Countdown season 1 episode 4 ending explained: Does Mark's team succeed at catching Volchek?

Countdown season 1 episode 4, Bite 'Em Down, was released on July 2, 2025, on Amazon Prime Video. Directed by Chris Grismer and written by the show's creator and showrunner, Derek Haas. Episode 3 ended with a shootout between Mark's team and Mikhail and Volchek, both of whom escape unscathed. Mikhail's nephew, Timur, loses his life, while the SSA Damon Drew is fatally shot.

In the fourth episode, Mark and his fellow agents track down Mikhail and force him to arrange a meeting with Volchek. They set up a trap to catch the criminal mastermind, but he outsmarts the special task force and doesn't get caught.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Countdown season 1 episode 4.

Mark and his team go after Mikhail and Volchek in Countdown season 1

An image of Nathan Blythe and his special task force (Image via Instagram/@realericdane)

Countdown season 1 episode 4 picks up at the scene of the shootout, where the former DHS agent Damon Drew is bleeding profusely. Mark rushes him to the hospital, but Drew succumbs to his injuries and dies in surgery. His death is a big blow to his colleagues, who feel even more determined to complete the mission in his honor.

Back at the office, Mark informs his team about seeing a map of the Los Angeles port, some blueprints, and the name 'Gallagher' in Mikhail's basement. Evan's research into the dance hall where the shootout took place leads her to the name Mikhail Durko, whom Mark identifies as Timur's uncle. After tracking down his home address, the team arrests his wife, Tatsiana.

She feigns ignorance during her interrogation, until Mark and Amber threaten to implicate her as an accomplice in the terrorist plot to destroy America. To save herself, Tatsiana helps the task force set up a meeting with Mikhail in Central Plaza, Chinatown.

When Mikhail arrives to meet his wife, he notices Mark and realizes that he's been set up. He runs in the opposite direction, with Mark's team chasing him down the metro station before finally catching him.

Borys Volchek as seen in Countdown season 1 episode 4 (Image via Amazon Prime Video)

However, Mikhail proves to be a tough nut to crack, forcing Mark's team to create a different plan. They zero in on Dmitry, the man who drove Mark and Timur to Mikhail's dance hall. After visiting his workplace, Amber plants a packet of heroin on him to force him to cough up dirt on Mikhail. He reveals that Mikhail has an illegitimate daughter, Anya, who studies at Cal State Northridge.

Evan, who bears a striking resemblance to Anya, speaks to Mikhail in the interrogation room. She and Blythe threaten to ruin Anya's future unless he complies. Mikhail gives in at last and discloses that he rented his basement to Volchek in exchange for cash, but didn't know that he was planning a terrorist plot.

Using their system of communication, Mikhail sets up a meeting with Volchek at the Van Nuys airport at 8 pm. Mark's team, who is armed and ready at the spot, barges in as a man approaches Mikhail, but he turns out to be a decoy.

From a distance, Volchek watches the team struggle to comprehend how he knew about their plan beforehand. He heads to a nearby theater and reflects on spotting the task force around Mikhail when he was leaving a signal for their meeting at their designated spot.

Also read: Countdown season 1 episode 3 ending explained: What did Meachum find?

DA Valwell clashes with Nathan Blythe in Countdown season 1

An image of the District Attorney Grayson Valwell from Countdown season 1 (Image via Amazon Prime Video)

In the wake of Drew's death, District Attorney Valwell decides to recall the LAPD detectives, Meachum and Finau, from the task force and reassign them to in-office special units. But Blythe pushes back against his orders.

Suspecting an ulterior motive, Blythe inquires about Valwell's past from Bell, as his father worked with the DA in the 1990s. Bell mentions that Valwell had risked his career to bring the criminals who murdered young girls to justice.

At the end of Countdown season 1 episode 4, Damon's widow, Cora, speaks to the officers and urges them to carry on their mission, despite the setback.

Watch the latest episodes of Countdown season 1 exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

About the author

Deepti is an entertainment writer at Sportskeeda. She comes with more than 6 years of experience in the creative writing field and has written extensively for the entertainment and travel domains.

She holds a degree in Chemistry, but her true interest always lay in the creative field. A passion for reading from a young age fueled her desire to make a career change later in life and take up writing as her profession.

Apart from reading, her hobbies include watching movies, listening to music, and going to the beach. In her free time, she can be found looking up reviews of new and old films to add to her watchlist. She also enjoys watching foreign language films that help expand her knowledge base regarding different cultures around the world.

Asked to describe herself, she would promptly mention that she is a die-hard Swiftie and enjoys nothing more than listening to Taylor Swift songs on loop while writing.

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Edited by pratigya dhali