Tag: Mark Meachum

Countdown Wraps Season One with Multiple Cliffhangers

Countdown Wraps Season One with Multiple Cliffhangers

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WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE COUNTDOWN SEASON FINALE!

You never know what to hope for with a season finale when you don’t know if you’ll get another season. Do you want the threads left dangling so there could be a possibility of more, or would you rather they get mostly tied up neatly just in case?

There are up sides to either, but there’s a lot I’ll be left wondering about if there’s no season 2. So I guess we cross our fingers?

Will They or Won’t They?

Many fans got invested in Mark Meachum and Amber Oliveras’ relationship, which has been a tease throughout the series. I would be fine with them being partners and friends and demonstrating real care for each other, and that might make the most sense if they’re going to keep being on the same task force together. On the other hand, there are undoubtedly some romantic feelings there between the characters, so I could see it going that way too.

The two do a lot more dancing around each other in this episode, with everyone watching seeing clearly that they both care about each other and are into each other, and possibly yelling at their screens when they are both with someone else. For Oliveras that’s Julio, who seems like a really great guy – but she just doesn’t seem that into him. For Meachum, there’s a new person, a fellow officer he reconnects with.

She was surprised he called; he was surprised she answered. They clearly have some history, but she says she was “between things” and her mom didn’t like the last guy, so why not?

Mark: What does she think about me?

Hannah: She can’t stand you.

He doesn’t seem either surprised or too bothered by this and neither does she, judging by their immediate makeout session in the doorway.

Oliveras texts him to hit her up about the case, but the (understandably) eager woman reminds Meachum “clock’s ticking”.

What an appropriate thing to say for a show called ‘Countdown’! Also, who can blame her?

Oliveras doesn’t look very happy about it the next morning when she sees that Meachum didn’t respond to her at all. She confronts him about it over coffee at HQ and Meachum is studiously casual.

Oliveras: Hey, you didn’t text be back.

Meachum: Oh, I didn’t…what did you want?

He claims he didn’t want to interrupt her and the doc’s romantic dinner by “inserting himself”. When she retorts that she was the one who texted him, he defensively says that maybe HE was having a romantic dinner.

Oliveras: Oh, where’d you take her, Pink’s Hotdogs?

Meachum: Don’t ever denigrate Pink’s.

I mean, he’s right. That was one of the first places we went on our first trip to LA. And they were good!

Oliveras and Meachum continue to snark at each other as they go after Todd. She says Julio is reliable and stable. Mark snarks that’s what every girl wants. (Gotta say, since we’re in a fictional media world, Mark is 100% right. The girl never stays with Mr. Reliable and Stable. Of course, she doesn’t know she’s in a TV show…)

Oliveras: Julio is not boring.

Meachum: Nah, he’s… steady… stable…

Oliveras: You’re exhausting.

Meachum isn’t giving up easily though. He reminds her that opposites don’t really attract, so when they try to be with someone from the ‘normal world’ it’s a disaster because they don’t get it and they never will.

Mark: So we push it down and we fake that we’re normal.

Oliveras: So, what? Break up with Julio and be with you? Because you’ve just been waiting for me, pining, all by your lonesome…

He says maybe he has.

She says he’s full of shit.

Meachum: You helped me through a tough time, okay? That means something to me. Whatever this is, it doesn’t require extra work. This is magic you can’t fake, and you know it. And I know it.

They get soooooooooo close and then…

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‘Countdown’ Season Finale is Next Week – Here’s What We Know About Mark Meachum

‘Countdown’ Season Finale is Next Week – Here’s What We Know About Mark Meachum

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As we head into the season finale of Countdown, I wanted to look back over the evolution of one of the show’s main characters, Mark Meachum (Jensen Ackles). We’ve gotten to know Mark better than any of the other task force members, and to be honest, it’s the fact that Jensen Ackles stars that got me watching in the first place. Like the others he’s brought to life so vividly, Ackles’ acting talent made Meachum an interesting character.

Let’s look back at what we know about Mark and what’s kept him feeling real and human, instead of an unrealistic bigger-than-life superhero. I value that about all the characters Ackles plays, even when he’s literally playing a “supe” (as in Solder Boy). We still see their humanity, and often their vulnerability too.

One of the reasons I hope there’s a Season 2 is that we don’t know very much about Mark Meachum’s past yet. Or even his personal life in the current one. We do get a few glimpses of domestic Mark, in his comfy little house or having a beer on his comfy little front porch.

We also get hints of a difficult and troubled childhood and adolescence, but I’d really like to know more. How have those experiences shaped who he is today?

And who IS he today?

Well, first off…

He’s a Charmer

Mark can come off like a jerk sometimes, and in fact he can sometimes BE a jerk. Especially when he feels rejected, so he needs to let that person know he does NOT care (because of course he does).

But he can also be both charming and adorable.

He turns that charm on Oliveras right from the start, though most of the time she’s not buying it.

As the internet would say, he’s pookie.

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One More Episode to Go for Season One of Countdown!

One More Episode to Go for Season One of Countdown!

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WARNING: SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 12!

Will Meachum Be Climbing the Ladder?

In the penultimate episode of Season 1, Todd gets scarier – and his threats get more personal – and Meachum contemplates his future, now that he has one.

Blythe asks him if he’s thought about moving up the ladder to Lieutenant or Captain, and when Meachum makes a joke of it, calls him on it.

Blythe: Your main problem is you sell yourself short. You make jokes because you’re insecure. You’re a natural leader, don’t have disdain for ambition.

Meachum: I didn’t know we were doing an FBI psych profile…

(Thereby proving Blythe’s point)

It seems like something that Meachum hasn’t really let himself consider, but he does often take the lead and the team follows him almost instinctively, so I think Blythe is onto something. Meachum has a lot of baggage though, and his defense mechanism of knocking himself down before someone else can do it keeps getting in his way.

He admits that to Blythe later that day.

Meachum: I was thinking about what you said this morning… I appreciate it. Sometimes I have a tendency to get in my own way with things, I don’t know why.

Blythe offers to put in a word for him with the LAPD higher ups.

He does start taking charge more, calling more of the shots when the team is out in the field and generally starting to seem like a leader.

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The Clock’s Ticking for Episode 9 of Countdown, “10-33”

The Clock’s Ticking for Episode 9 of Countdown, “10-33”

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SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 9 OF COUNTDOWN!!

This episode is one of my favorites so far. I’m always more drawn in by emotional drama than suspense/adventure, and this episode had plenty of it – plenty of both in fact!

How many times have I said that the beginning and ending of a Countdown episode is always so well done – and usually so impactful. This episode is no different. In fact, the first frames are hard to watch, Blythe trying to crawl back to his car with the knife still stuck in him, blood everywhere. For those of you Supernatural fans, it’s a Red Meat scenario when you’re really not sure the hero can survive, and you’re in awe of his determination.

It makes your stomach turn with how visceral it is. He somehow gets there, pops on the siren, gasping in pain, and calls in a breathless “10-33, corner of…” as he passes out.

Tick tick tick tick

Meachum’s Getting Worse

Meachum isn’t doing much better than Blythe at this point.

We see him once again in his bathroom, staring in the mirror, holding his head. Grimacing, he struggles to open the pill bottle for some relief and they spill all over the floor. He desperately scoops them up and takes some but the pain continues.

Sobbing, he splashes water on his face to try to keep going, then bangs his head against the wall in desperation. (If you’ve ever had a terrible migraine, you can understand that impulse as just trying to make it go away or temporarily replace it with some other pain even).

Once again, Ackles really makes us feel his pain and empathize with his incredible frustration. There is nobody better at conveying the intensity of his character’s pain – there’s a reason there were entire online communities devoted to “Hurt Dean Winchester” after all.

Meachum as the phone rings in the middle of his anguish: What??

He sits down, gasping for breath, struggling to compose himself as the phone keeps ringing, finally managing a somewhat normal sounding “Meachum” as he answers.

If you weren’t clutching your own head at this point, you’re a stronger person than I am!

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Things Get Serious in Countdown Episode 8, ‘The Nail In The Chair’

Things Get Serious in Countdown Episode 8, ‘The Nail In The Chair’

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SPOILERS FOR COUNTDOWN EPISODE 8!

This is a pivotal episode, and one that really amps up the feeling of desperation – on both sides.

Which is a good thing in terms of storytelling….

A Sad Man With Alot of Money

The story so far recap reminds us just how desperate and angry Volchek is – and how tragic his life has been. He is a terrible ruthless villain in this story, but actually seeing the losses and tragedies and betrayals that have shaped him also make him an understandable one. Shout out to Bogdan Yasinski once again for his nuanced portrayal – you are chilled by his ruthlessness but can also see his pain clearly.

We see a flashback to young Volchek and his doomed brother, who was taken advantage of and set up, and paid the price.

“I’m sorry I got you into this, brother…” And then the shot, and his brother dead by his own hand, unable to live with himself.

The title of the episode is explained right away, Volchek drinking at a bar, sharing a story about how Russians and Ukrainians and Belarussians sit on a nail on a chair. Belarussians, he says, would pretend it’s okay, pretend it’s comfortable, ask may I sit here all day?  It’s clear he’s talking about himself, how he’s been trying to handle his life that’s felt like sitting on a nail.

Eventually Volchek passes out and falls off the chair. Once he’s managed to make his way outside he’s approached by a man who knows who he is – “a sad man with a lot of money”. Wow, if that line isn’t relevant… He offers him protection. (That usually doesn’t go well, just saying).

In a flashback to 2021, “Mr. Vuso” meets with his banker, who suggests that he could disappear in America, have the American Dream. Volchek says he just wants to start over.  But the City of LA tells him they’ll requisition some of his parking lots for their vehicles, ruining his profits, so he tries to bribe them – which gets him arrested. He really has been screwed over repeatedly, and now everyone is paying the price.

There’s an eerie foreshadowing at the police station with Meachum and Finau literally crossing paths with their eventual adversary, then Volchek asks to see his lawyer. First he’s roughed up by the cop holding him, then by the other men in the holding cell who now see him as a rich guy. He gets brutally beaten by them and nobody does anything about it for far too long.  Bloodied and furious, Volchek is more dangerous than ever.

He still looks at photos of his wife on his phone as he waits to meet with his lawyer.

Probably not a job anyone should take, just saying.

Volchek: I was living my life. I absorbed the nail. Then they took my brother, they took my wife. I came to this country to see with my own eyes to see what kind of men could do these things. I thought maybe I was wrong, but it’s not the crops, it’s the very soil.  Sometimes the man gets up off the nail and smashes the chair to bits.

Me: Uh oh. Better run, lawyer dude!

He locks the guy in his car and blows it up.

Meachum and Oliveras: Sparks?

Meanwhile, the task force follows the leads they have. Meachum interrupts his domestic moment of cooking eggs on his stove to answer the phone and finds out about the dead Belarussian guys in Volchek’s basement.

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Episode 7 of Countdown – Suspicions, Twists and Unexpected Parallels

Episode 7 of Countdown – Suspicions, Twists and Unexpected Parallels

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SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 7 OF COUNTDOWN!

This show really knows how to start things off in a memorable way – this time it’s Mark Meachum doing pull ups on a beam in a barn, sleeveless tee and sweatpants and bare feet, juxtaposed with his adversary Volcheck working out by pummeling a heavy bag in a warehouse. Both men are sweating, grunting with exertion. The soundtrack is perfect, the lyrics ‘it’s a tick tick ticking time bomb’ foreshadowing their inevitable confrontation while also reminding us of the other time bomb – the one in Mark Meachum’s brain.

We’re clearly seeing them pitted against each other, more personally than we have before, with this intro. We also might be just sitting there kinda open mouthed watching Jensen Ackles do pull ups, not gonna lie.

Before we can recover from that, the scene transitions so quickly it’s disorienting from appreciating Meachum’s strength to watching him clutch his head after, vision blurring as he falls to the floor and curls up in agony.

The bars of the Countdown logo cage him in again, the tick tick tick of the clock counting down, as his phone rings, knowing he’s helpless to answer it.

There’s something about a big strong capable guy curled up in an almost fetal position on the floor that really leaves an impact. Ooof. Poor Mark.

Side note on this episode: As fandom works on a ship name for Oliveras and Meachum (I think Mamber is in the lead?),  I’m loving that Finau calls Mark “Meach”.

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Meachum and Oliveras Get A Little Closer: Countdown Episode 6

Meachum and Oliveras Get A Little Closer: Countdown Episode 6

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WARNING: SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 6 OF COUNTDOWN!

Episode 6 of Countdown (A Needle Or A Bullet) is a realistic look at just how convoluted the pursuit of someone like Volchek really is, which I appreciated. Showrunner and writer Derek Haas has said that he values that realism – enough that he’s been candid about none of the characters being “safe”. It’s realistic, given the task force’s situation, that any of them could be killed at any time, and I like that the show has put that on the table (as much as I might hate seeing any more of them die!) It ups the stakes and increases the suspense, and that’s a major part of what makes ‘Countdown’ compelling.

This episode also deepens the relationship between Meachum and Oliveras in some unexpected ways, which leaves me very curious to see how things unfold going forward.

I also like that the tension doesn’t just come from the will-they-or-won’t-they-survive question. The ‘countdown’ clock in Mark Meachum’s head is also ticking more and more loudly, which gives an underlying urgency to the episode. I find that character-focused personal countdown more compelling than the ‘save LA’ one. It’s usually the characters and their individual dilemmas that draw me into a series, much more than the “big story”. So I appreciate that ‘Countdown’ is taking us a little deeper into the task force members’ personal challenges. There are a lot of them, so I still don’t know much about some of them, but I’ve gotten enough tidbits that I’m curious to know more.

We know Meachum the best at this point; Ackles was my entry point for the show, so that works for me so far. (Side note: We also got an Entertainment Weekly cover story featuring Jensen Ackles and Jessica Camacho this week, so it was a good week for Countdown fans!)

Side note: Dean Winchester homage? That would be just like Ackles.

We do get a tiny bit of backstory for Finau and Bell in this episode too. In Finau’s past, he found a kid with his head stomped in, from a gang initiation, and vowed to “bust up shit like that”. What they’re doing, he says, feels important. He’s so Mothers Milk coded!

Bell confides that there’s never been a black Deputy Director of the FBI – he’s going to be the first. That ambition is part of what’s driving him to throw his all into the mission.

The episode’s beginning and ending are both perfect – it starts with a bang. Literally.

We get Mark Meachum at the target range, protective shades making him look even more badass than usual, taking turns target shooting with Oliveras.

She challenges him and he coolly raises his pistol and hits all five targets one right after the other.

Meachum: Marksman, highest ranking. But I would never say that…

It’s interesting to see the evolution of their partnership in how she responds to his not-bragging-but-bragging. She doesn’t get annoyed; this time there’s grudging admiration and maybe even a bit of fondness. I mean, there’s no question that Meachum is endearing, is there?

(Or that he’s an expert marksman. Good thing his medical condition isn’t impacting his precision, even if that’s a little hard to believe. Procedural memory (aka muscle memory) is pretty resilient, though, so I’ll go with it)

Jensen Ackles Gets His Tom Cruise On

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Countdown Episode 5 Brings the Capers and the Emotional Gut Punch!

Countdown Episode 5 Brings the Capers and the Emotional Gut Punch!

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WARNING: SPOILERS FOR COUNTDOWN EPISODE 5!

The fifth episode of Countdown sees the team closing in on Volchek – and Volchek very nearly closing in on them! That means there’s a high level of suspense throughout, with some Mission Impossible type capers that leave you biting your nails.

It’s also an episode that amps up a different kind of suspense – the question of how Mark Meachum is going to keep going as his pain and dizziness worsen. He’s kept himself isolated by not confiding in anyone, and that sense of isolation is becoming painful too – and dangerous. We care about him enough now to be worried as hell, and all of us can hear that countdown clock ticking away in Meachum’s head.

Shout out to Jensen Ackles for letting us see Mark Meachum and his struggles so vividly in this episode, from his anguish to his charm to his badass fighting-in-a-tux skills. If you weren’t a Mark Meachum fan before, this episode is probably gonna fix that!

The sense of danger also gets amped up in this episode because we get some more background on Volchek through flashbacks (spoiler alert, that’s not his real name) and the timeline of his descent into psychopath territory after his brother’s suicide. He’s a man ruthless enough to sacrifice people he claims to love to save himself, and one who’s motivated and consumed by revenge. In other words, he’s very very dangerous.

Which is exactly how you want the viewing audience to feel about the protagonists’ adversary! He’s not cartoonish, but he is scary.

Volchek is trying hard to figure out who the mysterious man is who broke out of prison with Durko’s nephew – it feels like only a matter of time before he figures out it’s Meachum. He already knows he wasn’t a “real” prisoner.  (This episode is full of Volchek almost figuring it out, and then thwarted by the task force being one step ahead of him, especially when it comes to technology.)

That’s thanks to Evan, who had the foresight and tech skill to switch out the team’s photos on their law enforcement websites in case someone starts looking there to match up faces – which is of course exactly what Volchek is doing.

But Mark Meachum does not look like Jensen Ackles. Hah!

Finau when he sees his fake photo: But he’s white…

Evan to Meachum when he sees his new photo and gives her props: I accept all major credit cards, or Venmo if that’s easier for you…

I like Evan. I hope she’s not a mole. (There’s persistent speculation that someone is, but I like them all at this point!)

Meanwhile, Blythe calls in a favor from an influential friend to try to get the DA off their back with a persuasive speech.

“Nathan Blythe is protecting the citizens of this country, so leave him alone and stay out of the way. Have sense enough to pick good people to do what needs to be done and the self restraint to not meddle with them while they do it.”

We’ll see if the DA really does back off, but he wants his “train to keep on rolling”, so I’m guessing he will. Reluctantly.

Meachum and Oliveras Get to Know Each Other A Little Better

The relationship between Oliveras and Meachum stays strained even as they work together. He confronts her about keeping some of that brick of heroin.

Oliveras: I do what I have to do to save innocent lives.

Meachum: That’s bullshit.

Oliveras: The cartel doesn’t play by the rules, why should we?

Meachum then spits it right out, asking her if she’s using, saying he’ll ride or die but needs to know exactly where that edge is. She doesn’t answer, deflecting by accusing him of being an LA kid who probably dabbled. That’s how we finally find out some Mark Meachum backstory – the fandom has been eagerly awaiting that!

Meachum: For one, I’m not an LA kid. Victorville, a desert rat. Drove cars too fast, spray painted graffiti, swore I’d leave the desert and never come back or you end up working at a Citgo or a rubber factory and never leave town.

He also apparently dropped out of high school and was given a choice of what armed forces branch to serve in – he flipped a coin.

For her part, Oliveras knows something is up with Meachum too. As they’re heading out, he gets stabbing pains in his head and hides it from the team by saying he’ll take the stairs.

He then gets dizzy and falls down a flight and passes out!

By the time Oliveras comes looking for him, he’s up and insisting he forgot his keys, but she clearly doesn’t buy it.

Mark Meachum In A Hoodie!

Later we see Mark spin out in his bathroom. It’s one of those scenes that Ackles excels at, the strong unemotional guy with his walls down, vulnerable looking in a gray hoodie and bare feet, hair disheveled (not a complaint at ALL).  The Supernatural fandom already has a weakness for injured-sick-suffering Ackles in a hoodie, so this scene really hit hard.

The cinematography for this show really works sometimes, and this scene is one of those. We see him from above, adding to the sense of vulnerability, in the middle of the small room, penned in, alone, time running out.

He’s on the phone begging his doctor for stronger meds.

Meachum: I fucking blacked out on the stairs today, I can’t come to see you, lives are at stake – I need you to write me a goddamn prescription for my fucking headaches!

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Who Is Countdown’s Mark Meachum? (And Why Do We Already Love Him?)

Who Is Countdown’s Mark Meachum? (And Why Do We Already Love Him?)

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I’m four episodes in to the new Prime Video show ‘Countdown’, and three of those have aired for everyone. That means it’s been enough time for Tumblr to have a plethora of gifs for fans of Jensen Ackles to appreciate, as only Ackles fans can. I’m counting myself in there, so no judgment!

I’ll have a review of episode four coming up once it’s aired, but before that happens, I wanted to write a bit more about Mark Meachum. He’s already a fan favorite, and that’s no surprise.

(Spoilers for ‘Countdown’ Episodes 1 – 3)

There’s a reason why fans follow Ackles from show to show – some have been watching him since his first acting gig on the soap Days Of Our Lives! I didn’t discover his talent until Dean Winchester swept me off my feet on Supernatural, but I dutifully went back and watched most of what I’d missed, though I confess not all of his run on Days and a few other very early guest appearances. Since Supernatural, we’ve seen him portray Dean Winchester again on ‘The Winchesters’, Russell Shaw on ‘Tracker’, Beau Arlen on ‘Big Sky’ and Soldier Boy on ‘The Boys’. A lucky fandom indeed!

Even four episodes in, we’re already seeing Mark Meachum as a fully faceted character, thanks to both Derek Haas’ script and Jensen’s acting talents.

The Many Facets of Mark Meachum

So, what do we know about Mark Meachum?

He’s cocky and confident, at least on the surface. He’s also very attractive, so he clearly gets away with it – in fact, we love to see it.

In part we love to see it because we also get to see him get the piss taken out of him repeatedly, and he takes it with grumbling good humor. He may be cocky, but he’s not a narcissist, which makes him likable in spite of his brashness.

It also makes him funny! Ackles is so good at comedy, every expression or gesture playing up the humor but subtle enough to be realistic. I laughed out loud at Oliveras letting the door slam on him.

He’s got guts – probably too many if he wants to stay alive long term, but of course we know that’s not what he’s counting on. He careens headlong into danger like he doesn’t give a damn, a big damn hero. That too is very attractive.

Yes, I will repeat this phrase a few times, be prepared.

He’s also got a sensitive side.

It’s not one that he wants anyone else to see, so it’s extra compelling when we first see Mark take down some of his walls and be vulnerable. He does that literally, stripping off layers of clothing and armor to confront himself and his own mortality in the mirror, not hiding his pain for once.

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‘Countdown’ Premieres With a Wild Ride!

‘Countdown’ Premieres With a Wild Ride!

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The new streaming series ‘Countdown’ premiered in the wee hours of the morning on Prime Video, much to the delight of scores of waiting fans. If you haven’t had a chance to watch it yet, there are no big spoilers in this review, but there is some description of the characters we’re introduced to and the events of the first three episodes. Which I loved!

‘Countdown’ follows an LAPD officer who is recruited to a secret task force to solve a murder. In the process a sinister plot to take down the whole city is uncovered, upping the stakes considerably.  The show is a high energy, suspenseful rollercoaster ride, with all the epic chase scenes and fight scenes and explosive surprises that you might expect from this kind of show. Its characters, however, are unexpectedly complex, badass but also surprisingly vulnerable (as much as they try to hide it). The cast are as interesting a group as the task force itself, all of them talented enough to pull the complexity off.

‘Countdown’ stars Jensen Ackles as Mark Meachum, a rebel of an LAPD officer who isn’t afraid to go undercover (like, seriously undercover) and is a veteran of another task force with a similarly challenging mission. I’ve been a fan of Jensen Ackles for twenty years, ever since Supernatural’s Dean Winchester captured my heart, so I couldn’t wait to meet his new character.

And what a meeting it is!

Meachum is a badass with probably too much courage and bravado for his own good. When we meet him, he doesn’t look on the side of the law in any way, long haired and scruffy in prison scrubs (which totally works for Ackles because of course it does. I mean, Soldier Boy, ahem…)

He’s also holding his own in a brawl in the yard. And let me tell you, there’s nothing Ackles fans love more than watching his character go absolutely feral, kicking and snarling and showing off his fighting prowess.

Fandom: Who’s that actor and how’d he get that job?

Ackles isn’t afraid to get (literally) down and dirty, manhandled and thrown to the ground and athletically kicking anything and everything in range even as he’s held back by some burly guards. (His stunt double of course did some of this, but that was Ackles getting thrown around at some points too – much to his delight!)

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