Reviewer Rating: 4.05/5.0
4.05
If Team Bravo is never the same, then SEAL Team is never the same again.
I watched episodes of SEAL Team Season 7 with trepidation. So much of the season didn’t work that I was surprised at how good this hour was.
Finally, I can relate to Jason, the team feels more cohesive. But understanding Jason doesn’t make his story any more bearable, and even a cohesive team can run into trouble.
Jason Hayes “The Family Man”
Thank God Mickey wasn’t actually a drug addict. Still, he learned absolutely nothing from his father, which probably says more about Jason’s deployment schedule than his parenting skills.
McGee almost immediately collapsed under the pressure of the injury. Can you imagine what would happen if he followed in his father’s footsteps and took to the battlefield? May God help us all.
Although Jason sees things in hindsight, he says and does the right things. Even if you are in pain, you cannot and should not take more pain medication. Jason knew this better than most.
When his partner tries to “help,” Mickey persists and nearly dies. His friends have been handing out painkillers, and Mickey accidentally swallows a street drug containing the deadly drug Tranc.
The ending was happy, but it didn’t make Jason feel any better about what happened. When Mitch notices his pain, he blames himself for not listening to him. From his experience, this was not the correct conclusion.
Rather than solidifying his need to be a family man, his home visits may have sealed Jason’s fate to die on the battlefield. His mind tells him that he cannot have a balanced life. No other SEAL had made it, so why would he?
The incident didn’t force Jason to need more time with his family; It seemed to push him back into his comfort zone.
omar’s first leading role
The conversations Sonny and Drew had over the comms were nothing compared to how Sonny used those communications to further the mission.
Why Omar Bravo 2? Leaders don’t ask themselves that question as often as Omar does. In my opinion, he does not have the qualities to be a leader. He panics too easily.
Omar had his team pressure him to act in ways he might not otherwise act, against direct orders from command. A natural leader is not swayed by those under him. Blaming others and saying he was forced to make calls he didn’t want to make says it all.
When asked, he acknowledged his decision, but he still doubted himself and I don’t think he truly believed what he was saying.
Omar is not ready to lead. period.
His team, especially Sonny who has a lot of influence in the group, doesn’t fully trust or believe him.
All of a sudden I like Drew
Drink with friends and enjoy fun and games. All it takes is a hothouse emotional outburst to open him up to new territory.
He and Sonny get along like besties, which requires Omar to be more patient than he was during surgery.
But when the road got tough, Drew had Omar’s back. In addition to the wisdom he had shown on previous assignments, he offered excellent advice and was suddenly personable.
You know, everyone knows the right answer until they make a decision. Trusting yourself to make the right decisions takes time.
Drew
We wondered why Drew was added to the series so late, and now it makes sense that he would be Bravo 1 when Jason waves the white flag or dies.
He understands leadership better than Omar and has won over his teammates. He went from being a lone wolf to being the leader of the pack.
His advice to Omar was more about himself than his opinion of Omar’s abilities.
The best leaders don’t care where their good ideas come from. Their only concern is the success of the mission and returning home with a full crew. I can, I can, uh, tell you that these are your priorities as well.
Drew
The first two sentences of the quote above are from Drew’s heart and express his views on leading a team. He tried to recover by throwing some bones at Omar about his priorities, but fell short.
His past still makes no sense, especially after he shared why he wasn’t with Echo during the deadly operation.
If anything, that’s why other SEALs know he’s a member of Echo. But being obsessed with it makes no difference.
I see Drew as the future of Bravo 1.
bravo goes home
Bravo’s actions achieved their goals.
They demonstrated a proof of concept for integrated deterrence, which is what Lisa has been working towards. Now that the target is on their back, their job is done.
Lisa wasn’t satisfied with the success, possibly because she knew Bravo’s future was still in jeopardy.
With four episodes left, we may have just witnessed the last of Bravo’s best work. If Jason’s future is death in battle, there will be another. But if he leads, I expect it to drop quickly.
Bravo gets a taste of a world without Jason and Ray, which could further change the team’s dynamic. With many of them doubting themselves, it paints a grim picture for the series’ finale—at least for Jason.
adapt and overcome
In this episode, they use the phrase “adapt and overcome,” which is something SEALs have to do on a regular basis.
But the Centenary Marathon shows that adapting can sometimes make overcoming obstacles more difficult.
Jason adapts to every situation, but he has problems fully integrating into different worlds. That’s not to say that he or any SEAL has the reverse Midas power to destroy anything they touch. They are extremely adaptable and will cling to each other to keep breathing, even in unpleasant conditions.
What happens when they lose this adaptability? We’ll probably find out in the final four episodes.
