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The Review Geek

Countdown (2025) – Season 1 Episode 1 'Teeth in the Bone' Recap & Review

Episode 1 Episode 1 of Countdown begins with Homeland Security officer Robert Darden being killed while meeting with a thug. The next day, FBI Agent Nathan Blythe puts together a task force but two of the members are missing. LAPD Homicide Detective Mark Meachum is jumped in prison. He has been undercover for 9 months before being pulled out for the task force. He doesn't seem to be well but he cites the prison riot for his headaches. Next, we have DEA Agent Amber Oliveras being held hostage by drug dealers. She frees herself and beats up her captors before calling backup. Her senior scolds her for being brash before informing her of the task force. With the task force complete, Blythe introduces everyone. Oliveras has 14 years of experience infiltrating gangs. FBI Agent Keyonte Bell focuses on homegrown terrorists and comes from a family of cops. FBI Agent Evan Shepherd works in the cybercrime department. LAPD Detective Luke Finau focuses on guns, gangs and narcotics. He is aggressive and has been suspended several times. As for Mark, he has worked with Blythe before and is quite chatty which gets on everyone's nerves. Onto the case, Darden seems to be corrupt, having taken several huge bribes. It is why Blythe wants the task force to be a secret. Mark tries to team up with Oliveras but she refuses. It is revealed that she is friends with his ex-fiancée and knows he slept with her sister before the wedding. Shepherd looks up to Blythe but doesn't understand why he treats her like his personal driver. Bell and Oliveras bond while Finau quietly tolerates Mark's ramblings. The team questions Darden's colleagues and gets a lead – Darden's friend and a shady officer, Jim Talbott. Mark learns someone from DC is supporting their task force and realises there is more to Darden's case. However, Blythe shuts him down when he questions him. Shepherd IDs the shooter, Cesar Murillo and Mark takes the lead, much to Oliveras' annoyance. He gets another headache but he keeps going. He ends up lowering his guard and Oliveras covers him as they find Los Reyes Nuevos members. Mark thanks her but she is still annoyed that he took the lead. It cuts to Ray, an agent, warning Blythe that Oliveras is a ticking time bomb. She tends to go deep undercover and has turned into an addict. But Blythe is not deterred as her latest tests are clean. Talbott is a dead-end as well but red flags pop up for Maurice Spellman, the customs officer who pointed them towards Talbott. A car chase ensues before they arrest him. Mark is upset that Oliveras messed up his car chase strategy and they bicker. Blythe takes advantage of their anger and makes them interrogate Maurice. As expected, Mark and Oliveras end up arguing in the interrogation room. It confuses Maurice who finally slips up. They push and threaten his sister till he comes clean. Looks like Maurice is the mole for Los Reyes and Darden was trying to expose them before they killed him. Blythe takes Shepherd to inform Darden's widow and reveals that he wants to mentor Shepherd on the field. As for his second-in-charge, Damon, he heads to a Little League practice. We learn that his son, Noah, was killed. On Finau's advice, Oliveras looks up Mark's 9-month prison stint. It cuts to Mark visiting a doctor as he has an incurable brain tumour. The doctor suggests palliative care but he refuses. Back at the base, Mark keeps hounding Blythe for his ulterior motives. We learn that Blythe had assigned Mark to an extremely risky operation which could have ruined his career if it had failed. This is why he owes Mark and tolerates his cheek. Blythe finally reveals that he knew there were moles but his investigations have been constantly rebuffed. Darden's murder allowed him to directly appeal to the director. Which means some very senior officers are on the cartel's payroll. It is why he cannot trust anyone. Mark also realises why he picked the task force members he did – they are all indispensable or have ticked off their seniors. No one will miss them if it all goes sideways. Right then, Bell finds an arms deal going down at Pier 31. They rush to the location and a gun fight ensues. Mark ends up killing Murillo who was about to shoot Oliveras. Blythe notices someone escaping. At the end of Countdown Episode 1, Bell identifies highly radioactive weapons. They are enough to fuel a Chernobyl-level event. The Episode Review Countdown Episode 1 feels very Suicide Squad with a bunch of misfits teaming up for a risky operation with McSteamy playing Viola Davis. Helmed by Derek Haas, king of American TV procedural shows like FBI: International and the Chicago series, Countdown has all the usual quirks with tons of chases, gun fights and mysterious criminals doing criminal things while our heroes try to stop them. There's some info-dumping which doesn't really serve any purpose as we doubt they will be important later on. Viewers have to sift through all that exposition to figure out what is filler and what is relevant to the Darden case. But fortunately, this chapter is quite fast-paced and packed so there are no dull moments. Along with the set-up, different character dynamics are also built like that between Mark and Blythe, and Mark and Oliveras. As a Supernatural fan, we also know the allure of having Jensen Ackles once again playing a cocky, trigger-happy, misunderstood anti-hero. But with a strong ensemble cast like the one Countdown has, we do hope that they invest in their other characters instead of just focusing on Ackles, Eric Dane and Jessica Camacho. For now, the cliffhanger is enough to convince viewers to tune into the next episode. Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!