Countdown’sstar Jensen Ackles isfantastic in the role of homicide detective Mark Meachum, except for in his undercover cop scenes. With decades of television acting experience under Jensen Ackles' belt, between shows likeSupernatural,Smallville,Dawson’s Creek, andThe Boys, the 47-year-old actor knows his strengths. He leadsCountdown’scastwith charm, humor, and a knack for action sequences. As the maverick of a murder mystery-solving, counter-terrorism task force, I’m happy to follow him, just not as much as an undercover cop in prison or infiltrating the Cartel.
In response to themurder of Homeland Security agent Robert Darden, Detective Mark Meachum is one of five characters recruited into a task force to solve the case and uncover a much larger conspiracy. While in pursuit of a terrorist threat that’s been described as a “Chernobyl-level event” in Los Angeles,Meachum struggles with a fatal brain tumor, frequently causing him aches and pain. It’s a lot for him to juggle, which plays into the double entendre ofCountdown’stitle, with the literal and figurative meaning of a ticking time bomb.
Jensen Ackles Has Great Screen Chemistry With His Co-Stars
Like I said, Jensen Ackles is terrific as Detective Meachum for the most part. I’m not the first to notice that he’s essentially playing Dean Winchester, as the actor himself used theSupernaturalcharacter similarities as a way to rope audiences into the new show. If that’s what he’s good at, thenI’m all for him leading TV shows as a conceited rough rider with a heart of gold for as long as he can. His charm is undoubtedly one of the most enjoyable parts of the series, and he’s more or less carried the opening three episodes on his back.
He’s particularly fun when paired with Jessica Camacho’s DEA agent character, Amber Oliveras. I’d be willing to say she’s one of Jensen Ackles' best screen partners since Jared Padalecki, though Meachum and Amber are still miles away from the magic ofSupernatural’sWinchester brothers. Still, having two leads with enjoyable chemistry and will-they-won’t-they romantic tension is a proven recipe for success.
Countdown Struggles With Detective Meachum’s Undercover Scenes
Meachum’s Undercover Story Is Just Not Believable
I’ll say this to Jensen Ackles' credit: a significant portion of the problem with his undercover scenes is the writing. His first scene in the series has him involved in a prison brawl while working undercover to gather information. While it’s an important moment to define his down-and-dirty style of getting the job done, the follow-up interview is one of the more bizarre scenes in the show. He’spulled out of a nine-month undercover mission to be randomly assigned to a task force, which is just flat out ridiculous.
Spending nine months in prison, getting into brawls, and trying to hide being a cop from career criminals is a potentially traumatic experience, let alone extraordinarily anxiety-inducing.
There’s the logistical factor of Meachum being unexpectedly pulled out of a deep, long-term undercover stint without any warning, but what’s worse is that he doesn’t even demonstrate any emotional reaction. Spending nine months in prison, getting into brawls, and trying to hide being a cop from career criminals is a potentially traumatic experience, let alone extraordinarily anxiety-inducing. Yet,despite these nine months of his life constantly spent inches from death, Meachum expresses zero pain when it’s ripped awayfrom him.
One could argue thatperhaps that’s just not the tone ofCountdown, but this is a TV show that’s evidently trying to embrace an emotional core alongsideits action and thriller sequences. Ackles' arrogant charm and sense of humor are on full display, even when he’s face to face with dangerous Cartel members, but that’s part of what doesn’t work in those scenes. Undercover work requires great intelligence and improvisation, but it also takes poise and strategy.Mark Meachum’s bull-headed recklessness would have gotten him killed years ago, but that’s just one of the contrivances ofCountdown.
