldaña does not believe Joe's marriage to Neal, the oncologist who holds the family together when Joe is in action, is over.

"They are doves; they mate for life, " Saldaña notes. "Joe never turned a mission since she knew that she could always come home. She obtained complacent there. I would love for Taylor to allow Joe to explore that in Season 4. God, I hope it's not the end for them." When is 'Lioness' Season 4 coming?

Season 4 has not been officially greenlit by Paramount+, but it's just a matter of time.

"I never believe it until the lawyers are calling me, like, 'OK, you have been summoned, '" Saldaña notes. "I would love to be summoned one final time since these characters are worth it. And I hope we move fast on it."

And no, that doesn't mean that Season 4 will be the last "Lioness, " even if it looks to be an arch-season.

"I always think that the season I'm shooting is going to be the final season with Taylor, " Saldaña notes. "Whenever he feels out that he's out of runway for Joe, and inherently for Kyle, that will be the final saga. But maybe he's just getting began." Share your feedback to assist improve our site!

In short, lioness Season 3 finale by Taylor Sheridan shocked Zoe Saldaña is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.