Aahana Swrup
In ‘Countdown,’ the fates of every character remain precarious in a myriad of different ways. Be it the highly frequent near-death run-ins, Meachum’s cancer diagnosis, or Oliveras’ addiction problems, destiny seems to hang around on the horizon for each and every character. However, unlike our heroes, the central antagonist, Borys Volchek, seems to have a different relationship with his mortality. As Nathan Blythe and his task force discover in episode 9, titled ‘10-33,’ the Belarusian is planning on detonating a horrifying nuclear fissile bomb in the middle of the city, to put America through a tragic terrorist attack. Furthermore, his presence on the site seems to suggest that he’s willing to go out with his wicked creation. Thus, Volchek’s fate in the show, and that of the actor behind the character, Bogdan Yasinski, becomes more precarious than ever. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Volchek Dies Before His Nuclear Attack Can Succeed
Throughout the season, Volchek has been the most mysterious figure in the story. His narrative begins in Minsk, Belarus. An ill-advised deal, facilitated by his brother, ends up getting him in trouble with a corporate American espionage spy. Eventually, things transpire, and he finds himself running a food company of his own to make millions. From there, he goes on to indulge in some embezzling of state funds, which inevitably puts him on the government’s radar. As a result, the man ends up faking his own death, which he adds credibility to by sacrificing his own wife, and escapes to the States.
Volchek spends his initial venture into America at shady bars and at the bottom of an empty bottle. Nonetheless, soon enough, he tries to launder his illegal big bucks through acquiring a parking lot. Even so, this attempt is crushed through a sting operation. Thus, when Volchek finds himself once again on the wrong side of the law, becoming a fugitive again, this time for another country, he comes to a drastic conclusion. The Belarusian decides that since the Americans have time and again ruined his plans, he will deal them a horrifying blow. Using all his accumulated knowledge as a veteran, an agriculture industry official, and an explosive enthusiast, he comes up with the idea of detonating a nuclear bomb at the center of the Vine in Los Angeles.
Fortunately, Volchek has his work cut out for him as he finds himself going up against the best of the best: Nathan Blythe’s interdepartmental task force. In the end, their cat-and-mouse chase brings them to the Vine, where the team tries to neutralize the bomb and catch its maker in the same breath. While Agents Shepard and Bell have some luck with the explosives, Meachum and Oliveras find it more difficult to catch up to the terrorist. As a result, he has an opportunity to target the fissile-filled trucks high up from a roof. Still, despite the splitting migraines that Meachum’s condition throws at the LAPD cop, he manages to make it to Volchek in time. Thus, all it takes is one well-aimed bullet for Volchek’s life to come to an end. Ultimately, the terrorist dies, and his destructive cause seemingly goes out with him.
Bogdan Yasinski’s Future in Countdown Remains Precarious
So far, Bogdan Yasinski has been an integral part of ‘Countdown’ from the first episode. He has made appearances in some degree or another in the first ten episodes of season 1. In fact, his backstory is one of the prime mysterious plot lines that add an intriguing element to the otherwise crime thriller narrative. Still, with Volchek’s unexpected, but definitive death in episode 10, titled ‘The Muzzle Pile,’ it seems the actor’s run on the Prime Video show has come to an end. In the same episode, the story showcases a time jump of ten months in the aftermath of the Belurisian terrorist’s death. In that time, Nathan Blythe and his task force seem to have all moved on with their careers, engaging in different investigations and criminal cases. Notably, there seems to have been no chatter about Volchek’s cause. Thus, it’s evident that Los Angeles has closed its chapter on that particular incident.
In fact, a new threat seems to already be looming on the horizon. Ryan Fitzgerald, a Secret Service Agent, uncovers a possible plot to kill a Governor, and perhaps even the President of the United States. As a result, Blythe finds himself once again reuniting his team for another foray into saving the country. Depending on this new adversary and his possible connection to Volchek, the latter character might have a chance of remaining a relevant element in future episodes. Nonetheless, since his death seems definitive, and there’s no real reason to believe his cause has ties to this new threat, it seems fair to assume the character’s time on the show has simply ended. For the same reason, actor Yasinski’s fate on ‘Countdown’ also seems to be sealed, at least for the time being.
Read More: Countdown Episode 4 Recap: Is Drew Dead?
