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Countdown Episode 8 released on Prime Video on July 30, 2025, with flashbacks from Volchek's early days on American soil and how he set up his business. The Nail in the Chair (episode 8) is the episode where we see the Belarusian terrorist making his first move against the city of Los Angeles — but was it really a move or a trial run? It remains to be seen.
On the other hand, Oliveras tries to persuade Mark to tell the team (especially Nathan Blythe) about his terminal illness. But amidst all the conundrums to catch Volchek, Mark does not get a proper chance to talk to his senior.
Countdown Episode 8 explores our antagonist's backstory in depth, but the ending comes with a cliffhanging sequence.
Let's find out more about today's episode.
Countdown Episode 8 revisits how Volchek set foot with his business in the United States and how he finds his redemption in the present day
As seen in the flashbacks of Countdown Episode 8, back in 2021, Borys Volchek was a man who had more than enough wealth but nothing to do with it (he had embezzled millions of dollars in Belarus). So, he is seen drinking and spending his money for nothing until one evening he is approached by an influential figure named Lubomir Piskun.
Piskun offers to help him legalize his immense wealth by setting up a legitimate business on American soil. With his help, Volchek buys 10 private parking lots from a man named Rory Grogan, looking for a fresh start. It is at this point that we see one of the Hollywood trucks (the same freight company that Volchek uses in the present day to transport fissile material), and Volchek looks at it — quite the subtle way to connect the two stories.
However, the entire business deal with Volchek was a way to get him hooked on the United States and eventually catch him. It becomes evident when the flashbacks reveal that Volchek was approached by a man named John Ross from Fleet management.
Ross had handed him a requisition that allowed municipal vehicles to use Volchek's private parking lots. However, when our antagonist tried to find his way out of the fix by bribing a city official. Volchek was put behind bars, where the flashbacks reveal that he was beaten up quite badly by a group of goons. However, Mark and Finau's appearance in the scene at the police station (while Volchek was being detained) came totally out of the blue.
Volchek's humiliation at the hands of the Americans and the betrayal infuriated him to the extreme. So, he set up a meeting with Lubimor (who got him involved in all these in the very first place) and expressed his anguish.
Once again, in Countdown Episode 8, we see another cunning move by Volchek where he traps Lubimor inside his own car and blows it up. As it later appeared, Volchek, aka Vusovich, had passed away in a car explosion, and this is how the Belarusian terrorist was born.
Oliveras tries to persuade Meachum to tell the team about his brain tumor, and Nathan Blythe confronts Astapov with backup in Countdown Episode 8
Like we already know, Detective Mark Meachum has been suffering from a brain tumor for quite some time now, and it is affecting his focus on work as well. Seeing him struggle, Oliveras advises Mark to let others know about his condition, as it is what's best for the task force's crucial mission.
On the other hand, Blythe is seen paying a visit to the Belarusian Consulate in Countdown Episode 8, and this time, he comes in with full force to get information from Iosif Astapov. But when nothing works, he brings in backup from the White House in Washington, ensuring that Astapov is summoned for his non-cooperation.
The task force keeps tracking leads from the Sherman Oaks explosion while a mysterious truck shows up in front of a federal building
At the start of Countdown Episode 8, Mark Meachum is seen visiting the site of the explosion at Sherman Oaks (where the Belarusian Consulate's security officers got killed by Volchek — seen in Countdown Episode 7). After investigating the crime scene, Mark brings solid leads back to the FBI headquarters.
The owner of the house where the explosion took place is Joseph Horvat (who apparently is another fake identity used by Volchek), and it brings his connections to a company named VKN Ltd.
While all of this is ongoing, an American Postal truck appears out of nowhere in front of a federal building in Wilshere, and it has no number plates on. The development sees an immediate response from the LAPD and the bomb squad.
But as it turns out, it was a false alarm and the truck at cameras installed all over it. As it appears, Volchek used it as a trial run and tested the authorities' response to a pre-disaster situation.
Bell and Evans continue digging up leads, and thanks to their detective skills, the team finds a major lead. As Bell is seen saying in Episode 8:
"Six months ago, VKN purchased land just north of Santa Barbara iin Goleta."
It appears that ninety-five acres of land had been bought by this mysterious company to the north-east of Santa Barbara — the price of the farm is around 19 million USD, and it has a big structure with an estimated size of 19,000 square feet. As Blythe mentions, it is:
"Big enough to hold both our missing tractor-trailers."
Volchek's plans turn out deadlier than imagined as Countdown Episode 8 ends on a disappointing note
After finding the lead mentioned earlier, the entire task force heads to the farm in Goleta, and the amount of ammonium nitrate fertilizers they discover can be enough for 20 Oklahoma cities, which is approximately 45000 pounds of the chemical, loaded on the trucks (which are now in the movie).
Disturbed by this revelation, the team takes time off for the night to rest and come back the next day with a clear mind. However, Blythe seems to have no time for it. As we see in Countdown Episode 8, he sets up a secret meeting with Astapov to get information on Volchek — the clocks are ticking fast, and the Countdown to something big seems to have already started.
But when Agent Blythe arrives at the designated spot of the rendezvous (at the 3rd and Hill crossing), he finds Astapov's car waiting with its doors open. As he looks inside, to his utter horror, Blythe finds Astapov's throat cut and bleeding. His instincts drive him at that very moment, and as Blythe turns around, Volchek appears out of nowhere and stabs him in the abdomen.
The closing moments of Countdown Episode 8 leave the viewers with a cliffhanger as to whether Agent Blythe survives the hit.
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