Derek Haas Joins Prime Video to Release New Crime Drama 'Countdown'

Creator of “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago PD”, Derek Haas, has teamed up with Prime Video for his latest show, “Countdown”. The story unfolds around an elite group, established to find the killer of a well-liked Department of Homeland Security officer, who was killed in open daylight. FBI Special Agent Nathan Blythe (Eric Dane) leads the team which includes agents from different branches of law enforcement. Despite the thrilling premise, the show succumbs to monotony over the progression of episodes.

The first season unfolds over 13 episodes, starting explosively with the murder of Robert Dardin (Milo Ventimiglia), a customs agent from the Department of Homeland Security. Following Dardin's death, Blythe assembles a new underground group, Task Force Hurricane, to investigate. However, despite promising leads and the team’s diverse expertise, the plot quickly loses traction.

The unraveling of the convoluted mission of Task Force Hurricane turns out to be less thrilling than expected. The show begins to lean heavily on the backstory of the villain, and this slow pacing seems to dull the audience’s interest. A shorter duration per season might have improved series pacing and ensured a better audience engagement.

Uneven character development is another flaw of "Countdown". The individual abilities and personal backstories of the task force members didn't resonate with the audience as they should have. The show could likely have been more successful with a smaller, more focused cast and concise character development.

The series builds some suspense in Episode 10, “The Muzzle Pile", as it introduces a new, markedly more interesting operation. However, it’s unclear whether this new mission can redeem the series, as critics were given only the first 10 episodes for review.

Despite its impressive sounding premise "Countdown” seems to falter due to a forced storyline and shallow character development. The first three episodes release on Prime Video on June 25th, with new episodes releasing regularly every Wednesday.