Fans Are Freaking Out: SEAL Team Season 7 May Ruin Season 6’s Emotional Finale

SEAL Team season 6 concluded with every arc at a natural endpoint, but the decision to bring the show back for season 7 could derail a perfect ending. The season 6 finale released on November 20, 2022, but the SEAL Team season 7 renewal wasn’t announced until January 2023. This means creatives were forced to craft a season finale that could also function as a series finale.

The show has successfully charted the highs and lows of Bravo Team for many years, so ending the series with cliffhangers and no resolution if it was subsequently canceled would have left most viewers unhappy. Still, it’s surprising that SEAL Team season 6, episode 10 featured as much closure as it did, giving a sense of where everyone would go next. Sadly, season 6’s perfect ending means that season 7 has a tough job ahead of it.

SEAL Team Season 6’s Powerful Final Scene Will Be Very Hard To Beat

SEAL Team season 6, episode 10 was the perfect conclusion

SEAL Team season 6 told the topical story of Jason Hayes (David Boreanaz) battling a TBI and charted its impact on his team. Despite coming to terms with his diagnosis, Jason kept the truth from Command, potentially setting Bravo Team up for disaster while in the field. As the SEAL Team season 6 finale concluded, Jason came clean while delivering his acceptance speech at an awards ceremony in Clay’s (Max Thieriot) honor. In the aftermath, he was summoned to a meeting and told his career was over.

Before he could react, his teammates, including Sonny (A.J. Buckley) and Ray (Neil Brown Jr.), arrived with countless other Navy SEALs who vocalized their own ailments. The episode ended on a hopeful note, hinting there could be changes in the U.S. Navy due to the bravery of the men coming forward. While it was an ambiguous scene, it perfectly highlighted that these men served their country while battling things they had to hide because they feared losing their careers.

It set the bar high for whatever comes next in the show. SEAL Team season 7 will likely pick up with changes that allow these men to continue their careers with increased support, but it won’t be easy to top a scene that reiterated what the series had always been about: Bravo Team’s strong sense of brotherhood. Many final seasons struggle to serve all the characters well, but SEAL Team season 6 gave everyone satisfying arcs. It’s just a shame that whatever comes next won’t include Clay.

SEAL Team Season 7 Will Have A Void Following Max Thieriot’s Exit

Clay’s death was a shocking development

Clay was written out near the end of the penultimate season while trying to save a fellow veteran from shooting himself. Clay fearlessly grabbed the man’s gun, but his own life was cut short when security arrived and opened fire. While Thieriot’s exit was expected due to his commitments to Fire Country, the show had been setting up a storyline involving him leaving town with Stella (Alona Tal). Ultimately, Clay’s death echoed through the final two episodes of SEAL Team season 6 as everyone struggled to come to terms with his loss.

SEAL Team season 7 will likely feature a significant time jump, but it will struggle to move on from Clay because he had great connections with every member of the Bravo Team. A void will be felt in his absence, and bringing in new faces could make it feel like a desperate attempt to replace one of the show’s finest characters. Clay was involved in the biggest storylines, so the writers face an uphill battle crafting the next chapter.

SEAL Team Season 7 Will Likely Have More Heartbreak

Bringing the show back may lead to forced drama

Clay’s death was the latest in a long line of sad SEAL Team storylines, but at least there was an element of peace at the end of SEAL Team season 6, episode 10. In order to bring some new conflicts into the narrative, the series will have to pivot and introduce more drama, which will likely also usher in more heartbreak for Bravo Team. SEAL Team has never shied away from sensitive topics, and the final season will likely explore some more to send the storylines in new directions.

The creatives will amp up tension by putting the characters through more terrible things because they know it’s the final season. With such a perfect conclusion in its most recent finale, it’s hard to tell whether SEAL Team will be able to tell meaningful stories without relying on shock value. The hope is that the next chapter is worthwhile, and the emotional beats are organic enough to give the show the ending it deserves.