Aahana Swrup
With the emergence of a new threat in ‘Countdown,’ Blythe and the rest of the task force armor find themselves back in the throes of an intricate investigation. This time around, a new face, Secret Service Agent Ryan “Fitz” Fitzgerald, joins the team. Furthermore, after a short time away, Oliveras makes her way back to the squad, albeit with a minor change in her life that makes her dynamic with Meachum just a little bit more awkward. Nonetheless, despite the tension between them, the duo manages to work well together, farming the right kind of leads. In turn, Shepherd and Bell prove to be a great team of their own. As a result, they get one step closer to cracking the secrets behind the previously impenetrable manifesto. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Oliveras Returns, Sparking Tension Between Her and Meachum
During the debriefing about the mysterious Sniper’s cabin, the task force finds itself in for a pleasant surprise. As it turns out, DEA Agent Amber Oliveras, who was previously the only agent missing from the group’s sophomore mission together, has finally returned. Her comeback can be credited to Blythe, who pulled a few strings to ensure her reassignment. However, her return also comes with some complications. Eight months ago, after the end of their original mission involving Volchek, Oliveras convinced Meachum to seek an experimental medical treatment for his cancer diagnosis. In light of this decision, the duo agreed to give their possible romance a chance in the aftermath of the detective’s treatment.
Yet, it seems this promise fizzled out somewhere down the line. Consequently, Oliveras is now dating Julio, her longtime friend, and the same doctor who is helming Meachum’s treatment. Naturally, this initially causes much tension between the duo. The fact that the Singapore-based company, which is tied to the ownership of the Sniper’s cabin, also refuses to cooperate doesn’t help matters either. Fortunately, the latter problem has a quick fix, requiring only one call to the governor, George Shelby, whose intervention persuades the Singaporean delegation to shed their hostile act. Consequently, soon enough, the DEA Agent and the detective are able to get their hands on the list of renters who had frequented the cabin in the last few years. As for their personal plight, a genuine conversation and an apology go a long way.
The Sniper’s Backstory Unravels
Similar to Volchek’s story, this episode finds the narrative dipping its toes in some of the backstory for the presumed Sniper on the team’s radar, nicknamed Todd by Meachum. Late 2023 proves to be a difficult time for the man. For yet undisclosed reasons, he has had to take time off his job to deal with his grief over a development in his life. Notably, he seems to enjoy hunting to ground himself and find a moment of calm. However, his apparent inclination toward violence, once catching his prey, offers a troubling suggestion about the condition of his psyche. Although his close friend and girlfriend are likely unaware of this part of his routine, they’re still concerned about his extended vacation from work.
However, the Sniper soon finds out there’s an ulterior motive behind this concern. As it turns out, his friend and his girlfriend are actually having an affair behind his back, enjoying their trysts at his very house. Once the hunter learns about the same, he resorts to drastic measures. Instead of confronting either party about this infidelity, Sniper ends up kidnapping his girlfriend’s dog, Little Precious. Later, he takes the puppy out to the hunting grounds and sets it free. Although we don’t get to see what becomes of the canine’s fate, it’s safe to assume Little Precious isn’t safe with the vengeful hunter.
TK Leads the Team to the Sniper
Initially, background checks on the various renters of the Sugarloaf cabin bring up a red flag for an ex-convict named TK. As a result, while Bell and Shepherd continue to look into his background, the rest of the team is deployed to pay a visit to his home address. Nonetheless, the mission remains unsuccessful when the target manages to outrun Meachum and Oliveras on his motorcycle. In the aftermath, Blythe picks the FBI Agents to run the second operation and visit TK’s ex-wife. Although the latter attempts to fool the Agents by claiming to have no connection to her ex-husband, Bell easily sees through her ruse. Therefore, following one small chase sequence, he’s able to finally catch the target.
In the ensuing interrogation, Meachum and Oliveras try to use TK’s cultish beliefs against him to get him to spill his incriminating secrets. As a result, they find out that the man has nothing to do with the cabin himself. Instead, he has been receiving payments from another stranger to rent out the cabin in his name for the latter’s use. This compels Shepherd to look through the ex-convict’s laptop to track down the communication servers he used to contact the stranger. To everyone’s surprise, the Sniper seems to be expecting a message from the authorities. Shortly after Shepherd makes contact, the suspect sends over the key required to break his complicated encryption. Therefore, Blythe realizes that the Sniper intentionally wants the authorities to read his manifesto, bringing up even more questions about his motive.
Read More: Countdown Episode 10 Recap: The Muzzle Pile
