Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS ahead for Zero Day!Zero Day co-creator Eric Newman has addressed why Robert De Niro’s George Mullen was experiencing hallucinations, unpacking the possible explanations. Throughout the show, Mullen experiences a variety of unrealistic hallucinations, making him think someone is purposefully messing with his mind throughout the show. However, lab results render this idea inconclusive, with the series never directly determining what is causing his hallucinations. Neither Mullen nor any other character in Zero Day get an explanation, only hints that Proteus may have been used on the former President to mess with his mind.
Speaking with Netflix’s Tudum about the show, Newman explained that Zero Day was created with the idea that Mullen’s mind was being altered using Proteus, although the truth was purposefully obscured. The co-creator said that, after watching the show, he wasn’t quite sure what the real cause of the hallucinations was, even with that intention in mind. But he also finds excitement in the idea that he doesn’t have a straightforward answer. Check out what Newman had to say below:
When Noah [Oppenheim] and I designed the season and wrote the show, we made a pact with each another that Proteus was being used, but that it should be open to interpretation. Our personal belief when we were writing the show was, yes, Proteus was being used on Mullen. Having now watched the show, I’m not so sure.
It’s an interesting thing for a creator to say, ‘I’m not entirely sure now.’ I think that happens occasionally. There are things in movies and TV shows that take on a life of their own and have a meaning that goes beyond what anyone intended, even the person or people who made it. And I don’t speak of our show with the same reverence as some of these films, though I’m very proud of it. But I think in this case, I’m not even so sure anymore, and I co-created it.
What Mullen’s Hallucinations Say About Zero Day
They Serve An Important Purpose In The Story
Zero Day reviews have been somewhat critical of its lack of focus on the show’s larger, conspiratorial mystery surrounding the titular cyberattack. However, Mullen’s hallucinations still serve as important character-building moments, as they reflect his inner consciousness with what he sees. This includes Dan Stevens’ Evan Green, a TV host with divisive beliefs whose appearance in the scene plays into the themes of the story. Even if his visions aren’t directly connected to what’s going on, they still have an important role to play.
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But, by the end of Zero Day, his hallucinations could also be considered a purposeful distraction, trying to keep him from comprehending the full extent of the cyberattack. However, this doesn’t deter him from confronting the problem head-on at the very end, revealing all the people in Congress involved in the attack during a press conference. While he’s forced to push through the difficulties of his hallucinatory experiences, he still manages to do the right thing by the series’ end.
Our Take On What Caused Mullen’s Hallucinations
Zero Day Offers No Direct Answers
Although Newman’s intention was for Mullen’s hallucinations to be caused by Proteus, Zero Day‘s lack of a direct explanation makes it something purposefully meant to be interpreted by viewers. However, since that had been the original vision for the former President’s experiences from the creative team, it makes sense to interpret them as caused by Proteus. Luckily, there’s still room to interpret them in a different way, making them more symbolic, intending to showcase the protagonist’s inner psyche.
Source: Tudum
Zero Day
5/10
- Release Date
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2025 – 2024
- Network
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Netflix
- Writers
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Dee Johnson