'Lioness' Star Elizaveta Neretin Discusses Character's Fate in Season 3 Finale

Elizaveta Neretin, who portrayed the Ukrainian double agent Oleksandra Balakin in Taylor Sheridan's series "Lioness," has shared her perspective on her character's demise in the third season finale. Neretin stated that she anticipated Oleksandra's fate, which involved being killed after being captured by American forces and subsequently recruited to aid in the rescue of Joe (Zoe Saldaña).

"I thought it was going to happen. So when he called, and he told me, I was like, 'Yeah, I get it.' I'm sad for Oleksandra and what Oleksandra represents, but I understand the choice. It does serve this. It serves to show how the whole system is. Like American or not American, the whole system and the people that work in the system. It's all sharks, you know, so it just demonstrates how people are," Neretin told Fox News Digital.

While Neretin expressed a desire for a different ending for her character, she maintained faith in Sheridan's creative direction. "I would love a different ending for her, but like I said, I understand why it had to happen," she said. "But of course I would have a good ending for her. I just wonder if being a triple agent, I think your days are numbered. I don't think you can pull that off and live to an old age unless you give up on family you have, which I don't think she would."

Neretin elaborated that Oleksandra's dedication to her country likely outweighed her concern for her own life. "The way she fights for her country, I think she cares way too much, way more about that outcome than her life. I think that she made that decision a long time ago," she added.

The actress also commented on Sheridan's unique writing and production process, noting that the cast does not receive all episodes at once. "So we don't have all the episodes right away. So that was an interesting process. Because this is my first big role, I didn't know that that's how he worked. So that part was interesting because I didn't know. And it's like, you're waiting, and it feels like Christmas every time the episode drops. You're like, Oh my God. And that's all we talk about on set the next day everybody's like, 'oh my gosh did you see this?' Yeah, people have bets going what's gonna happen."

Neretin did not challenge Sheridan's decisions, trusting his authority as the showrunner. She recalled a minor suggestion she made regarding her character's name: "I just remember he shortened Oleksandra's name a certain way, and I just suggested, I was like, 'By the way, the short version of Oleksandra in Ukrainian is Alessa.' And he was like 'yeah, that works.' I didn't challenge him, it was very interesting, like he runs the show, you know what I mean? He's the boss."

Regarding the potential for a fourth season, Nicole Kidman, who plays Kaitlyn, expressed optimism about the show's future, noting the depth of characters and plot possibilities. "There’s a lot. We’ll see where it goes, if we get to make a fourth season. It’s just so rich that there’s so many different paths that you can go down. The first season, you’re establishing everything, and the beauty of getting to do multiple seasons is that it becomes more deeper, richer, more complex. Taylor is such a strong writer that he can take things anywhere," Kidman stated.