Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Tori Preston | TV | July 3, 2025
“Dad TV” is a nebulous catch-all term for shows that feature men, usually in some position of authority, tackling clear-cut conflicts and reaching exciting resolutions. Sometimes these men are on a ranch; sometimes in a police precinct. They aren’t perfect, necessarily, but they are undoubtedly of a heroic type nonetheless. Countdown, Amazon’s latest addition to their burgeoning catalog of Dad TV (which includes superior offerings like Reacher and Bosch), is like the paint-by-numbers version of the subtype, executed by someone who’s colorblind and not really paying attention. The elements are there, and they should work, but the finished product is embarrassingly shoddy.
Countdown was written entirely by creator Derek Haas, the mind behind NBC’s One Chicago franchise, and that network procedural DNA is obvious even as it butts up against the show’s other aspirations. The series focuses on a highly classified interdepartmental task force working to stop a terrorist threat in Los Angeles. Why is it classified? There’s corruption, probably, somewhere! Blythe (Eric Dane) assembles his motley crew of talented misfits after a Department of Homeland Security agent is killed at the docks — a scene that’s the latest in the current trend of shows kicking off with a beloved actor getting murdered in the first five minutes of the pilot. Hulu’s Paradise killed James Marsden and Netflix’s Black Doves offed Andrew Koji (unforgivably, I might add), but the actors and their characters continued to play pivotal roles in the central mystery unfolding in the season. I won’t spoil who plays the dead agent in Countdown, but after three episodes, it’s clear that the tenuous mystery surrounding his death has been resolved (was he corrupt? nope!), and we’re unlikely to see his face again, even in flashback. Honestly, good for him!
The same cannot be said for poor Jensen Ackles, who — as the main character and the cast’s biggest draw — is shouldering the full weight of this endeavor. Luckily, dude has the shoulders for it! If you’re like me, drawn by the siren call of Ackles on your screen, then you won’t exactly be disappointed by his turn in Countdown, but you’ll certainly wish he had a better agent. His character, Meachum, is an LAPD detective who specializes in undercover work. On the surface, he’s all roguish charm, but underneath he’s a Boy Scout with an angsty secret — so not a stretch and exactly in Ackles’ wheelhouse, which is fine! At least his character has layers, which is more than can be said for the rest of the task force.
Oliveras (Jessica Camacho) is the obvious second lead, considering she’s the only character other than Meachum to get an introduction before the literal “here’s the team!” introductory scene. She’s a DEA agent who also does undercover work, and also may or may not have a secret, and Meachum thinks she’s cute. Finau (Uli Latukefu) is another LAPD officer who does, I dunno, muscles or something? Bell (Elliot Knight) is an FBI agent specializing in counterterrorism, and Shepherd (Violett Beane, taking a big step down after leading Hulu’s Death and Other Details) is also FBI but handles the clicky-clacky computer stuff. Then there’s Drew (Jonathan Togo), who is Blythe’s right-hand man when he’s not coaching Little League for sad reasons. I wish I had anything else to say about him, but seriously, “sad Little League coach” is his entire persona.
Together, this task force is racing against the clock to stop an angry guy from Belarus who has gotten his hands on some nuclear materials and plans to do some sort of 9/11-by-way-of-Chernobyl on LA. Well, I say “racing” but that makes it sound like the show takes its obvious 24 inspirations seriously, which I assure you is absolutely not the case. We do not know how or when the attack will take place, and the task force isn’t exactly rushing to find out. One episode’s B-plot focuses on whether Shepherd should get Finau a cake or cupcakes for his birthday, and when the team actually does chase a lead, it invariably involves Meachum and/or Oliveras going undercover. Which is cool, and gives each episode a sort of mini-adventure vibe with real stakes for those characters, but the thing about undercover work is that it’s a time-consuming operation! Would they get the information faster if they just hauled their sources in for questioning instead of doing a whole improv workshop for it? Maybe!
Aside from what I hope was a substantial payday to secure Ackles’ game participation in this tepid thriller, Countdown at least throws its budget at the screen with some stylish camera work and practical locations. Ludicrously big chyrons announce each new setting while drones provide slick aerial establishing shots, so even if you have no idea how much time has passed, you at least always know what neighborhood the show is in. The action is decent, though the fight choreography doesn’t always sync with the camera work, such that you see the punches that don’t land, which is jarring. Ackles spent 15 seasons convincingly kicking ass on Supernatural with a CW budget, so I’m not used to seeing the artifice on screen with him involved.
Admittedly, I’m just reviewing based on the three episodes the show launched with last week, so there’s always a chance that it could improve as it continues to air weekly. I kind of doubt it, though. A messy start doesn’t usually get less messy over time, and outlets that have seen screeners of the season have hinted that it goes downhill. I’m almost curious to see how that’s even possible, just like I’m a little curious to see where the show goes with Meachum and Oliveras’ unhinged chemistry. Am I curious enough to keep watching? Probably not. Not even for Ackles, and that’s saying something.
