Seal Team Season Seven Premiere Early Review

The following is a spoiler-free review of the first 2 episodes of Seal Team Season 7, premiering Sunday, August 11th on Paramount+

We all have our people. The actors or actresses where we, as fans, will watch anything that they are in. No questions asked. Personally speaking, that person has always been and will continue to be David Boreanaz. He was a joy to watch in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and became even better in the spinoff, Angel, which arguably has one of the best series finales of all time, and despite a messy conclusion made a fun procedural with Bones. As an actor, he has consistently been in television series since 1997, only taking a small hiatus in 2004/05 before jumping right back into another series. Even more impressive is that every TV series he has starred in has exceeded 100 episodes. Know him or not, he’s been a consistent figure on television. All of this feeds into the interest of the final season of SEAL Team, whose 2-episode premiere is coming up soon, and what could be next for not only Boreanaz’s Jason Hayes, but Boreanaz himself as the series enters its final run.

For the uninitiated, SEAL Team follows the lives of the Navy’s elite unit as they execute high-stakes operations across the world to defend the country they swore to protect, a fealty that would come at an even higher personal cost. The premiere immediately answers what fans were left wondering was next for Bravo team, after the conclusion of last season left Jason Hayes and many of his team members admitting publicly to their superiors that they regularly suffer from physical and mental ailments as a result of their careers. Bravo team has been not only sidelined but openly punished for this resulting in team members being couriers, dog watchers, and recruit trainers. It is far removed from their days when they were kicking in doors, however, the time away from the front lines has allowed the team to take a much-needed rest and show them what life could be like after their service, when the dream of spending time with the family members they’ve fought so long and hard to protect is realized. The first two episodes create a narrative pathway to explore what is facing each team member well after the battlefield. In truth, the series has always set this portion of the SEALs’ lives as the most daunting and interesting because it has cleverly conditioned its viewers to anticipate that most of the team isn’t ready for what’s to come and that compartmentalization always comes with a price.

But it doesn’t take long for Bravo to find themselves back in a fight. A terrorist attack occuring while on a training mission abroad left Bravo the closest team to respond and after doing so, it remains to be seen how much good favor their heroism can produce with their superiors back home. Still, despite Bravo’s insubordination and various frustrations, it seems inevitable that they will find themselves quickly back in the fight one final time. Beyond Bravo’s uphill climb to return to action, this season is supported by the personal endeavors of Jason Hayes and his lingering trauma, second-in-command Ray Perry’s (Neil Brown Jr.) personal battle with retirement and relevancy outside of the service, teammate Sonny Quinn (A.J. Buckley) and his ability to rise to the challenges of fatherhood while making peace with his former teammate’s ghosts, the introduction of new team members and so much more.

In its first two episodes, SEAL Team does well to find its familiar storytelling rhythm but what immediately feels different about this season is that the characters, having dealt with multiple layers of personal and professional trauma, appear evolved from their experiences often discussing them with family or their team which is something previously that would take an entire season to develop. It’s a welcomed adaptation that deepens this reviewe’s appreciation for a series like SEAL Team and its pursuit of authenticity, rather than taking the easy way and producing a homogenized TV procedural. The series has always strived to represent the men and women who choose to serve their country in this capacity and all of the successes and failures they face without compromise in doing so. It has been apparent from the beginning that this is a project of love and admiration by all who are involved, therefore is plenty reason for excitement as the series draws to what is hopefully a satisfying conclusion.

In many ways, SEAL Team has been grossly underappreciated throughout its tenure on TV and streaming, however, it has been a series that as fans have found their way to it, quickly understood its value. It has never shied away from portraying conflict, both abroad and at home, and its longevity should remain a point of pride in consideration of the current streaming landscape. The true verdict for the series remains to be realized until the finale’s closing credits and an entire picture can be analyzed, but with something of its caliber, there is little doubt that this final season will deliver entertainment, drama, and closure to the fullest extent.

still courtesy of Paramount+

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