Latest news with #Countdown
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Countdown: Eric Dane Weighs In on Team's First Big Loss — and Who Is Most Affected by It
The following contains spoilers from the July 2 episode of Prime Video's . Task Force Hurricane weathered a big loss this Wednesday. More from TVLine Ironheart Boss Talks About [Spoiler] Finally Joining the MCU, and Where/If Finale Cliffhanger Will Get Resolved The Terminal List: Dark Wolf Drops First Trailer Ahead of August Premiere on Amazon Étoile Cast Shares Disappointment About Ballet Dramedy's Cancellation, Wants to 'Celebrate the Fact That It Existed' Yes, Prime Video's Countdown last week opened with — and was set in motion by — the murder of a DHS agent, played by guest star Milo Ventimiglia. But in Episode 4, the task force assembled by Special Agent in Charge Nathan Blythe (Euphoria's Eric Dane) — comprised of LAPD detective Mark Meachum (Supernatural's Jensen Ackles), DEA undercover vet Amber Oliveras (All Rise's Jessica Camacho), LAPD gangs unit officer Lucas Finau (Young Rock's Uli Latukefu), and FBI agents Evan Shepherd (The Flash's Violett Beane) and Keyonte Bell (The Boys' Elliot Knight) — sustained a personal loss when DHS intelligence offer Damon Drew (The Chosen's Jonathan Togo) died from the gunshot he sustained outside the dance hall where Meachum had unknowingly come face to face with prime target Volchek. 'Officer Drew… Damon… died in surgery,' Blythe shared with the team in the cold open, after getting the bad news from the doctors. 'They said he lost too much blood. They did everything they could, but….' Afterwards, Blythe brought Shepherd with him as he delivered the death notification to Drew's wife Cora (Dexter: Original Sin's Amanda Brooks). Later, back at HQ, he reminded the team of who Drew was, and how now was not the time to fall off Volchek's scent. 'Damon Drew was a man who loved his family, his job, his country…,' Blythe noted. 'He knew the pressures and the dangers, and the relentlessness of chasing down threats who wished to do harm to the United States… and he did so with grace and determination.' Blythe suggested that the task force had already disrupted Volchek's plans, and as such, 'Now is not the time to retreat.' Rather, 'I'd like us to focus and be the elite task force I know we can be. Can we do that?' The team implicitly nodded en masse, but how will Blythe himself hold up? After all, the little we'd gotten to know about Mason was via glimpses of him coaching his late son's Little League team, or through brief heart-to-hearts with longtime friend Blythe. Speaking with TVLine, Eric Dane affirmed that his team leader 'absolutely' will be the one most impacted by Mason's death. Speaking in character, he reminded, 'I had worked with Drew for a while, I knew his family, I knew his child, I knew his history….' As asked by their boss, Meachum, Oliveras et al indeed kept their nose to the grindstone and — with a clever assist from Shepherd, who realized she favored POI Mihail's co-ed daughter — leveraged the man who shot Mason into setting up a meeting with Volchek. Alas, the team staking out the tarmac that night was duped by a stand-in for the elusive terrorist. Ugh. In the wake of that setback, Blythe told the team, 'Every investigation I've been a part of has had its peaks and valleys. This is a valley, for sure, but we're going to find this guy, and we're going to stop him.' He then invited Cora, who was on hand for the installation of a plaque in Agent Mason's memory, to inspire the team further. 'I wanted look you in the eye and tell you that what Drew would want, what I want, is for you to finish what he started,' she said. What did you think of Episode 4, the aftermath of Mason's death, and the airport fake-out? Want scoop on , or for any other TV show? Shoot an email to InsideLine@ and your question may be answered via Matt's Inside Line! Best of TVLine Mrs. Maisel Flash-Forward List: All of Season 5's Futuristic Easter Eggs Yellowjackets Recap: The Morning After Yellowjackets Recap: The First Supper
The Review Geek
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Countdown (2025) – Season 1 Episode 4 'Bite ‘Em Down' Recap & Review
Episode 4 Episode 4 of Countdown begins with the task force combing the burnt-down dance hall while Mark rides the ambulance with Officer Damon Drew. He looks worried as Drew's breathing gets shallow. Unfortunately, Drew dies during surgery. While the LAPD goes after Mikhail, Blythe reminds the task force not to waste his sacrifice and to continue with the mission. Mark fills them in that he saw some blueprints, the map of the LA port and the name, Gallagher. With the death of Drew, DA Valwell gets a chance to report the task force which leads to the LAPD asking for Mark and Finau back. Furious, Blythe confronts Valwell and warns him to back off and drop the complaint. Mikhail and Borys meet but we learn that the former is not interested in the terrorist attacks and cares about his family and money. He backs down when Borys threatens him, reminding him of the importance of their mission. Back at the base, Bell checks in on Shepherd who had to tell Cora, Drew's widow, the news of her husband's death. Mark regrets his reckless undercover plan but Oliveras comforts him with some tough love. Shepherd is able to trace Mikhail's identity and they go after him. They find his wife, Tatsiana, who is trying to run. They bring her in and she plays the crying, naive wife but they don't buy it. They threaten to charge her as an accomplice and she breaks. She sets up a meeting with Mikhail in Chinatown. He shows up but on seeing her expression, he knows something is wrong. He spots Bell and then recognises Mark. A chase ensues before they catch him. Meanwhile, Blythe asks Bell about Valwell. Turns out Valwell is one of the good guys. Early in his career, he helped get a conviction on a really risky case that no one wanted to touch and bring justice to the victims. Drew's desk is cleared and Shepherd looks sad as she takes his Little League cap. Onto the interrogation, Mikhail doesn't give them anything and doesn't even blink at the threats to his wife. To find dirt, the task force looks into the driver, Dmitry who drove Timur and Mark to Mikhail's dance hall. Fortunately, Shepherd and Bell are able to track him. They show up at his workplace and another chase ensues but Mark easily catches him. Oliveras plants some heroin on him and makes up false charges. Mark is surprised but goes with her plan. They finally find leverage – Mikhail's illegitimate daughter, Anya. As they head back to base, Mark asks about the heroin but Oliveras shuts him down. Shepherd wants to take the lead as she looks like Anya and the team agrees. Blythe plays the bad cop while Shepherd plays the good cop who cares about Anya's future. Mikhail breaks and tells them about Volchek but he doesn't know much except that he has patriotic motives. He sets up a meeting with Borys at a private airport but the task force ends up arresting a decoy. The real Borys is sitting in the cinema. A flashback shows him spotting the task force while Mikhail sets up their meeting. At present, he looks disgusted as the other cinemagoers laugh during the movie. At the end of Countdown Episode 4, Blythe promises that they will break the case. Cora arrives and begs the task force not to let Drew's sacrifice go to waste. They hold a mini-funeral for him in the office. The Episode Review So, we know two things with Countdown Episode 4. Without a doubt, Jensen Ackles is the best part of this Amazon Original. His dry humour, his sarcastic remarks and jokes are the highlights of the episodes. And when that is dialled down, like in this sombre chapter, it is sorely missed. But even without the snark, he keeps the show running as he is a good actor and it doesn't hurt that he is pretty to look at. Second, Countdown is, after all, an ensemble story but a poorly written one. We hadn't been sure, since the first 3 episodes had majorly focused on Mark and Oliveras, with a little bit of Blythe. But in Episode 4, all the task force members get enough screen time. Yet we barely learn anything about them. It is why Drew's death and the team's reaction to it don't have any impact. We do see the little filler moments such as Finau smiling at Mark's joke during the wife's interrogation and Bell checking on Shepherd. But the focus is constantly on the action, simply furthering the plot without fleshing out the rest of the task force. It doesn't help that the story is actually not that great either. Despite being the best of the best, both Mikhail and Borys spot the task force during the set-ups. Blythe makes an ambiguous threat and Valwell easily drops the report. There are many shows where the plot isn't great but it works because of the likeable characters. A shame that Countdown doesn't invest in character development. Instead, Borys and Valwell contribute more to the plot than Shepherd, Finau and Bell. The structure is all over the place and it seems that next week, Mark and Oliveras will regain the spotlight as they infiltrate a party. It is too early to tell but this show may not be for fans of Violett Beane, Elliot Knight and Uli Latukefu. Previous Episode Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!
The Review Geek
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Countdown (2025) Episode 5 Preview: Release Date, Time & Where to Watch
Countdown (2025) Episode 5 Countdown (2025) is an exciting Amazon Prime Original and is helmed by the American king of TV procedurals, Derek Haas. This action crime drama has everything from a task force of misfits and bickering to high-stakes missions and dangerous conspiracies. Countdown Season 1 begins with a Homeland Security officer being killed while secretly meeting up with a gang member. Suspicious of highly influential officers on cartel payrolls, FBI Special Agent Nathan Blythe puts up an off-the-books task force with team members who are all experts in their fields but indispensable. The cocky LAPD Detective Mark Meachum butts heads with DEA Agent Amber Oliveras who has a personal vendetta against him. Agent Evan Shepherd looks up to Blythe but he seems to treat her like his personal chauffeur. Agent Keyonte Bell is labelled a nepo baby which irks him while LAPD Detective Lucas Finau's short temper has gotten him several suspensions. Can they all put aside their differences and find the murderer who plans to destroy the city? The ensemble cast includes Jensen Ackles, Jessica Camacho, Eric Dane, Uli Latukefu, Elliot Knight and Violett Beane. The show runner is Derek Haas who is known for movies like 2 Fast 2 Furious and Wanted, and TV shows like FBI: International and the Chicago series. If you've been following this show, you may be curious to find out when the episodes are releasing. Well, wonder no more! Here is everything you need to know about Countdown Episode 5, including the release date, time and where you can watch this show. Where Can I Watch Countdown Season 1? Countdown is an Amazon Prime original, so it'll be available to stream on that platform with a subscription. As this is an original series, Amazon Prime Video is the only place you're going to be able to watch this one. If you want to catch up with earlier episodes, you'll be able to watch all of them on Prime Video as well. Countdown Season 1 Episode 5 Release Date Countdown Episode 5 will release on Wednesday 9th July at approximately 7am (GMT) / 12.30pm (IST) / 12am (PT). Subtitles and dubbings will be available in multiple languages. Episode 5 is titled 'Blurred Edges'. Each episode is roughly 50 minutes long. How Many Episodes Will Countdown Season 1 Have? Countdown Season 1 is scheduled for 13 episodes. Following a 3-episode premiere, it will drop one new episode every Wednesday. It will run its course till 3rd September. Is There A Trailer For Countdown Season 1? There is indeed! You can find an exciting trailer for Countdown below: What Happened in the Previous Episodes? We've covered the entire episodes with lengthy recaps that touch on all major plot points and discuss the chapters with an accompanying review. You can find that link below. Read More: Countdown Episode 4 Recap & Review What Happens in the Next Episode? In next week's teaser, Mark and Oliveras infiltrate a Consulate party since the task force cannot hack into their system. Borys looks into Mark's prisoner alias, Jack Walker, thanks to the dance hall's CCTV capturing Mark's face. What do you hope to see as the series progresses? What are you most excited to see in Countdown? Let us know in the comments below!
Hype Malaysia
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hype Malaysia
'Countdown' Review: A Thrilling, High-Stakes Crime Drama With Massive Highs… & Lows
We all love a good crime thriller series – one that's sure to get the blood pumping and make us binge the next episode. If this is what whets your appetite, then 'Countdown' might be for you. Set in the modern day, this crime drama follows a team of officers who are brought together to investigate the sudden and brutal execution of a Department of Homeland Security agent in broad daylight. Little do they know, they have instead uncovered a sinister plot that's meant to bring the United States to heel. Created and written by Derek Haas, this gripping series sees our heroes, Jensen Ackles, Jessica Camacho, Violett Beane, Elliot Knight, Uli Latukefu, and Eric Dane, in a race against time in preventing a catastrophic event. This team is made up of effective specialists from various fields who use their extensive knowledge to apprehend their perp. And they are up against a person who will pull out all the stops to set his plan into motion. It's a case of the proverbial 'unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.' The series primarily centres on Los Angeles, as the antagonist's reach is as far as it is deeply rooted in plain sight. For 13 episodes, we are left on the edge of our seats as we are bombarded with a series of near misses and close calls that only serve to raise the stakes as our heroes slowly close in on their target. From covert operations to full-on assaults, this show has all the makings of an excellent crime fiction series. We reel at every setback and rejoice at every success, something that's only possible thanks to the excellent performance and synergy of the cast, lead by Jensen Ackles and Jessica Camacho. Unfortunately, it's right here that we see one of the biggest weaknesses of the series — it only focuses on these two characters. Though there are largely six main characters, the series only zooms in on these two and their growing dynamic. It's a nice touch, as it showcases the deepening bond between two teammates, but it does come at the expense of the rest of the cast. It's quite unfortunate, because although we love these actors, it's actually a breath of fresh air when we see anyone else from the team working together to solve the crime. The series does try various combinations of the team to work, but it happens so late in the game that it feels too awkward, like the series itself is shipping these characters together for us. When you begin to go in-depth and dissect the series for what it is, you'll notice that Ackles' Mark Meachum is the only one to have some sort of character development in the entire show, as if the story is solely about him, while the rest are either to help him reach this development or are just there to move the plot forward when it's convenient. It's also extremely unfortunate that the series makes no effort in hiding that fact. Though they have been reduced to nothing more than just get-out-of-jail-free cards, Beane, Knight, Latukefu, and Dane deliver amazing performances and are an enjoyable bunch whenever they are on screen. Each of them has their own stakes and reasons for being there, and seeing them all come together is actually quite enjoyable. Despite the fact that they aren't the lead cast, each of these characters is put into dire straits that are meant to test their character, resolve, and principles. Whether it comes to physically demanding challenges and tasks or a dilemma that asks them to compromise their principles, the situations are always thought-provoking and nerve-racking. If there were to be a season two, our only request is that we see more development and focus on the rest of the cast and not just the leads. Overall, 'Countdown' is an enticing crime thriller that has the makings of a future cult classic. Packed with a star-studded cast, the show deliveres a lot of powerful and exciting moments that leaves us wanting more. Unfortunately, the series also hyper-focuses on one character, while leaving the rest as convenient tools to advance the plot. Despite that, if you're simply looking for an easy-to-binge series to keep you occupied or to satisfy your crime drama needs, then this show is for you. 'Countdown' can now be streamed on Prime Video. What's your Reaction? +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.
RNZ News
a day ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Woolworths recalls beef mince over potential plastic contamination
Photo: Supplied / Woolworths Woolworths say potential plastic contamination of beef mince has forced a recall of products. The 1kg and 500g packs of Woolworths branded 18 percent beef mince - dated best before 5/7/25 - have been recalled. They were sold at Woolworths and Countdown stores in the North Island. The supermarket advised customers not to eat the mince and return the products for a full refund. Woolworths said there had been no reports of illness or injury but anyone with concerns after consuming the meat should seek medical advice. There were no other beef products involved in the recall.
