Warning! This review contains SPOILERS for Countdown season 1, episode 6.Countdowncontinues to get better with each episode. As I mentioned in myCountdownepisode 5 review, the two characters on the task force with the most depth are undoubtedly Jensen Ackles' Mark Meachum and Jessica Camacho’s Amber Oliveras. I’ve enjoyed their little back-and-forth from day one, and their dynamic only seems to get more profound as the season goes on.
Episode 6 once again focuses on that blossoming relationship, and it does so by continuing something that I loved about episode 5. Last week, we got more of Meachum’s backstory when he revealed details about his upbringing to Oliveras. InCountdown’s new episode, we see the show instead explore Oliveras' backstory.
Beyond the two main members of the task force,Countdownepisode 6 sets up other interesting threads to follow. I was surprised to find out that the Belarussian Consul General would discover the rootkit the team went to great lengths to install in episode 5 so quickly. However, it helped show how he is not someone to be toyed with.
The fact thathe got the jump on Volchekwas surprising. I like how episode 6 throws Volchek off balance and allows us to see what his thought process is like when backed against a wall again. After his flashbacks in previous episodes showed how he became a killer, murdering his wife to fake his death, Countdown’s latest death was expected.
Meachum & Oliveras' Dynamic Continues To Be The Show’s Driving Force
Another Task Force Member Could Be Getting An Interesting Storyline
Before getting into Volchek’s part of the episode, I want to focus on how the task force develops this time around. As expected, Meachum and Oliveras remain the team’s characters with the most focus. Ackles' reckless action hero even outright states they are partners at this point, and it just feels right as their bond continues to deepen.
While Ackles' character admitted to dealing with headaches… he did not reveal that they were caused by a deadly brain tumor.
That is why I was both excited and frustrated by their most intimate conversation yet. At the gas station, Oliveras opened up about how she got addicted to drugs while undercover and how hard she has had to fight not to relapse since she got clean. Interestingly, she claims she has not used for a long time, and I trust her.
I loved how Oliveras got candid with Meachum. That said, I was disappointed that he did not fully pay it back. While Ackles' character admitted to dealing with headaches, for which Oliveras would get him the stronger drugs he needed at the end of the episode, he did not reveal they were caused by a deadly brain tumor.
I want to see them be fully honest with each other, but I can’t completely faultCountdownfor taking the slow-burn approach to their relationship. That happens to be one of my favorite TV tropes, and it helps enhance the bond between the characters before they finally get together. I believe Oliveras and Meachum will get there in time.
Meachum and Oliveras might have had the most development, but I also found a smaller moment involving Elliot Knight’s Keyonte Bell interesting for the show’s future. After he questions Meachum’s lead when “Gallagher” proves itself a dead end, Blythe firmly reprimands him. After his aspirations to grow professionally were spotlighted in episode 6, I wonder whether Bell could turn on them.
Countdown Episode 6 Features A Thrilling Car Chase
Mark Meachum Continues To Put Himself In Danger
Countdownhas developed quite a few exciting and creative set pieces over its six episodes so far. After last week’s hour was lighter in the action department, I enjoyed the fast-paced car chase in episode 6. Meachum was once again his apt but reckless self, jumping on the top of a trailer and then onto a moving car.
We know he is about to die, so that opens the door for the show to keep showing Meachum’s lack of concern for his own safety with every new action sequence. The car chase was thrilling and exactly the kind of sequence that I signed on for with the show. I also liked how Oliveras noticed Meachum’s death wish.
Volchek Sees The Game Turn On Him & Must Make A Move
The Villain Responds As Expected To Being Threatened
As forCountdown’s main villain, Volchek had to deal with a couple of unpleasant surprises. I feel like the Prime Video series has done a great job of building the villain as a threatening figure. That is why I found it interesting that episode 6 threw him off his game, with the Belarussian Consul General threatening him instead.
After killing his own wife, this is a man who will kill anyone for his mission.
While it was easy to predict where Volchek’s plan was going when he called every member of his team for a private talk about where they were going to scare the Belarussian Consul General, the result was still effective. Volchek has no time for traitors. After killing his own wife, this is a man who will kill anyone for his mission.
As such, Volchek shooting one of his men point-blank after finding out he was the mole was par for the course. I enjoyed how the show made me question what Meachum saw at the dance hall, given his headaches. However, I was glad that he was not off his game with the reveal that Gallagher was related to Volchek’s trucks.
Countdownepisode 6 ends with Volchek getting his house back in order and ready to make his next move. As for the task force, I hope to see Meachum be honest with Oliveras in the next few episodes. Bell’s situation is also one worth keeping an eye on, and I hope it grows, adding more depth to the rest of the team.
Countdown Season 1, Episode 6
Cast
Countdown, released in 2025, follows LAPD detective Mark Meachum as he joins a secret task force composed of undercover agents from various law enforcement branches. Following the murder of a Department of Homeland Security officer, they uncover a deep conspiracy, igniting a time-sensitive mission to protect millions.
