SEAL Team’s showrunner and executive producer Spencer Hednut explains why the show’s final ten episodes did not feature an appearance by Max Thieriot as Clay Spenser. Even though he’d been with the action drama series since the very beginning, Thieriot left during season 6 to focus on his dual role as the co-creator and lead star of Fire Country. Even though Hednut left the door for a possible cameo by Thieriot, in the form of a flashback or a dream sequence, SEAL Team ended without the veteran television actor reprising his role.
In an interview with TV Insider to discuss the conclusion of the long-running action series, Hednut gave a detailed explanation for Clay’s absence. The showrunner mentioned that it was difficult to work out an appearance by Thieriot because of his commitments to Fire Country. Still, in the quote below, Hednut argues that Clay’s presence can be felt throughout the season:
Truthfully, it was so difficult just keeping Max to finish his work on season 6 that I was not going to even try to open that can of worms. Clay exists. Clay hangs over the season for sure. I mean, he’s obviously inspiring Sonny [A.J. Buckley] in a lot of ways and he’s haunting Ray on some levels. And I do think we pay honor to Clay in the finale, through Stella [Alona Tal] and through Sonny’s actions. I think even in death, Clay really helped Sonny become the best version of himself. And so, to me, that was enough
What Thieriot’s Absence Meant For SEAL Team Season 7
Clay dies towards the end of SEAL Team’s penultimate season, perishing while trying to save someone else. Since then, Fire Country has grown into one of the biggest shows on CBS, with two spinoffs at different stages of development. Before the debut of the show’s last ten episodes, while filming was still underway, Hednut noted that Thieriot could still potentially make a guest appearance. However, the scheduling could not be worked out in the end.
There’s an argument to be made that the scheduling conflicts work to the benefit of the Paramount+ series. Even though Clay’s void is filled by Foxtrot transfer Omar Hamza, who Raffi Barsoumian plays, the death gives storyline momentum to the characters remaining. Lead protagonist Jason Hayes (David Boreanaz) struggles to accept what happened, adding it to the leader of events that plagued him, but he isn’t the only one. Clay’s presence is very much part of the show’s farewell, even though he isn’t there in the flesh.
Our Take On Clay’s Absence
Even though it was far from a happy ending, Clay had already completed his arc. While it would have been nice to see Thieriot pop up unexpectedly, SEAL Team season 7 was partially about the steps it takes to move on from such a sudden loss. With the inclusion of Stella (played by Alona Tal) and her history with Clay, the series weaves in the character’s memory and solidly worked around scheduling limitations.
