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Jensen Ackles' New Amazon Prime Action Thriller Channels 17-Year-Old 94% RT Superhero Masterpiece
Jensen Ackles has furthered his superhero fan campaign with an excellent scene in Amazon Prime Video’s Countdown. The new show is the latest in the line of Amazon’s marquee action thrillers, joining titles like Reacher, The Terminal List, and Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. Jensen Ackles leads Countdown’s cast as Detective Mark Meachum, a maverick homicide detective with undercover experience who’s not known for playing by the book, who’s brought onto a task force to prevent a terrorist attack that would claim the lives of millions. As expected, the Supernatural star is charming and hilarious in the role.
Countdown’s premise utilizes a double entendre, with the show title representing a broader and character-focused meaning. With the nuclear terrorism plans of Borys Volchek threatening Los Angeles, there’s a countdown to imminent destruction that the task force must prevent. With Meachum’s medical diagnosis and brain tumor threatening his life, there’s a countdown to his death. This plays a crucial role in establishing the show’s drama, with a ticking clock sound effect frequently used to heighten suspense.
Countdown’s Interrogation Scene Mirrors The Dark Knight
Mark Meachum Got Rough In The Interrogation Room
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is one of the most influential movies of the 21st century, with its imprint shown throughout the superhero and crime thriller genres. In season 1, episode 4, Meachum gets a chance to interrogate Mikhail Durko (Daniel Chernish), the man who owns the restaurant that was burned down in Countdown episode 3’s ending. Mikhail had been working with Volchek, allowing him to use a back room in his establishment as an HQ for his plans. As Meachum saw, the room was packed with blueprints and other documents related to the nuclear weapon threat.
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24 is one of the greatest action thriller TV shows of all time, so it’s no wonder that Amazon Prime’s new series draws notable inspiration from it.
In the interrogation scene, there’s a moment when the clock starts ticking, and Meachum is evidently suffering from the pain of his tumors. He quickly gets rough and uses brute force, intensifying his voice as he demands information. The scene draws evident inspiration from The Dark Knight’s Joker interrogation, in which matters quickly turn violent as the classic superhero and villain sit across from each other.
Detective Mark Meachum Is Jensen Ackles’ Best Audition Tape For Batman
Meachum Allows Jensen Ackles To Show His Action Prowess
Interestingly, Jensen Ackles has long been a top fan casting choice for Batman, a popularity that has only increased in recent years with the DC Universe movie franchise reboot. Even though Dean Winchester and The Boys’ Soldier Boy offer plenty of material to prove Ackles would make a great Batman, Mark Meachum might be the closest character to the Dark Knight. Countdown’s Meachum is a rogue detective who’s willing to get his hands dirty to do the right thing, carrying an intensity with him as he quietly suffers from his past mistakes.
