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Is Joe still in the US? ‘Lioness’ Season 3 Episode 5 ending explained as major clue emerges

Joe and her team apprehend a few Russian agents, after which she proposes an unexpected yet beneficial plan

‘Lioness’ Season 3 Episode 5 saw Operation Treasure moving forward, with Joe (played by Zoe Saldaña) and her team trying to target Russian assets. While Cruz Manuelos (played by Laysla De Oliveira) and Josephine Carrillo (Genesis Rodriguez) were tasked with seducing a software engineer at a club, Two Cups (James Jordan) went to a gentleman’s club to carry out his task. As in previous episodes, the latest installment builds toward the events that ultimately lead to Joe’s kidnapping. However, with the entire team involved in the operation, viewers are left wondering why Joe was specifically singled out and what makes her the target.

The goal of the ongoing Operation Treasure is to uncover why Joe was attacked at her home before her kidnapping. The first asset they apprehend is Cade McWeaver, whom Cruz and Josephina capture. After leading him back to his place, they leave the front door unlocked, so Joe and the rest of the team can enter and confront him. Cade eventually leads them to his handler, Mr. Lin, a contract agent for China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). Soon, Joe learns that both of them are part of a larger network. This includes a Georgetown University Professor, who sells exam answers to Mr. Lin. The goal is to blackmail students after they pass the exam and land jobs at leading tech companies.

As for Two Cups, he manages to get three Belarusian contract agents to target him. However, before they can do anything, Joe’s team, along with Kaitlyn (played by Nicole Kidman), ambushes the agents and apprehends them. While interrogating a Belarusian agent, Kyle (played by Thad Luckinbill) learns that he was a Muslim, which raises even more questions about the plot against Joe, her kidnapping, and who might be behind it. Notably, the episode also features previously caught Russian double agent Oleksandra Balakin (played by Elizaveta Neretin). Through the information she provided, Kaitlyn and her bosses learned that seven members of the House of Representatives, along with two senators, were Russian agents.

During the meeting, Joe shared that instead of arresting them, they could turn them into sources, which could be more useful. “We approach every compromised official, we present them our evidence, and we give them the option to retire in the next 24 hours, or they face prison,” said Joe. Her idea impresses the U.S. Secretary of State Edwin Mullins (played by Morgan Freeman), who agrees with the plan. Episode 5 ends with a shocking turn of events, as fans witness the untraceable private jet carrying Joe and her kidnapper landing. After being gagged, she is escorted out of the jet. As she steps down, she immediately scans her surroundings. To everyone’s surprise, she sees a Texas flag, meaning she is still on American soil and that it is not too late for a rescue operation.