Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Zero Day!
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Summary
- Robert De Niro shines in Netflix’s Zero Day as former President Mullen, leading an investigation following a terrorist attack.
- The Zero Day attack origins are uncovered as a plot by members of the US government.
- Mullen’s daughter turns herself in, exposing government officials’ involvement in the attack.
Robert Deniro has finally done it. He’s starred in a television show courtesy of Netflix‘s Zero Day. The veteran actor takes on the role of former President George Mullen in a role that will almost certainly remind politicos of Joe Biden thanks to the fact that it’s hinted at quite strenuously that he was a popular Democrat who stepped down and didn’t run for a second term. Mullen even suffered a family tragedy much like Biden did in his son dying, though the circumstances of that death are quite different than the real-life Beau Biden.
Despite fading from the public spotlight, Mullen is tasked with leading an investigation after hackers trigger something called Zero Day that shuts down all electronics and interferes with modern communication devices like cell phones all across the country for one minute. After the attack is over, the hackers send a message that is both a warning and a threat saying “this will happen again.” There is a degree of difficulty with Mullen leading the investigation that is also reminiscent of Biden as he seems to be suffering from some sort of memory loss or possible dementia that has him losing time and becoming quite confused from time to time.
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What Happens In Zero Day?
When the Zero Day attack first occurs, there are quite a few people in the government who believe it was of Russian origin. There are, in fact, some people who were so convinced it’s the US’s old nemesis that Mullen presents evidence to the contrary just before current President Evelyn Mitchell (played by Angela Bassett) that the Zero Day attacks were actually a product of an extremist group based in the United States, with the Russian references being nothing more than red herrings.
The idea that its some sort of anti-government plot from within drives the rest of Zero Day, especially when Mullen’s staffer who has been close with him since the White House – Jesse Plemons in a suitably slimey role – continues cherry picking evidence to push the investigation in that direction.
The investigation by the Zero Day commission is aided by the fact that President Mitchell has given them broad powers to check out clues and follow leads, including arresting people without warrants and refusing to allow them to talk to their lawyers. Such an occurrence happens when Mullen has a Sean Hannity or Alex Jones style talk-show host, Evan Green (played by Dan Stevens) scooped up in a raid, tortured and held for weeks without talking to anyone but his lawyer who is only allowed to see him to try and convince him to cooperate.
As it turns out, an extremist group behind the Zero Day attacks is also a red herring. It turns out that some members of the group who are fans of Green did participate; the real masterminds of the attack were various members of the federal government, including the Speaker of the House, Richard Dreyer (Matthew Modine).
As it turns out, an extremist group behind the Zero Day attacks is also a red herring.
Dreyer, as well as other members of Congress, including Mullen’s daughter, Alexandra Mullen (Lizzy Kaplan) planned the attack with the help of a female version of Elon Musk (Gabby Hoffman playing Monica Kidder) in order to try and send a message to the American people that they were in danger and that peace and security were very fragile.
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As former President Mullen zeroes in on the people behind the Zero Day attacks, he’s cautioned that exposing that so many members of congress were involved will destroy the American Public’s confidence in its government in a way that’s never happened before. He seems to be convinced to engage in a coverup that will blame Kidder (who was previously arrested and then murdered in her cell) as the sole person behind things.
How Zero Day Ends
At the end of Zero Day, Mullen goes to address Congress and the nation about the final commission report and begins to read a speech that doesn’t mention that members of congress, however he eventually stops (after suffering from hallucinations stemming from the death of his son) and reverses course, spilling all the beans, including pointing the finger at Speaker Dreyer as Dreyer stands behind him, expecting to go untouched.
The reveal also includes that Mullen’s daughter was one of those involved officially and more importantly, has already turned herself in. The implication is that she’ll offer evidence of Dreyer and other members of congress named by the former president. The six-episode series wraps up with a montage of shots of the American public silently nodding in approval of Mullen’s reveals, showing that in fact, the public can handle these kinds of things and that covering them up for their own good was never the right call.
Netflix
- founded
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August 29, 1997
- notable shows
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Stranger Things, The Witcher, Orange is The New Black
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