Aahana Swrup
‘Zero Day’ is a Netflix political thriller show that follows a former President who finds himself in the middle of a nationwide catastrophe and its polarizing aftermath. Over a decade after his one-term Presidency, George Mullen returns to the political landscape after a large-scale cyber-attack shakes the country’s consciousness. While conspiracy theories run wild regarding the attack, the government sets up a Zero Day Comission that is charged with the responsibility of unearthing the people behind the attack—and puts George in charge.
Consequently, the man finds himself armed with unprecedented power and an unwavering responsibility to the truth. Yet, complications lurk in the shadows and his opposers—including his own daughter, Congresswoman Alexandra Mullen—become boulders in his path. Evan Green, host of his talk show at AAM News, is one such opponent who adds a nuanced dynamic within this drama full of political landmines.
Evan Green is a Fictional Modern Political Pundit
‘Zero Day’ charts a riveting path as it brings forth multiple politically ripe storylines and narratives, utilizing its fictional confines to present a story about real-life nuances. Consequently, even though most characters and the events they undergo are works of fiction, they inherently mirror varying aspects of reality. Evan Green, one such fictional character credited to creators Eric Newman, Noah Oppenheim, and Michael Schmidt, is a prime example of this. While the audience may be able to find TV personalities with the same name—whether behind the scenes of filmmaking or Australian journalism—the show’s Evan Green has no direct connections to any potential off-screen counterparts. Similarly, the AAM, American Access Media Channel, which hosts his “The Evan Green Show,” is also a fictionalized element.
Instead, Evan’s character seems to have taken a cumulative inspiration from a number of real-life political pundits. Over the past few years, many people have made a career and a reputation for themselves through political commentary. Through radio shows, news segments, or even individual podcasts, these commentators assemble their viewerships and communities, over time gathering significant influence and social currency as famous personalities and celebrities. Some examples of the same include Tucker Carlson, a conservative political commentator, and Steven Kenneth Bonnell II, a.k.a. Destiny, a live streamer and liberal-leaning political commentator.
Much like Evan, these off-screen political commentators also use their platforms to discuss and advocate for their respective politics—and often even invite others to engage in political debates or discussions. Although Evan doesn’t seem to be based on either Carlson or Destiny, his on-screen character exists in the same off-screen conceptual circles. Furthermore, his characterization expands to include the idea of conspiracy theories and how they can affect the public’s perception of the political climate they’re living in. Therefore, by pitching him as an adversary against the protagonist, George Mullen, the show gets to explore the nuances of a commonplace but profound politician vs journalist dynamic.
Evan Green Highlights the Hypocrisy of Public Figures
One of the notable things about Evan Green that firmly fuels his antagonistic influence on the story—despite his fairly nuanced characterization—is his disregard for the politics he preaches. Even though he’s a radical leftist who claims to be a part of the working class, the reality couldn’t be farther from the truth for him. Over the course of his lucrative career, Evan has managed to reign in a lot of cash. Consequently, he lives in a villa, overran with domestic workers and other luxuries. Furthermore, he regularly partakes in tax evasion tactics to safeguard his wealth while using his platform to stoke people’s anger and fear by preaching radical politics. Thus, his anti-establishment, anti-banking, and various other perceived political beliefs turn out to just be a front.
Despite his public persona, Evan notoriously exploits and abuses the system for his own favor. As a result, his conspiracy theories and criticisms of the government all effectively remain a cash cow rather than a genuine part of his belief system. Through this storyline, ‘Zero Day’ highlights the exploitative nature of certain political pundits. Dan Stevens, who portrays the character, spoke with Netflix about the same. He said, “Evan Green represents a corner of the media that claims to stand up for the common citizen, but he comes from a place of extreme wealth and privilege. We’re really trying to showcase the hypocrisy of people like that.”
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