What is Provigil in Lioness? Explaining the real life drug actually used by the military

*Warning: Spoilers ahead for Lioness season three episode six*

If you found yourself wondering what on earth Provigil is after watching Lioness season three episode six, you’re not alone. The drug gets passed around Joe’s rescue team a little too casually, but there’s a very real reason it crops up in the show. 

The latest episode of Taylor Sheridan’s Paramount+ series sees the team desperately trying to track down Joe (Zoe Saldaña), who has now been missing for six days after being kidnapped. 

While they had initially believed Russia was behind her disappearance, Kyle (Thad Luckinbill) tracks down Ukrainian double agent Oleksandra Balakin (Elizaveta Neretin), who spots that something doesn’t add up.

Oleksandra believes Joe has actually been taken by Iran, with Russian-linked operatives hired to carry out the kidnapping. More importantly, she works out that they will likely attempt to fly Joe out of the US through Texas, giving the team a rapidly closing window in which to find her.

This sends Joe and the team racing south on a plane to Houston, where Amber Whalen (Dawn Olivieri) briefs them on the mission. With another two hours and 20 minutes in the air, she tells everyone to eat and get some sleep while they still have the chance.

And, well, they basically do the opposite. Tex (Jonah Wharton) pulls out a bottle of pills, confirming that they’re “Provigil.” Tucker (LaMonica Garrett) then asks if he’s got “two to spare” and Tex hands them over.

“Anyone else want to stay awake for the next three days?” Tex asks the rest of the team, and it turns out they do so he passes them around the team. 

It’s a tiny moment that Lioness doesn’t stop to explain, but Provigil is very real – and its appearance during a military-style operation isn’t as random as it might seem.

What is Provigil?

Provigil is the brand name for modafinil, a prescription medication that acts as a stimulant. In the US, it is approved to treat excessive sleepiness associated with narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea and shift work disorder.

Although Amber jokes, “Or take amphetamines,” when the team all ask for a dose, Provigil itself isn’t an amphetamine. Modafinil has a different chemical structure and has a milder effect on brain chemistry, but it does still have stimulant-like effects and is a Schedule IV controlled substance in the US.

That explains why Tex has it on the plane. The team is heading into an urgent operation with no real idea when they’ll next be able to sleep, and modafinil promotes wakefulness and alertness, which they’re definitely going to need. 

It’s actually used by the US military

There’s something else interesting about this scene: modafinil really has been used by the US military to combat fatigue during lengthy operations. And it’s even got a nickname: “go pill”. Its use makes sense, given the drug is effective yet less addictive than amphetamines. 

In the 2000s, the US Air Force began researching modafinil as a way to combat pilot fatigue, with studies finding it significantly improved performance after prolonged periods without sleep. It was approved for some bomber missions in late 2003.

And this isn’t just a historical practice. A 2025 Air Force Special Operations Command instruction includes both modafinil and dextroamphetamine as authorised “go pills” for fatigue management during deployment operations. 

That said, their use is tightly controlled. Personnel have to be medically cleared and tested beforehand, use is voluntary and other methods of managing fatigue are supposed to be considered first.

What are FBOs?

Alongside Provigil, FBOs are also mentioned several times throughout Lioness season three episode six, as the team tries to work out how Joe’s kidnappers are planning to get her out of the country.

If you’re wondering what it means, FBO stands for Fixed Base Operator. Essentially, think of it like a private aviation alternative to a commercial airport terminal. 

If you’re catching a regular airline flight, you’d head into the main terminal, check in and go through security before boarding your plane. Private jets, meanwhile, will often operate through an FBO located elsewhere at the airport.

So, when the team talks about stopping Joe “in transit to the FBO,” they mean intercepting her before her kidnappers can get her to the airport, onto a private plane and out of the country. 

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Featured image credit: Paramount+