Critic’s Rating: 3 / 5.0
3
Were we ready for a filler episode so soon into the third season?
SEAL Team Season 7 Episode 3 placed too much focus on Drew, and it’s going to take too long to get to know him for me to care that much about his family issues.
At least the end is still in sight as both Ray and Jason fight inside themselves about what their futures hold.
(Michael Moriatis/Paramount+)
So, let’s start with Drew. What’s your interest level in him so far?
This kind of “toxic masculinity,” to use a turn of phrase I really don’t like, does grate on my nerves.
It’s only been three episodes and I’m already done with the idea an independent like Drew would have lasted this long in the military.
The fact is that the military life is a team sport. You can’t and shouldn’t attempt to do it alone. We don’t need TV to tell us that your life literally depends on the guy next to you.
The antagonistic attitude Drew serves doesn’t win friends, and even if he did step up when Jason needed him in the SEAL Team Season 7 premiere, if you don’t feel like you can count on him every time, that’s going to be a problem.
It might be easier to get on board with his introduction if the team wasn’t in disarray and we weren’t already having reasons for his behavior shoved down our throats.
(Michael Moriatis/Paramount+)
Operations are enough to screw up these guys, so it’s hard to imagine whatever his family drama is could hold a candle to it.
Random podcasters hoping to score dirt on his family history might do very little to bring SEAL Team to a close.
Sure, it could turn out that whatever his family has done is somehow interlaced with the military as we know it now, but with only seven episodes remaining, I don’t really care.
Drew’s appointment as a permanent Bravo team member has Omar concerned that Drew might be Jason’s second when Ray retires.
I’m sure that Jason sees something in Drew. There’s a definite connection of some sort, but I think it comes from that intimate moment when Drew ended Jason’s agony at stabbing that kid in the mall.
Whatever Jason is experiencing now is well beyond his TBI. His night terrors are back, and he’s unsure of himself. He’s basing his decisions on different criteria he would have only months ago.
(Michael Moriatis/Paramount+)
He’s taking chances that he wouldn’t ordinarily take, which is concerning since he also gave Ray another token for his burn box.
Jason doesn’t think he’s going to make it, but if he keeps going as he has been this season, it could be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Ray expressed it well when he told Omar that Jason had been known to manage people differently based on their needs and his. That’s a good trait in a manager as long as everyone is aware of it.
But Jason knows Drew’s history, and now we know Drew’s got an influential family. Drew will probably be won over by Bravo, enlisting his family to ensure command doesn’t drop the ball on their health proposals.
While Jason’s internal struggles continue, Ray is very excited about a future where the Navy takes a backseat to his family and Spencer House.
I can’t help but wonder how easy that transition will be for him, though. As much as he wants to be all in for Spencer House, his mind is usually elsewhere. He’s not caught up on the latest, and his tour was very uncomfortable.
(Michael Moriatis/Paramount+)
Ray has the military experience, but Naima has first-hand knowledge of the repercussions of that experience. She’s a better point person for the public as a result. Ray should come in after all the flash and lay his heart on the line.
Regardless, I can’t help but wonder if all of SEAL Team will make it out of this alive.
Jason’s troubled demeanor is one thing, but the joy around retirement gives me more pause. We see too often how close people get to achieving their dreams for them to be ripped away by death.
Every time they say “six weeks,” my heart skips a beat. So much can happen in an instant; six weeks seems like forever.
And if not death, perhaps a dishonorable discharge. Sonny’s not out of the woods with his assault, even if the military brass are interested in his kit. Two things can be true at once.
(As an aside, have you noticed how incredible A.J. Buckley looks? He’s been working hard! Lean and mean. Love it!)
(Michael Moriatis/Paramount+)
Lisa’s concerns about Bravo being set up to fail are on point.
Captain Walsh needs sweat equity for Bravo to prove themselves to him. He chose China and the fentanyl trade to do it, one man down and after months of being benched.
Everyone sees Bravo as the problem child, so when they’re a man down, they add a bigger one to the team.
Lisa’s future is also on the line.
She’s running her first evolutionary tactic in the new normal for the SEALs.
Did Walsh choose Bravo because of her connection to them? Is he pushing them all closer to the door?
(Michael Moriatis/Paramount+)
We’re in for something significant before SEAL Team ends, but I can’t pinpoint what it might be.
Do you have any ideas? How do you feel about Drew? Are we spending too much time on him?
Does Jason’s attitude worry you, or are you more worried about Ray’s six weeks ending safely?
Maybe you didn’t even consider this episode filler. How will I know unless you share your thoughts?
Please consider dropping a comment below!
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