‘Countdown’ Creator Dreams of a ‘Chicago P.D.’ Reunion: Jesse Lee Soffer Meets Jensen Ackles

Countdown Season 1 ended on a cliffhanger, teasing a potential Season 2. The show’s creator, Derek Haas, has since spoken about a potential crossover with a Chicago P.D. actor.

Speaking to TV Insider, Haas expressed a desire to get Jesse Lee Soffer, one of the stars of Haas’ other show Chicago P.D., on board for Countdown Season 2. “Believe me, that’s crossed my mind,” he said. “I don’t know that we can get him, but that would be really fun. I guess he was an Army Ranger also, and it’s like maybe he and Meachum [Jensen Ackles] were in the same unit. It was like a Halstead Meachum reunion. That sounds awesome. Crossover!”

Haas also said that he expects any new characters to shake things up. “I learned that doing the Chicago shows,” he said. “Anytime you bring in somebody new, you get a whole new dynamic shift in the traits of the group. I always loved that on Chicago Fire,” he continued. “I think about Stella Kidd on that show. She came in Season 3. Now she’s the star, on the front of the poster of that show. So it just feels like we’ve got worlds that we could still explore on this one. So, fingers crossed.”

Image via Prime Video

Countdown stars Jensen Ackles of Supernatural fame as LAPD detective Mark Meachum. Meachum joins a covert task force after the murder of a Department of Homeland Security officer. He, alongside other agents, is tasked with tracking down the murderer while revealing a darker conspiracy in the process. The series features additional performances from Jessica Camacho, Violett Beane, Elliot Knight, Uli Latukefu, and Eric Dane.

Countdown’s Solid Streaming Performance

Months after its release, Countdown continues to perform well on streaming. The series still ranked as the number three most-streamed show on Prime Video months after its release. Its success comes in spite of polarizing critical opinions. The series currently has a 35% critic score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes and a much stronger 71% from audiences. The infamous Season 1 cliffhanger left viewers in shock, especially since there is no guarantee that a second season on the cards.

Haas, however, has expressed that he stands by his cliffhanger. According to Haas, he will do what he wants regardless. “People pull their punches because they think, ‘Will we get renewed?” he said. “If we don’t get renewed, then it’s not a complete story, and audiences will feel betrayed. ‘I don’t give a s**t, I’m doing it.”