At the end of the first episode of Lioness season 2, Joe, Kaitlyn, and Byron knew one thing for sure: the Mexican government or the cartel operating in the region had Chinese support, as without that they couldn’t have kidnapped a Congressman and killed her family on US soil. In episode 2, Joe got reunited with Bobby and her other team members. Kyle, Cody, and others also came to the base camp to discuss the plan and understand what was their best course of action. So, let’s recap the major events of Lioness episode 2 to see if Joe was able to find a “Lioness” for her mission.
Spoiler Alert
What did Kate want from Joe?
Joe went back to her family in Lioness season 2 episode 2 to meet them for one last time before leaving for her mission. She knew that the mission was going to be excruciatingly tough on her, physically and mentally, and that she wouldn’t be in touch with her loved ones. Kate confronted her mother and told her that she had seen her on TV. Joe tried denying any sort of involvement in the Congresswoman’s rescue mission, but then she eventually gave in. Kate asked Joe why she chose such a profession when she knew the risks that came with it. Joe told her daughter that her grandfather came to the US from the Dominican Republic, and a couple of days after the Pearl Harbor incident, he enlisted in the army. He felt indebted to the country, and he wanted to do something to show the kind of gratitude he felt. Joe told her daughter that she was doing the exact same thing. Kate still wanted her mother to change her job, and Joe promised her that she would think about it. Before leaving, Joe asked her husband to stop watching the TV, as she knew that whatever she was going to do would become national news. She wanted her family to not think about her and live each day to the fullest.
What was Kyle’s plan?
Kyle, after doing his research, had found out that there were four major cartels operating in Mexico, i.e., the Sonoran cartel, the Tijuana cartel, the Nuevo Cartel, and the Los Tigres Cartel, that controlled specific regions there. Out of these four cartels, the Los Tigres had close ties with the Chinese, primarily because of the control they had over the oil pipelines in the region. The leader of the Los Tigres Cartel was a man named Alvarro Carrrillo. Alvarro had a brother named Pablo Carrillo, who worked as an immigration attorney in the US. Now, Pablo lived in a million-dollar mansion, and Kyle found it quite odd that a man working as an immigration attorney could afford such a swanky lifestyle. Obviously, Pablo was in touch with his brother, though Kyle didn’t know in what capacity. Kyle speculated that maybe Pablo’s humble abode was the base of ‘Los Tigres’ activities in the US, or maybe Pablo just helped his brother launder money. Whatever it was, Pablo was well aware of his brother’s activities, and that was enough for Kyle and his team to use him as an asset for their mission. Pablo had a daughter named Josephina Carrillo, who was a pilot in the US Army and was currently serving in Northern Iraq. Kyle knew that Joe didn’t like somebody else recruiting a Lioness for her, but he told her that, according to him, Josephina was the best candidate for the job. Joe knew that Kyle was right, but the problem was that she was stationed in Iraq, and everybody on the team just hated the idea of going there to meet her. Also, it was a huge task to convince Mullins that the plan could be executed, as Kaitlyn and Joe both knew the kind of complications that could arise.
Did Mullins give a green signal for the plan?
Kaitlyn and Byron went to meet Mullins and his team. They told her about Josephina and how she was related to the Los Tigres leader. They told him that because she was a family member, she would get access to Alvarro’s mansion like nobody would. But the problem was that for the plan to work and seem authentic, Josephina had to be dishonorably discharged from her services. Kaitlyn told Mullins that it was important for the cartel to feel that one of their own had been humiliated by the US army. Kaitlyn and Byron told Mullins that there was a huge possibility that the cartel would use her services after that. The Mexican cartel needed someone to fly their own people to the US, and there was no better candidate than Josephina, who flew Apache for the US army, for the job. Another problem was that Josephina was not a trained Lioness, and Joe and her team didn’t have time on their hands to teach her anything. Kaitlyn told Mullins that that was the risk they would have to take if they wanted to take advantage of the situation. Mullins and his team thought for a moment, and then they gave the green signal for the mission. The family of a Congresswoman had been killed on US soil, and the authorities were not ready to overlook that act. They wanted to hit back really hard and make the perpetrators understand who they were dealing with. Kaitlyn, as soon as her meeting was over, communicated everything to Joe, who had already reached Iraq till then.
Will Josephine agree to be the Lioness?
Joe and Josephina met at the end of episode 2 in the most unlikely fashion. Joe and her teammates were ambushed by the local terrorist group on the way, and they got stuck in a difficult situation. Josephina came flying her Apache helicopter and saved the day. Josephina was livid. Her own people had died, and she blamed Joe for everything, not knowing who she was or what her purpose of the visit was. Joe and Josephine had a heated argument and engaged in a fistfight. Finally, the leader of the base camp had to intervene and stop them. Joe called Josephina to her office and asked her what she knew about her uncle. Josephina told Joe that she didn’t have an uncle, though it was hard for the latter to believe her narrative. Joe showed Josephina her house and asked her how her father was able to afford it. Josephina was scared, and she didn’t know what to do or how to get out of that office. Josephina didn’t want to be a lioness. She had heard stories about that unit, and she knew the risks that came with it. Josephina was put in a difficult spot where Joe asked her if she loved her country. Josephina knew the outcome of saying yes. She knew what she would have to endure if she joined the Lioness program. Josephina didn’t say yes explicitly, but I believe that her silence was enough for Joe to know that she was on board. Josephina knew deep down that her life was going to be turned upside down. I believe this time around, Joe will make sure that she doesn’t commit the same mistake she did with Cruz in season 1. In the subsequent episodes of Lioness season 2, we will get to know if Joe and Josephina are able to mend their bond and recover from the bad start they had.
