It would have been so much better had Countdown split these two episodes in half throughout the season, allowing more time for this second storyline to breathe. Countdown season 1, episode 12 sees Todd a step ahead yet again, and it’s hard to see how the task force can tackle it in just one episode.
Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for Countdown season 1, episode 12.
The episode opens with the assistant to the governor being shot at a gas station in broad daylight. It’s an attack that only someone who has scoped out the place would want to do, especially as they managed to avoid their face being shown on every single camera there. On top of that, the cameras are old (and one has a dead bug on it) making it impossible to ID Todd right now.
However, there is a clip that shows Todd taking something out of the car. Yet with the laptop, phone, and more still in there, the task force has to get to work on figuring out what that item is.
Blythe wants the governor to cancel a gala in Countdown
Naturally, Blythe is focused on keeping the governor and POTUS safe considering they're the targets in this storyline of Countdown. Knowing that POTUS is going to be in Los Angeles for a gala that the governor is hosting, Blythe wants them to cancel it. They are both a target, and the task force is nowhere near close to figuring out who is planning something and what that something is.
It all backfires, though. The governor goes over Blythe’s head to his boss complaining about the recommendation. That leads to Blythe’s boss not even considering the threat is real and telling Blythe not to give any safety recommendations. Can someone please get rid of these idiots at the top of command?
Bell gets a lead to help with the case
Meanwhile, Bell gets a call from one of the cops that attended the gas station. The cop managed to see something on the security footage that nobody else did. Todd wasn’t taking something out of the car. He was putting something in it.
I’m sure we’ll see more of this cop later on, but for now, Bell needs to find out what that something is. Finau gives his friend at the yard a call to check it out. Sure enough, there is a small piece of paper in the air vent shaft in the doorwell.
The paper has Todd’s signature on it, and on the other side are some words from a poster. Thanks to some high-end AI software, they manage to get a hit on a flyer that takes them to a bar. There is no way that Todd knew that they would figure out what the flyer was connected to, right?
Never underestimate a member of the Fringe
As the task force realizes they are heading to a bar where the Fringe usually hang out, they decide to head in undercover. Oliveras pretends to be picking up cash for a drug dealer, with Bell by her side. Meanwhile, Finau and Meachum hang to the side to watch it all go down.
Of course, the bar owner thinks Oliveras and Bell are cops at first, but she’s got a knack for acting undercover. She’s not interested in the envelope that was left for any cops that showed up. However, Meachum watches the crowd and realizes that this is the opposite of Volchek. While Volchek had cameras everywhere to test the police response, Todd has none of that.
That’s when Meachum spots a man taking photos of Oliveras and Bell. He is there, and he knew the task force would show up. Meachum follows him out, but shots are fired and everyone scatters. It’s clear that Todd knew that they would show up. They are still consistently steps behind Todd, and they desperately need to figure out who he is.
The envelope? It didn’t have much. Just a piece of paper with Todd’s signature. This man is playing with them, but now knows what two of the task force look like.
Countdown airs on Wednesdays on Prime Video.
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