After a successful guest run on The Boys and a memorable cameo on Gen V, Supernatural fan favorite Jensen Ackles returns to Prime Video today, starring in a new show called Countdown. The first three episodes of the series are now available with weekly drops to follow on the service.
The show comes from Executive Producer Derek Haas who is best known for his work on Dick Wolf’s One Chicago and FBI franchises. As such, he knows how to successfully assemble a cast of characters and balance their stories with their own individual personalities. Here’s how Prime Video describes the show; KSiteTV’s review follows below.
When an officer with the Department of Homeland Security is murdered in broad daylight, LAPD detective Mark Meachum, portrayed by Ackles, is recruited to a secret task force, alongside undercover agents from all branches of law enforcement, to investigate. But the hunt for the killer soon uncovers a plot far more sinister than anyone could have imagined, kicking off a race against time to save a city of millions.
The first question many may have when seeking out a review is “Is Jensen good in it?” It’s Jensen Ackles, so you should probably know that answer by now, that he is great. While I am not in any way suggesting that Ackles lacks range, it is more like he knows the types of characters he is best for and he thrives. Mark Meachum has that scrappy, somewhat angry charm that we’ve seen from characters in Jensen’s past, and that’s perfectly suited as part of this ensemble. There’s a key difference in this case, though: The show often pairs him with Amber Oliveras, a character who calls him out on his BS and doesn’t seem impressed by that previously mentioned scrappy charm. Oliveras is played by Jessica Camacho, who is a highlight of this new show and is used so well. I found her likable on The Flash but this series is really her chance to shine, and I believe the interaction between Jensen’s Mark Meachum character as Oliveras is going to evolve and change over time. Speaking of The Flash, Violett Beane (Jessie Quick) is also a part of this cast, and of the team, I might be the most suspicious of her and all of the questions that she asks. Violett is another one of those actors who is enjoyable in every project, so I’m glad to see her here, too.
I admit, before I got into this pilot I was a little bit skeptical. Homeland Security? LAPD? After all that’s been going on here in Los Angeles these past few weeks? Fortunately, at least the first episode which I screened was fairly apolitical, and those agencies aren’t the focus so much as it is this team that Eric Dane‘s character assembles — a team that, if anything, resembles the Impossible Mission Force of Mission: Impossible. It’s a team with various different specialties made up of misfits from their respective departments, and each character adds a lot. But best of all — the series looks fantastic and uses Los Angeles locations and scenery to its fullest potential. Director Jonathan Brown makes it very clear we’re not doing “Vancouver pretending to be L.A.” here.
Once you’re in, you’re invested, and you’ll also discover why the name Countdown is so perfect for the show, because it does involve multiple deadlines – one that is more personal, and another that could kill millions. A question I am left after watching, though, is “what are they counting down to?”
Ultimately, Countdown is the kind of show that I wish wider broadcast audiences could see, because it’s so good, but broadcast TV doesn’t often get to look as expensive and high production value as this. With three episodes out today, though, you can see why I liked the premiere so much.
