Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Zero Day!
Robert De Niro’s character in Zero Day is declining, and here is what’s wrong with George Mullen throughout the show. Zero Day is a show that is full of mysteries, with the new Netflix miniseries being packed with all kinds of twists and turns revolving around the show’s titular cyber attack. Robert De Niro’s character in Zero Day is one of the show’s most mysterious parts despite being the protagonist, and here’s what he know about his mental state.
Zero Day tells the story of Robert De Niro’s George Mullen, a former president who has retired from the world of politics in order to write his autobiography. However, he is pulled back into the limelight after a devastating cyber attack destabilizes the United States. Due to Mullen’s popularity, he is asked to lead the Zero Day Comission, with the former president attempting to find out who was behind the attacks. However, Mullen’s declining mental state makes this task incredibly difficult.
George Mullen Is Seeing & Hearing Things That Aren’t There
Such As The “Who Killed Bambi?” Song
By the end of Zero Day episode 1, it is clear that something is wrong with George Mullen. This is carried on throughout the show, with it being revealed that the former president is seeing and hearing things that aren’t there. Mullen is constantly hearing the song “Who Killed Bambi?,” while also seeing people like a writer named Anna Sindler, his former cook, and even his dead son. He also sees items and rooms shift around, with the show’s editing attempting to highlight what Mullen’s perception actually is.
George Mullen’s visual and auditory hallucinations prove that something clearly isn’t right with the former president, with it having a severe impact on his work. Mullen’s fogginess causes him to send the Zero Day Commission on wild goose chases, with them investigating his visions of Anna Sindler. Although Mullen does eventually discover who was behind the attacks, his declining mental state gets him a lot of flak, with this being a challenge that he has to overcome.
Is George Mullen Sick? Or Is Someone Using Proteus Against Him?
The Show Leaves This Question Unanswered
It would make sense for George Mullen to be sick in Zero Day, as he is an elderly man with a history of trauma. However, it is also possible that his declining mental state is artificial. In the world of Zero Day, it is revealed that the NSA experimented with a neurological weapon called Proteus. Proteus has the ability to inflict brain damage from a distance, with the side effects being similar to what George Mullen is facing.
George Mullen passed his psychological evaluation, further suggesting that his state may be caused by Proteus. However, Zero Day intentionally leaves this question unanswered, with audiences now having to debate whether or not the weapon was used on George Mullen.
