Countdown season 1, episode 10 recap: Will Meachum get his second opinion?

Meachum has a chance to put his life first in Countdown.
Mark Meachum (Jensen Ackles) in COUNTDOWN Photo: ELIZABETH MORRIS © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC
Mark Meachum (Jensen Ackles) in COUNTDOWN Photo: ELIZABETH MORRIS © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

The task force gets a chance to close in on their big enemy, as Meachum considers a second opinion. There’s everything happening in Countdown season 1, episode 10.

Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for Countdown season 1, episode 10.

At the end of Countdown season 1, episode 9, it looked like the task force may be just too late. As Finau acted once he saw his wife and children in the area, Meachum locked eyes with Volchek. Of course, Volchek knew he had to pull the trigger on his plan, and he hit the button to set off the bombs.

Countdown - 106
Bogdan Yasinski in COUNTDOWN Photo: ELIZABETH MORRIS © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

What happened after Volchek hit the button in Countdown season 1, episode 10?

Before we went back to Volchek, we started with Shepherd and Bell in their two vans. Shepherd decided that the only option was to pull the tablets from the bomb setup, and hopefully, that would stop the remove detonation.

It works! Volchek hits his button, only for it not to do anything. With that, he ran off, with Meachum and Oliveras in close pursuit. Meanwhile, Finau went to his family to get them out of the area. As Meachum and Oliveras took on Volchek, Finau came face-to-face with the right-hand man, killing him in front of his wife and children.

Meachum and Oliveras chased Volchek to a rooftop, where Volchek started firing at the gas tanks of the trucks in an attempt to blow up the nuclear bombs. Despite his headaches, Meachum is able to shoot Volchek in the head. It’s not a clean shot, but it’s enough to kill Volchek and save the day.

Countdown - 104
Mark Meachum (Jensen Ackles), Amber Oliveras (Jessica Camacho), Keyonte Bell (Elliot Knight), Evan Shepherd (Violett Beane), Luke Finau (Uli Latukefu), and Nathan Blythe (Eric Dane) in COUNTDOWN Photo: ELIZABETH MORRIS © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

What’s next for the task force?

This certainly felt like a Countdown season finale rather than us having three episodes left to the season. With Volchek handled and Los Angeles saved, the task force is disbanded. It means everyone is heading back to their normal lives, and we get to see Blythe head home to his wife and son. Yes, he has a family, and I love that they understand his job, but also that he didn’t let his personal life affect his professional one.

We learn that Shepherd is off to DC to use her tech skills, but her sister is staying in Los Angeles. Bell, who is also staying in LA, will keep an eye on her.

Of course, Finau is staying in LA, and his time away from the office has led to him losing his desk in the bullpen. That’s okay, though; he’s getting his own office as he’s promoted to sergeant.

As for Meachum, Oliveras talks him into the second opinion, where Julio shares that Meachum would make the perfect candidate for a clinical trial. While there are no guarantees, doing nothing with the tumor is sure to kill him. So, Meachum opts for the clinical trial, although he doesn’t seem all that convinced. Will he skip out at the last minute?

It does seem like he might, but in the end, he decides to fight for his life. As he walks into the hospital, Oliveras has gathered the whole task force together, showing just how much of a weird family they became during their months working together.

Countdown - 109
Keyonte Bell (Elliot Knight), Amber Oliveras (Jessica Camacho), Luke Finau (Uli Latukefu), and Mark Meachum (Jensen Ackles) in COUNTDOWN Photo: ELIZABETH MORRIS © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

The real mole is found

I did wonder if Meachum had called in the tip a few episodes earlier due to the way he looked at Volchek’s right-hand man, but it did seem odd that he would do something like that. Countdown finally reveals who did it, and I’m not all that surprised.

It was the DA after all. It’s no wonder he wanted to get into the task force so much, and Blythe was right to keep him out. Bell did some digging, finding out that he had made some transactions from his not-so-secret accounts in the Cayman Islands that linked to Volchek. And with that, the FBI is able to arrest him.

We’re sure to have another problem person on the inside of law enforcement for the rest of the season.

Countdown
Amber Oliveras (Jessica Camacho) and Mark Meachum (Jensen Ackles) in COUNTDOWN Photo: ELIZABETH MORRIS © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

10 months later and a new case on Countdown

As I said, it felt like a season finale, but there are three episodes left. It made it clear that there had to be another threat that would pull the task force together, and sure enough, we get to know what that is.

We cut to “10 months later” and a young Secret Service agent called Fitz ends up with a case of his career. He does a lot of the grunt work, weeding out the credible threats from the absolutely crazy ones. He comes across one that definitely has something. It’s a call from a housekeeper from a vacation cabin place, but the call cuts off abruptly with what sounds like a thud of something.

Fitz decides to check it out, and part of me wishes that he got someone to come along as backup. Of course, it was a credible threat, and yes, there is a risk that someone is going to jump out on him. When he gets to the cabin, he finds the housekeeper dead, and there is a book full of drawings and ciphers hidden in the back of a drawer.

This leads to the task force getting back together, including Meachum. He has been cleared for duty, and he’s able to work with the team. The only one not back is Oliveras, who is apparently needed on a DEA case for now.

As they head out to the cabin, they find a hidden tunnel behind the fireplace. Sure enough, there’s something big going on. Someone was target practicing down there, and they hit the bullseye every single time. Fitz definitely found a credible threat.

Countdown airs on Wednesdays on Prime Video.

Stay up to date with the latest TV crime dramas with Precinct TV.


Get more news from Precinct TV: