Netflix's Zero Day is devoid of meaningful commentary

Netflix’s Zero Day begins shortly before a massive cyberattack reaches all corners of the country, shutting down electrical grids and disabling devices of all kinds for a single minute, leaving death, destruction, and fear in its wake with the promise of another, more severe attack to come. In the aftermath, Robert De Niro’s George Mullen—former President of the United States who inexplicably resigned after his first term, remembered as the last Commander-in-Chief with bipartisan support—is recruited by current POTUS Evelyn Mitchell (Angela Bassett) to lead the “Zero Day Commission” and find those responsible before they follow through on their threat. Thus, Mullen begins his descent down a twisted rabbit hole, complicated by increasing neurological issues and a country on the brink of revolt, and the latter is only heightened as Congress gives the Commission the power to supersede citizens’ constitutional rights to uncover the truth.

Zero Day boasts an unbelievably stacked and talented cast. In addition to De Niro and Bassett, Lizzy Caplan, Joan Allen, and Connie Britton (amongst others) also assist in expanding this world. Unfortunately, not even this outstanding cast can save this weak and ill-paced limited series consisting of a mere six episodes. It seems as though the easily recognizable cast was a decision made to help the audience quickly warm to the characters. Personally, this tactic doesn’t ever sit well with me. Additionally, there were several issues with the story, from a lackluster exploration of the terrorist attack to confounding messaging meant specifically to comment on our current political climate, which in many ways felt problematic and narrow-minded.

First and foremost, let’s discuss the neurological issues Mullen faces amid his task to find the culprits behind the attack and prevent another of greater magnitude. Without getting too specific, as I don’t want to spoil everything should anyone have an interest in watching, Mullen is showcasing clear signs of dementia. He’s forgetting important things—things pertinent to the attack and investigation, but also much more—and experiencing hallucinations, some of which drive him to actions he wouldn’t have committed otherwise. He chooses to hide the symptoms, while (unbeknownst to him) his inner circle is increasingly aware and assisting in covering it up. Eventually, Zero Day poses a question: Is Mullen’s health deteriorating or is this a neurological attack based on a weapon the NSA was developing, but left unfinished, in the past?

Ultimately, there’s no clear answer; this is one of many threads left unresolved by the end, open to interpretation. Obviously, at least in part, this is inspired by former President Biden and the discussions regarding his mental state that eventually led to his withdrawal from the 2024 election. But, Zero Day both doesn’t treat this topic seriously, at least not where it counts. Not once is the severity of the situation properly addressed by someone actively calling out how irresponsible it is for Mullen to continue serving as the head of this Commission while experiencing these symptoms. Concerns are raised by his loved ones, and he later undergoes testing with a professional, but we see him hide symptoms while completing the testing. There was potential for the story to lead into a meaningful discussion about a very prevalent issue in the country. Instead, even without a clear answer about what was causing these symptoms, Mullen’s refusal to consider stepping down is justified by the outcome, offering no material exploration and further resulting in this narrative choice being wholly unnecessary to include.

Likewise, but perhaps the most frustrating aspect of Zero Day, is the messaging. Yes, in the end, the truth matters… and that’s about all the series did right. Tackling our sociopolitical climate is a beast of a challenge and impossible to do within such a small window, but that doesn’t stop Zero Day from offering the briefest of whimpers and patting itself on the back for what I felt were egregiously privileged and ignorant takes. On multiple occasions, and it’s unclear how exactly the series meant for these moments to be interpreted for a variety of reasons, the dialogue seems to equalize those in the “fringes” on both sides of the aisle—the alt-right neo-Nazis that have taken the country hostage and the so-called “radical left” who want to abolish the police and respect others’ pronouns—as comparable threats to democracy, with only the sane in-between. It comes across as abhorrently tone-deaf, only made worse that the message the series leaves the audience with is, essentially, to stop listening to those on the fringes. Historically speaking, when has a problem been solved by ignoring it and hoping it goes away?

It continues on to preach the importance of bipartisanship and coming together to find common ground, a common good, that unites the people. It’s an idyllic take, perfect for a different world or a world from several decades ago maybe, but altogether an overly simplistic view of the present day, despite the show’s reoccurring comments about Mullen not being aware of how the world has changed since his presidency. Furthermore, as it preaches about bipartisanship, Zero Day simultaneously ignores or pretends that the elected officials representing those on the fringes (but once again I’m singling in on the alt-right here) don’t share in their constituents’ repugnant views and beliefs, which is a rather appalling aspect to leave out when lecturing the audience about bipartisanship and democracy.

Overall, Zero Day offers nearly nothing meaningful either in storytelling or performance. It believes it is doing something important and impactful, while ultimately being a masterclass in privilege and presenting a lack of understanding of the issues the country is facing. As I said before, the one thing the series does right is acknowledge that the truth matters, though not without making Mullen into a hypocrite first by letting the world think of him as a class act and not a man who refused to run for a second term because he was having an affair with his Chief of Staff that resulted in a child. With a bit more time and nuance, and minus the “America for the well-off moderates” outlook, the series could’ve been fantastic. The concept of the country-wide cyberattack was great, and it had the potential to be and do more. Perhaps it’s not that deep, but this is my interpretation and what has been stewing in my mind since watching the screeners. As it is, the series has left a sour taste in my mouth, ending as one of the rare television shows I have no interest in revisiting. It’s an utter shame because we all deserve at least eight seasons of a show—not this one!—revolving around President Angela Bassett. (And maybe Connie Britton could be her Chief of Staff instead?)