SEAL Team Season 5 Episode 8 Review: Conspicuous Gallantry

We knew it was coming, but it didn’t make it any less brutal.

SEAL Team Season 5 Episode 8 picked up in the aftermath of a mission gone wrong, and thanks to the non-linear way of telling what really happened, we learned Jason was responsible for a building with his team exploding.

You could tell Jason felt something was off from the beginning when we picked up in the hospital, and his reaction when Clay started trying to piece together where the operation fell apart said it all.

I had many theories about what could be causing Jason’s memory loss, and a TBI tracks well with his behavior of late. The tricky thing will be how he navigates it because surely the doctor will have a duty of care to inform the command about his condition.

Jason is understandably in a stage of denial because he won’t want his day-to-day life changing, and relinquishing control of the team might seem like the end of the world for him, but this latest mission proved there needs to be some change.

There have been cracks forming in the foundation of Bravo Team for a while now, and this whole scenario reiterated that without communication, they wouldn’t be a team for much longer.

Trent surviving and everyone else escaping with just cuts and bruises is a surprise, but this should be considered a warning sign for what else could go wrong.

Ray: You’re supposed to be staying off that knee. Doc’s pretty confident Trent’s going to pull through, Jase. You’ve earned some rest.
Jason: Complete mission failure. That earns me nothing.

Clay has audio recordings of two very different conversations with Jason that could be used against Jason or anyone else who knows Jason has forgotten things.

I have to hand it to Clay. He went with his gut because he knew something was amiss with the story that was being spun.

Clay not confronting Jason in the final scene makes it seem like he will keep quiet about it … for now.

Jason is a liability at this stage, and if people continue to enable him, there’s no telling where this might land. I hope someone notifies command at the top of SEAL Team Season 5 Episode 9. That’s the only way for such a big plot to gather steam.

When the truth does come out, many people will probably realize there were signs he was not himself for a while. As for where this leaves Jason and the rest of the team, I have no clue.

The show truly is on a tipping point where everything can change on a dime, and people like Clay and Jason probably already understand what needs to happen.

Tackling TBI is a big thing because not many TV shows have done it, and one thing that continues to resonate with me is how well SEAL Team manages to introduce topics in ways that are natural to the show.

Jason’s predicament will not be over any time soon, and if the show continues to highlight the process, it will be an excellent way to give people information on TBIs.

Bravo Team, as we know it, is over, and there will be many questions about the team’s failings, especially when the truth comes out.

Ray: The op was a success.
Jason; My whole team was injured, Ray. It was supposed to be a straightforward, capture-kill op.
Ray: Brother, you and I both know there is nothing straightforward about this line of work.

Sonny strikes me as the type of person who will be the most upset. He’s a new father, and the last thing he will want is for someone who is supposed to look out for him putting his life on the line.

Even though the hour was peppered with severe topics, the team still managing to have some fun highlighted the bond between these men. Racing around the hospital in wheelchairs and making Trent think he had been out for much longer brought some joy to the dire events unfolding.

Davis being away from the hospital seemed like a stretch, but when the layers were pulled back to reveal all about her plight, the pieces of the puzzle started to come together.

If you watch SEAL Team online, you know Davis always fights for what is right, and there’s not a hope in hell she will let her findings disappear.

Bringing the higher-ups under scrutiny will probably make her a pariah in the workplace, but we’ve already witnessed her burning passion for injustice in the flashbacks earlier on SEAL Team Season 5.

“Conspicuous Gallantry” was my favorite episode of SEAL Team to date. It had essential topics, character development and planted many seeds for the future.

What did you think of Jason being the reason for the disaster on the mission?

Do you think Clay will take the recordings further, or will he wait on the hospital telling command about Jason?

Jason: I’m fine.
Clay: Easy day.
Jason: Easy day.
Ray: Let’s go home.
Jason: Best thing I’ve heard all day, Ray.

Were you surprised Trent pulled through following such a harrowing ordeal?

What is your take on what is happening with Davis?

Do you think she will follow her heart on this one?

Hit the comments.

Catch new episodes of SEAL Team on Sundays, only on Paramount+.

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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.

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