Jour Zéro

"Zero Day" started with a bang and finished with a crescendo. It was a whodunit on a national scale where just about anyone was a suspect. It was rooted in just enough realism with technology and governmental operations that "Zero Day" could really happen.

What kicked off everything was a one minute network outage. Now, you probably remember when Microsoft had their system glitch in 2024 and the chaos that it caused. Imagine a network outage on a national scale affecting every computer operated and monitored system. The devastating effects would be enormous.

Well, that's what happened in "Zero Day." From there it was a mad scramble by the U. S. government to find who the culprits were and why. As could be expected, habeas corpus was suspended and the President (played by Angela Bassett) created a Zero Day Commission headed by former President George Mullen (Robert De Niro) and imbued the commission with full state of emergency powers. Things were emotionally and politically tense. If the commission failed there would be hell to pay and national confidence in the U. S. government would take a severe hit. Those are very high stakes, but so is national security.

I loved just about every moment of it. Our vantage point as viewers was mostly from George Mullen's perspective, which put us in the driver's seat of the investigation. He made moves that doubtlessly pleased some and angered others, but positively we still wanted answers as much as he did.

Netflix.

If you're into political thrillers then Zero Day is the show for you. This limited series is headed by an all-star cast led by the legendary Robert De Niro. De Niro gives one of his better performances of his career, the man is just incapable of giving a bad performance and this is no different. He's absolutely brilliant yet again. De Niro is as big as star as there is so for him to do a tv series you know that show would have to be special. While Zero Day isn't the best show that you'll see this year, it's still a very good show that's worth every second watching it. It's going to have most of you on the edge of your seat throughout the series, especially the last couple episodes. Some of it gets a little ridiculous but it's not based off a true story, just turn your brain off and enjoy it for the political thriller it is.

Zero Day is as good as you would expect it to be with a cast this good. Everything about this series is good from the writing to the cinematography but it's the acting that really sets it apart. It's loaded with talent like Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, Connie Britton, Lizzy Caplan, Dan Stevens, Joan Allen, Angela Bassett, Clark Gregg, etc. Everyone I just named is good enough to be a lead for a good show but for them all to come together for this makes this worth watching. This miniseries is only 6 episodes so it's an easy binge and you're going to want to binge it so make sure you give yourself enough time before you start it because you won't want to stop. It has plenty of mystery and twists to keep everyone entertained. I'll be shocked if this doesn't get nominated for some awards, especially De Niro. He was fantastic in this. I definitely recommend watching this.

...and that's the long and short of it. No, it isn't a 10, and but it certainly isn't a 1/10.

There's nothing stand out about the plot, and no edge of the seat moments. As others have said, the confusion that de Niro's character suffers from is hammy, clumsy, overdone and overly-repeated... and it adds nothing to the plot. It's just an annoyance to watch.

Plemmons is ok - not one of his better roles but his portrayal is fine. As is De Niro, just fine in his role but nothing special - sometimes even a little one dimensional (though the script may be to blame for that).

Angela Bassett is woeful though, unbelievable as a sitting president. Again that may be down to the script - her character trying to push urgency with no real necessity behind it. "I'm holding a press conference in 2 days so you need results by then" is the same line used in 70's police series/ films, where the Captain shouts "You've got 48 hours or it's your badge".

It was watchable, but I managed to follow the whole thing while working at home.

Just a bit average really.

It was an enjoyable show, though the pacing lagged somewhat in the middle. However, the final episodes were engaging and held my attention much more. The series featured a well-regarded cast, good performances, and a storyline that felt plausible and important. As with most films and shows, there were moments that required some suspension of disbelief, so it wasn't flawless-but then again, what is these days? Ultimately, it delivered on its primary purpose: entertainment.

Rather than relying solely on others' opinions, I encourage you to watch it yourself. With only six episodes, it's a worthwhile experience, and you may find your own perspective on it.