Now that Taylor Sheridan has won the TV Western revival with “Yellowstone” and its universe of prequels, he’s pivoting to the Middle East. “Special Ops: Lioness” is a female-driven contemporary espionage thriller where the white hats are CIA special forces, and the black hats are Middle Eastern terrorists. Helicopters and heavy artillery have replaced horses and shotguns.
Setting aside Sheridan’s recent inexplicable Emmy nomination snubs, the multi-hyphenate can tell an engrossing story that entwines flat-out action and interpersonal drama. Here, as showrunner and sole writer, he’s created an eight-part series that recalls movies like Kathryn Bigelow’s breathless yet intimate “Zero Dark Thirty” and “The Hurt Locker.”