Warning! Spoilers forCountdownseason 1, episode 10, “The Muzzle Pile"Countdowncreator Derek Haas reveals why the show took a surprising time jump.CountdownstarsJensen Ackles as Mark Meachum, an undercover LAPD officer who is recruited to join a task force that is ultimately tasked with stopping a weapon of mass destruction from going off in Los Angeles.Countdownseason 1 premiered in June 2025 on Prime Video and is still releasing episodes.
InCountdownseason 1, episode 10, “The Muzzle Pile,“the task force successfully completes its mission early in the show. It moves on to have a semi-epilogue that feels like the natural end of a season before a sudden 10-month time jump. The task force then reunites to solve a new problem, as the season still has three episodes remaining.
In an interview withTVLine, Haas reveals why he opted for a time jump in episode 10. The creator wanted to upend audience expectations and have the conclusion of the case come before the end of the season to keep viewers “on your toes.“Haas believes that if the audience can be surprised, they will keep wanting to come back to the show.
When [Prime Video] told me it was going to be 13 episodes, I thought, “That’s a really long stretch for one case”. And then I thought, “How interesting and novel would it be if I started a second case within the first season?” That way, the audience can’t settle into the rhythm that they’re used to, which is, “I know that the case is still going and can’t possibly wrap up because [episode] 13 is weeks away. I want you on your toes.” The last thing we control as writers is surprise, and if you can surprise the audience, they’re going to want to keep coming back.
What This Means For Countdown
ThroughoutCountdown’s debut season, the writing has tried to keep audiences surprised.Milo Ventimiglia cameoed as Robert Dardenin the opening scene inCountdown. He was intentionally left out of all the marketing materials and was quickly killed off. From the get-go,Countdownwas attempting to supplant audience expectations about what the show would do.
Countdowncontinued its surprises by killing off Jonathan Togo’s Damon Drew in episode 4. After Ventimiglia’s death, it came as a shock thatCountdownwas killing another character so quickly. This also occurred after Damon Drew was set up to have a tragic backstory with the death of his son.
Our Take On The Time Jump
Countdownwas not critically well-received when it was first released. At the time of writing, the series has a 38% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but a much higher audience score of 74%. The critical rating seems oddly low, considering how muchCountdownis subverting expectations and trying to stand apart from typical action shows.
AsCountdownstill has three episodes remaining in its freshman season, it remains to be seen how it will end. Given that the show is not following traditional TV storytelling, anything could happen.Countdownhas not been renewed yet for a second season, so it will be interesting to see how the audience reacts to the final stretch of episodes.
Countdown
Cast
Countdown, released in 2025, follows LAPD detective Mark Meachum as he joins a secret task force composed of undercover agents from various law enforcement branches. Following the murder of a Department of Homeland Security officer, they uncover a deep conspiracy, igniting a time-sensitive mission to protect millions.
