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[Warning: The below contains Major spoilers for Countdown Season 1 Episode 6, “A Needle or a Bullet.”] Danill (Nikolay Moss) learns the perils of betraying Volchek (Bogdan Yasinski) in the latest episode of Countdown. After Astapov (Pasha D. Lychnikoff) tells Volchek that with the Americans closing in on him and asking questions, Belarus would rather not antagonize their host country. Therefore, he says, Volchek should return to Minsk, where he will be welcomed back. Volchek handles that “suggestion” by planning to strike Astapov during one of his routine stops. However, when the time comes, Astapov isn’t where he’s supposed to be. Volchek gathers his men and explains that he planned to pick up Astapov and show him he’s not untouchable. He’d been wondering how Astapov knew where he was going to be to initially find him and realized he was betrayed. And so he told each person he was going to grab Astapov at a different place, so ...

Detective Mark Meachum’s (Jensen Ackles) file noted his cowboy behavior, and it looks like we’re getting a taste of that in TV Insider’s exclusive sneak peek at Countdown Season 1 Episode 6, which will begin streaming on Prime Video on Wednesday, July 16. In the clip, Meachum’s in a trailer attached to the truck that the task force’s suspect is driving, and DEA Agent Amber Oliveras (Jessica Camacho) is following them. He gives her a thumbs up before climbing up on top of the trailer as she watches, worried — especially when their suspect swerves during the chase and Meachum loses his footing. Watch the full sneak peek above for more, including the next risky move Meachum makes and the driver’s reaction. In “A Needle or a Bullet,” the team follows a new lead out to the California desert, where their suspect isn’t going down without a fight.

In Countdown episode 5, Blurred Edges, the layers of Volchek’s master plan begin to peel back, and it’s not just about assassinations or chaos. Volchek’s got a past in agricultural exports, and that’s the real key here. What he’s trying to pull off is far bigger than anyone on the task force initially imagined. His goal is to hit the U.S. where it hurts most – its food supply.

He’s planning a catastrophe – something on the scale of a Chernobyl-level disaster – to cripple America’s agricultural output. Once the crops are wiped out, the U.S. will have no choice but to turn to foreign suppliers. And that’s when Volchek makes his move. Using international proxies and hidden allies, he’ll control the food supply chain and sell it back at sky-high prices, making billions while holding a starving nation hostage.

Let’s break...

[Warning: The below contains Major spoilers for Countdown Season 1 Episode 5 “Blurred Edges.”] In Countdown‘s present, the task force is trying to stop Volchek (Bogdan Yasinski) and the major threat he poses to Los Angeles. In the Wednesday, July 9, episode, flashbacks to 2018 and 2019 reveal just how dedicated he is to his cause. First, he figures out how to get another man to withdraw a bid for a partnership he wanted, but then he learns that his embezzlement has been discovered. As a result, he must flee Belarus in 2019 … and he does so by faking his own death. But also on the plane he blows up to do so is his wife, waiting for him. Below, Bogdan Yasinski unpacks Volchek’s shocking move, shares his impression of the “enigma” that is Meachum (Jensen Ackles) so far, and more. In faking his own death, Volchek kills his wife. Was she just collateral damage? What went into that decision for him? Bogdan Yasinski: ...

[This story contains spoilers from the fourth episode of Countdown, “Bite ‘Em Down.”]

When Countdown returned after its three-episode premiere week, the task force made up of different law enforcement agencies suffered its first casualty with the shooting death of Department of Homeland Security Officer Damon Drew (Jonathan Togo).

As the group closed down on the sleeper cell terrorist and bomb maker Boris Volchek (Bogdan Yasinski) in the third episode of the new Prime Video series, LAPD Detective Mark Meachum (played by star Jensen Ackles) was led to the hideout where his uncle, Mikhail (Daniel Chernish), was harboring Volchek. Meachum called in reinforcements while snooping around the property and was caught by Volchek, who ordered Mikhail to take Meachum out to the back and shoot him. The rest of the unit arrived just in time, but a shootout occurred at the end of the hour and Damon was hit. Viewers found out in the beginning of the July 2 fourth episode that Damon died in the ambulance,...

[Warning: The below contains Major spoilers for Countdown Season 1 Episode 4 “Bite ‘Em Down.”] Already on Countdown, Shepherd’s (Violett Beane) computer skills are proving vital to the task force’s investigation into a major threat to Los Angeles. But in the most recent episode — which saw the team suffer a major loss, with Drew’s (Jonathan Togo) death — we saw a different side of her when it came to interrogating a person of interest. Shepherd joins Blythe (Eric Dane) in the interrogation room to talk to Mikhail (Daniel Chernish) about what he knows about Volchek’s (Bogdan Yasinski) plans for Los Angeles, since the other man had been set up in the basement of his dance hall. At first, Mikhail refuses to talk. But then Blythe brings up his daughter and warns that once everyone knows he’s her father, she’ll live in disgrace. Shepherd then warns that as a result, if he doesn’t cooperate, she’ll be ...

Derek Haas will always be known for his work creating the One Chicago franchise, but the writer has a new show out that’s gaining steam. Haas is the creator of Countdown, the thriller series following a secret task force sent to investigate a dangerous murder, only to discover a sinister plot that threatens the lives of millions. The show stars Jensen Ackles, best known for his work in Supernatural and The Boys, and also other stars such as Eric Dane, Jessica Camacho, Bogdan Yasinski, and more. Collider’s Aidan Kelley caught up with Haas for a chat at the world premiere of Countdown, and he asked about the biggest differences in working on shows for streaming services like Prime Video vs. networks like ABC and CBS:

"I don't know about darker, but it's definitely a bigger scope than what I had worked with before. Scope even within episodes and with storytelling.

“Countdown” is primed and ready to be your next binge.

The series follows an LAPD officer played by “The Boys” and “Supernatural” alum Jensen Ackles, who is recruited to join a new task force after a Dhs agent is killed in broad daylight.

Here’s everything you need to know about where and when to tune in for the first season of Prime Video’s “Countdown.”

When did “Countdown” Season 1 come out?

“Countdown” Season 1 premiered on Wednesday, June 25.

How can I watch it?

“Countdown” is available to stream on Prime Video beginning on Wednesday, June 25.

What’s the Full “Countdown” Season 1 Episode Release Schedule?

New episodes drop weekly after an initial 3-episode drop. The season is 13 episodes long. Here’s the full release rundown:

Episode 1 – June 25 Episode 2 – June 25 Episode 3 – June 25 Episode 4 – July 2 Episode 5 – July 9 Episode 6 – July 16 Episode 7 – July 23 Episode 8 – July 30 Episode 9 – Aug. 6 Episode 10 – Aug. 13 Episode 11 – Aug. 20 Episode 12 – Aug. 27 Episode 13 – Sept.

This post contains spoilers from Countdown season 1 episode 2 from this point forward.

Jumping off from the shocking reveal at the end of the first episode, Countdown season 1 episode 2 doesn't immediately meet back up with the task force. Instead, we flash back to 2008 in Minsk, Belarus, and meet a man named Borys (Bogdan Yasinski). While working on some kind of electric invention, he answers the door to find his brother Anton badly beat up. He's in deep trouble with an American who has threatened to kill him. Suddenly, Borys is mixed up in the drama.

Throughout the episode, the flashbacks continue, revealing that the American wants Borys to procure electronic communication that's been exchanged between the Kremlin and a political leader. Anton's life is on the line. Since it's crunch time, Borys does as he's told to save his brother, but he's too late. Anton dies by a self-inflicted gunshot in the bathtub,...

The 10th and last episode of Countdown that Amazon sent to critics is head-scratchingly bad — a cavalcade of anticlimaxes and improbable choices so tone-deaf on every level that I was convinced the show was about to unleash a doozy of a twist as part of what I assumed to be its season finale.

Were the characters in this mediocre 24 knockoff that might have run on TNT circa 2007 actually going to turn out to be ghosts? Or aliens? Or poorly programmed artificial intelligence navigating a politically denuded simulacrum of 21st century Los Angeles? Would the twist be that this race-against-the-clock drama without any clocks to race against was taking place in the mind of a small child with no nuanced understanding of human behavior? Or perhaps in the mind of a large manatee with no understanding of human behavior?

Alas, no.

The twist of the 10th episode of Countdown turned out...

More than 13 years after co-creating Chicago Fire and thus helping sire the popular #OneChicago Universe, Derek Haas was looking to break free of the broadcast procedural formula, with Prime Video’s Countdown.

Luke Finau (Uli Latukefu), Mark Meachum (Jensen Ackles), Keyonte Bell (Elliot Knight) and Amber Oliveras (Jessica Camacho) Courtesy of Prime Video

Created by Haas, Countdown is set in motion when an officer with the Department of Homeland Security is murdered in broad daylight. Special Agent in Charge Blythe (played by Euphoria’s Eric Dane) in turn heads up task force “Hurricane,” comprised of LAPD detective Mark Meachum (Supernatural...

Uli Latukefu is set to star as Luke Finau in Prime Video’s upcoming series, Countdown, but now he’s pulling back the curtain on his time playing what many view as his most famous role. Latukefu features as a young Dwayne Johnson in Young Rock, the sitcom/biopic telling the story of The Rock’s formative years as he grew up. Latukefu plays the 18-20-year-old version of Johnson, Adrian Groulx plays him at age 10, and Bradley Constant at age 15. Randall Park also stars in the show as himself, and Ana Tuisila plays The Rock’s mother, Lia Maivia. Collider’s Aidan Kelley recently caught up with Latukefu at the premiere of Countdown, and he asked what it was like taking on such an “unenviable role”:

"At first it was very daunting. They were big shoes to fill. But it's an honor. He's a legend, and he's awesome.

The countdown is on for “Countdown,” Prime Video’s new special task force crime drama from Derek Haas premiering June 25.

The series stars Jensen Ackles, Jessica Camacho, Violett Beane, Uli Latukefu, Jonathan Togo and Elliot Knight as various law enforcement agents who are put together under leader Eric Dane to solve a murder … with much greater implications for Los Angeles.

“A lot of shows in this genre, for whatever reason, in the last 10 to 15 years, they’re really dark and cynical and super gritty and dirty. I remember the movies from the ’80s I grew up loving — ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark,’ ‘Crimson Tide,’ ‘Die Hard,’ ‘Lethal Weapon’ — which I don’t feel like you see in this genre too much anymore,” Haas told TheWrap at the premiere. “Thankfully, I got Jensen Ackles … he could have been in any of those movies.”

“The hardest thing is to come up with surprises.

Jensen Ackles has starred in many projects, but he's arguably most recognizable for the role of Dean Winchester in The CW's long-running fantasy horror series Supernatural. Since the series ended in 2020, the actor has appeared in a series of television roles and has a brand-new update about one of them.

Ackles appeared in ABC's Big Sky, CBS' Trackeras a guest star, and Prime Video's satirical superhero hit show The Boys. The latter will lead to his own spin-off prequel, Vought Rising, where he will reprise his role as Soldier Boy. Aside from The Boys and Vought Rising, Ackles has a different Prime Video show in the works: Countdown. The actor just announced on Instagram that production on Countdown Season 1 has officially wrapped and treated fans to a series of behind-the-scenes photos.

View this post on InstagramA post shared by Jensen Ackles (@jensenackles)

The first photo in the black-and-white carousel shows...

Jensen Ackles brought his typical masculine charisma to the popular TV series Tracker, and it looks like his upcoming show is the perfect follow-up to his portrayal of Russell Shaw. In Tracker, he plays the formerly estranged brother of series lead Colter Shaw (played by Justin Hartley). Russell Shaw has popped up in a few Tracker episodes, assisting Colter with the tracking down of criminals while also revealing aspects of their family's troubled past.

This character resonated deeply with audiences, thanks to the fervent fanbase Ackles has built up from his time on Supernatural, and now The Boys. Audiences are certainly debating a potential Tracker spinoff following Russell and his interesting life, but the Tracker showrunners have confirmed no spinoff is in the plans as of now. However, Ackles' lead role in Amazon Prime's upcoming show Countdown seems like it might be the perfect spiritual spinoff to his role in Tracker.

Jensen Ackles, best known for his role as Dean Winchester in the long-running CW series, Supernatural, has been a fan-favorite actor for over a decade now. His impressive acting skills and tough charisma were further showcased when he joined the cast of Prime Videos acclaimed superhero series, The Boys, where he played Soldier Boy. Now, the actor has once again piqued the interest of his devoted fanbase with his latest project, a Prime Video thriller series titled Countdown.

Ever since news broke out about Ackles involvement, fans have eagerly been waiting for more details about Countdown. And recently, the star took to Instagram to share a series of behind-the-scenes images from the sets of the upcoming show. These images feature other cast members like Jessica Camacho, Ulti Latukefu, and even series creator Derek Haas. In his caption, Ackles wrote, Quick little update on set. We are well on our way here and having a blast.