Countdown Episode 5 recap: All hands on deck as Nathan Blythe's task force goes on the most dangerous undercover operation so far

A scene from Prime Video
A scene from Prime Video's crime thriller Countdown | Image source: Prime Video on YouTube

Countdown Episode 5 keeps the intensity alive with the entire task force going on an undercover mission. However, Mark Meachum doesn't appear to be in great form with his headaches from the tumor getting worse, and Volchek is one step closer to carrying out something fatal in Los Angeles.

Thanks to Nathan Blythe's impeccable leadership and the task force's presence of mind, the team is able to find their way inside the Belarusian Consulate on the occasion of a party. Crucial data retrieved from the inside helps to reveal Volchek's actual identity.

Moreover, Countdown Episode 5 has also provided flashbacks from Volchek's past, which hold some significant connections with his present-day operations. But what exactly happens in Countdown Episode 5? Read this article to find out more.


The undercover operation becomes Countdown Episode 5's central plot

Countdown Episode 5 has so far featured one of the most challenging missions for Agent Blythe's task force. Following the big fire that burnt down Mikhail Durko's restaurant, the team dives into the name Gallagher that Meachum could spot in the secret basement room.

On the other hand, Volchek is also racing against time to find out about Meachum aka Jack Walker (his alias) - but it seems like he is at a dead end for now. However, the task force has some crucial intel on who exactly Volchek is. As seen in Countdown Episode 5, Nathan Blythe briefs his team about the potential terrorist, saying:

"A Belarusian national named Volchek was using the Reyes Nuevos cartel's drug smuggling operation to bring fissile material into the US through the port of Los Angeles.."

However, a major disadvantage for the team so far is that Volchek's true identity has not been revealed yet (what are his roots, and what is his motive). With that in mind, every member of the task force uses their sources in their respective domains to find out whatever intel they can on the Belarusian terrorist.


Mark and Oliveras face each other about their pasts in Countdown Episode 5

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Countdown Episode 5 is not only about thrill and suspense, but it also builds on relationship arcs. For instance, Meachum and Oliveras are seen engaging in conversation about their pasts (especially related to using drugs, since Meachum found Oliveras carrying that small packet of heroin while on their operation). Not only are two officers seen questioning each other's imperfections, but they are also developing a sublime bond that is yet to get in good shape.


The task force might be closing in on Volchek but it doesn't seem so easy

As the plot further unravels, the name of a company named Delphi Security in Burbank comes up to the team, and the murders of 'two data service workers' there raise the alarm. Countdown Episode 5 reveals that:

"They hosted digital video capture from the dance hall."

It turns out that the perpetrators had destroyed one of the servers with company to try and erase evidence. On the other hand, Nathan Blythe meets up with Iosif Adtapov, the Consul General of Belarus in the United States, to gather information about Volchek. But Adtapov outright refuses to have any knowledge about Volchek, and Blythe senses suspicion.

So a full-fledged undercover operation is planned by the task force to get inside the Consulate. The main motive is to retrieve whatever intel is available on Volchek and his plans, and the idea comes from Agent Finau.

Further investigation reveals that a major event is being arranged by one of the regional catering companies. Meachum and his team get in touch with the woman in charge to find a way inside the party as undercover agents.

The mission is led in the foreground by Oliveras and Mark while Agent Evan Shepherd is already inside the building in the disguise of a waitress. On the other hand, Bell takes up all the tech work and provides hacking support from the back-end along with Finau.

Moreover, Bell uses his tech skills to help Oliveras and Mark (who get in as Tim and Tina Murphy) while Blythe follows Astapov to negotiate with him - his motive is to get details about Volchek. While all of this is happening, viewers witness glimpses from 2018 where Volchek is seen living with a woman. He is on the verge of closing a big deal on behalf of his company named Blue Lion Foods, with Investment Management Limited. However, his competitor is a US citizen going by the name Matt Woolley, and things do not look easy for him.

But, thanks to Volchek's shrewd investigative skills, he is able to dig up some dirt on Mark and cracks the deal. However, Mark threatens him and says that whatever he did will be repaid. As time rolls, Volchek is seen living a happy life with his love interest Kira. But things go sideways when his associate Andrej brings 'bad news', saying that Volchek has been trapped in a case of embezzlement.

As Volchek is backed against the wall, he gears up to leave Minsk and go somewhere safe. He is even seen sending Kira to a private jet meant to take her someplace else, but right after she boards, a lookalike of Volchek follows her. But the cops are already seen buzzing in, and right at that moment, the aircraft goes up in flames following an explosion.

Volchek's backstory reveals how he used even his loved one to frame his own death and fool the authorities (while he carries on with his terror strike). The revelation comes at the same time in a parallel timeline to that of Nathan Blythe's undercover operation at the Belarusian Consulate event.

Mark Meachum is seen to use his muscles to keep the security away while Shepherd installs a chip inside Adtapov's computer to hack into their system. As Countdown Episode 5 closes in, Nathan, Oliveras, Evan, and Mark are seen making it out of the party just in time. Back at the headquarters, Evan's hacking skills reveal that Volchek's real name is Borys Volsovich.

As the scene shifts, Volchek is seen targeting the Wilshere Federal Building next, and Blythe is seen entering the same location at the end of Countdown Episode 5. What are Volchek's next moves? Will Mark Meachum be able to save his team, his country, and catch the anti-nationalist? It all remains to be seen yet.


Stay tuned to Soap Central for more information.

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Edited by Sohini Biswas