Alana Hayes: Home Isn’t Always the Safest Place in the SEAL Team
SEAL Team Ray Perry Talks to Alana Hayes
There’s only one way to start this list, and that’s with Alana Hayes, Jason Hayes’ wife. When it comes to the life of a SEAL, families know that there’s a chance they’ll never come home. Jason’s family faces that on a regular basis, and they hate that they’ll never know if their last moments together were their last. What Jason never thought would happen was someone dying at home, and we certainly weren’t prepared to lose someone off-screen in such a traumatic way.
The beautiful storytelling and direction in this episode added layers of tension and grief, as we watched Jason fall apart in ways we’d never seen before.
In a shocking turn of events in SEAL Team season 2, episode 2, Jason gets a call that Alana has been in an accident. She was hit by a drunk driver and she has passed away. The beautiful story and direction in this episode add layers of tension and grief, as we watch Jason fall apart in a way we have never seen before.
Clay Spenser: Clay deserves a life with his family
Considering the many times Clay has faced death throughout SEAL Team, we never really expected him to be killed. He has gone through some traumatic moments, including losing his leg, and he ultimately finds a way to overcome the darkness in his mind to help others. The impact of Clay’s death on SEAL Team became another reminder that it’s not just those who are on duty in the middle of a war zone who risk their lives, and that affected Jason in the final season of SEAL Team.
Clay tried to help a veteran named Ben who was suffering mentally. Clay had been through something similar to this earlier in the series, and it was no surprise to see him try to save Ben’s life to avoid the same fate. There was hope, too, if not for the security guard’s ignorance of the situation. When the guard acted on impulse, believing Clay to be a threat, all we could do was watch Clay die in disbelief, meaning that his time off to be with his family was for naught.
Hannah Parsons: A Look at Innocent Civilians Hurt
SEAL Team Ashley Diane Currie as Hannah Parsons
The early days of SEAL Team wanted us to feel like no one was safe, and that was certainly the case for Hannah Parsons. She was an NGO worker in Sudan who was harassed by Richard Crowley and managed to escape, but ended up facing life-threatening danger. She and her driver were stopped at a checkpoint, where they were both ambushed.
We knew almost nothing about the aid worker before her death, but Hannah and her driver were found murdered outside the US Embassy, making it clear that others were in danger as well. This death prompted Bravo Team to move into Sudan to get other aid workers out, but it also taught us that Bravo Team can’t always save lives. Right from the start of the series, in just the fifth episode, the writers made sure we knew what was coming.
Brian Armstrong: A training incident gone wrong
SEAL Team Clay Spenser and Brian Armstrong
Accidents happen all the time, but rarely are training accidents fatal, and the next shocking SEAL Team death happens in the same episode as Hannah. Usually, accidents force people to change careers or quit their jobs. As we watch Clay Spenser and Brian Armstrong go through training, we expect to see them both go to their new platoons or face possible removal from the elite team. At no point do we really think Brian won’t be able to complete his training.
When he jumps out of the plane, his parachute doesn’t open and everyone can only watch as the accident leads to his death. There was a moment of hope that the second parachute would open up, saving Brian’s life at the last minute, but instead the film stayed realistic. Yes, these types of accidents happen, but they’re rarely talked about, and this death is all the worse because Brian was a great soldier and deserved to have a great career.
Brett Swann: The Turbulent Life of a Veteran
While shocking, the death of SEAL Team member Brett “Swanny” Swann is also one of the most heartbreaking. It’s one of those deaths that I’m not sure if the series will continue. As someone with military experience, I see every sign that Brett will commit suicide, but I hope that someone will be able to step in and help him.
