After what feels like an eternity, M-Net’s acclaimed and award-nominated dramatic thriller Lioness is back for season 2 – and we couldn’t be more excited.
Fans and newcomers to the world of Samantha Hugo (played by Shannon Esra), her loved ones, her enemies, and some snakes in the grass can expect more twists and turns to keep them glued to their seats.
Here are 10 more reasons to tune in when the show returns this Thursday.
- That season 1 cliffhanger! What’s more dramatic than someone being shot while on the rooftop of a building? The fallout from that is going to be exciting to watch – and that’s just one storyline season 2 has in store. Can a secret that affects a family and is known by one too many people remain buried?
- The "lioness" in Samantha really comes out. Having just worked her way back into her beloved children’s lives, Sam will do anything to protect them – especially when they are in more danger than they've ever been before.
- How do things pan out for Sam’s sweet boy, Liam? The gentle giant (played by Joshua Eady) took part in a gruesome act during the season 1 finale – will he find his way back to the light or give in to darker desires?
- There are new mysteries to solve. As Shannon Esra says: “Essentially, it’s like putting a puzzle piece together that is constantly moving, and for every wrong decision we make, we make two more wrong decisions.”
- New characters join the show. In addition to returning characters from season 1, we have new faces in town – and that’s not good news for everyone. From the detective Max (played by Carl Beukes), who is like a dog with a bone, and Kevin (played by Ayden Croy), someone’s new love interest, to Thomas (played by Theo Landey), who is another character’s unhealthy new obsession, and Vera (played by Vinette Ebrahim), a cold mother trying to earn her daughter’s forgiveness, it will be interesting to see how they shake things up!
- The best action sequences yet. As Natasha Sutherland, who reprises her role as Megan, says: “Season 2 is like season 1 – but on steroids.” The storylines include revenge, kidnapping, vigilantism, and other crimes committed to cover up previous crimes.
- Dangerous liaisons. There are inappropriate relationships and tangled-up love affairs as characters fall for people they shouldn’t – sometimes with damaging consequences.
- Characters on a slippery slope. We see some showing their softer side while others fall deeper into their shadow side. As director Rolie Nikiwe says: “The objective was to push it a lot further,” adding that in season 2, Sam “goes a lot darker”.
- Powerhouse performances. Just like in the first season, the show is character-driven, meaning we’ll get to enjoy some of the country’s greatest talents as they push themselves to heights unknown. With such an incredible script to work with, could we expect any less?
- “It’s a fun mess to watch.”: Those are the words of season 2 newcomer Beukes, as we see the characters get more tangled up in webs of lies, deceit, and violence. Lives are falling apart, there are more surprises and, of course, more twists in store.
Lioness season 2 is produced by Ochre Moving Pictures. The series is available on DStv Premium on M-Net (Channel 101) every Thursday at 20:00 from 26 January 2023, as well as live-streamed on the DStv App, and is also available on DStv Catch Up after broadcast. Visit the M-Net website for exclusive show content and join the conversation on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, using #LionessSA.