Countdown - Bite 'Em Down - Review: The Enemy is Playing Chess

 

Derek Haas, please come to the front of the room. I have one question for you: why? This week’s episode of Countdown did not start with the good news I was hoping for. 

In last week’s premiere, we’re left with Damon Drew shot by Timur, an escaped prisoner Mark was working with to get information on Volchek, with his condition unknown. Now, what was supposed to happen, was we come to find out that Damon has been critically injured and will have a long road to recovery, but he’d be okay. Not the case here – he’s gone. It’s so early in the game (and by game I mean the season) to lose major players, and despite not knowing much about Damon, we learned enough to have an attachment. 

When Nathan and Evan go to make the notification, Damon’s wife Cora is distraught. What made this part twice as heartbreaking is that we learned that she also lost a son, Noah, earlier that year. Losing her son and husband in the same year? That healing journey is going to be so messy. 

Mark blames himself for what happened to Damon. As he’s chatting with Amber, he admits that he didn’t think the plan through and it didn’t have to go down the way it did. She told him the best way for him to move past this is to learn to “bite 'em down, put [the thoughts] away and focus on the job ahead”. Even though they’re carrying on with the mission, I just know Mark is going to hold on to this for a while. 

Mark and the team go after Mikhail Durko, Timur’s uncle, who was also there when Damon was shot and (chest tightens) killed. Evan being the amazing hacker * ehem *, I mean computer intruder, found an address for Mikhail, so the team goes to pay him a visit. He isn’t there, but his wife is and they use her to get to him. They use the only way she knew how to contact him to lure him out. Later that night, Mikhail shows up to meet up with his wife, but before even getting close to her he clocks the agents close by and makes a run for it. 

“Bite ‘Em Down”- COUNTDOWN, Pictured: Eric Dane as Nathan Blythe and Jensen Ackles as Mark Meachum. Photo: Elizabeth Morris/Prime © 2025 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.

That wasn’t much of a chase and Mikhail finds himself in custody. He pretends like he has no idea what is going on and lawyers up once Mark and Amber press him for information. What they needed to break Mikahil was leverage. Mark remembered a cousin Timur called when they first escaped so they went after him. 

Of course when they find him he makes a run for it, but the way they trapped him has me looking at Amber sideways. Remember that brick of cocaine she took so that it’s “one brick that’s not going to end up in some kid’s arm”? Yeah - looks like she’s still in possession of it since she used it to frame Timur’s cousin, Dmitry, into giving up the leverage they needed to get Mikhail to cooperate. Amber, I’m looking at you funny now, but good job here. Dmitry lets it be known that Mikhail had a mistress and she gave birth to his daughter, but his name was never on the birth certificate. 

This was the leverage they needed– Mikhail unlocked that part of his brain that wasn’t working before and tells them how he’s able to get in contact with Volchek. They put the plan in place and wait. 

“Bite ‘Em Down”- COUNTDOWN, Pictured: Jessica Camacho as Amber Oliveras and Jensen Ackles as Mark MeachumPhoto: Elizabeth Morris/Prime © 2025 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.

I’d like to give credit to how this scene was edited because I was shocked when it wasn’t Volchek who turned up to meet with Mikhail. We see Volchek walking up, but it was to a ticket booth. While he’s sitting down watching the movie, we get flashbacks to earlier in the day where we see him put the pieces together and knew that he was being set up. Volchek, instead, sends a pilot in his place. This isn’t going to get easier is it? Volchek is always one step ahead of them. 

Cora giving the team her blessing to keep the mission going made my vision blurry. Up until this moment, I truly wanted Damon to be alive and maybe there was a possibility he was in witness protection (I know this makes no sense, I was just being delusional because I didn’t want to lose a team member this early), but no, he’s really gone. Nathan putting up the plaque in his honor solidified that. I hope the team is able to complete this mission in his honor – it doesn’t look like it’s going to be easy. 

I have more thoughts, but I want to hear from you. What’d you think of this week’s episode of Countdown? Share your comment below or connect with me on X/Twitter @chenfordhugs. 

New episodes of Countdown airs every Wednesday on Prime Video.