Emma Hayes is getting ready for a wedding — unless, that is, the events of the SEAL Team series finale (premiering Sunday on Paramount+) cast the darkest of clouds over her and Brad’s upcoming big day.
Kerri Medders has played Jason Hayes, aka the eldest of Bravo 1’s two children, since Season 1 of the CBS-turned-Paramount+ military drama, popping up occasionally in recent years (as well as Emma’s younger brother Mikey). In the season premiere of this farewell season, we saw Jason (played by David Boreanaz) hanging out with Emma, her fiancé Brad, and Mikey in California, but Emma reappeared in Vah Beach for Sunday’s “emotional” farewell song.
TVLine caught up with Medders to look back at Emma’s rapid growth after her mother’s tragic death in Season 2, glean lessons from her hard-working TV dad, and tease the series finale.
I’ve enjoyed your work over the years. I feel like from Day 1, you and David had this natural father/daughter relationship that always enhanced the story.
Yeah. It’s a very real relationship. Like, as soon as I met him, we hit it off. It’s always a great time to get one-on-one scenes with him.
I just looked at your CBS press photos, and I feel like in 33% of them, Jason is giving Emma a big hug.
It’s always the hug that gets used on social media! Or the ones that people edit. It’s always our big hug. It’s so funny.
How did you react when you heard this was going to be the final season?
It’s tough, because it’s been such a great time being on this show. Also, it’s been seven years and I feel like I’ve grown up with the show and I never expected it to end. So, I was a little shocked.
Did you know what was going to happen before you opened the final script?
Absolutely. I feel like I knew from the first episode what was going to happen. Nobody knows for sure, but I feel like I had an intuition….
This season got off to a really sweet start with that first episode — the Hayes family going on a trip to California with good old Brad….
Good old Brad….. …and then in the middle of the season, we had some high drama with Mikey and his accidental overdose. How will Sunday’s series finale feel for everyone?
Honestly, it’s going to be emotional. In a way, it’s a chapter close, but I think it ends on a nice bow to end the show.
Did anyone cry on set?
Oh yeah. From me. When we finished the last scene and had a little party afterwards, I cried because it felt so meaningful and so lovely. I had such a great experience, but I still don’t want to let go right now. I don’t want to let Emma go.
I’m pretty sure in one of TVLine’s Year in Review packages, Emma was called “The kid you’re proud to call your own.” Because she’s such a great kid. She’s grown up so much since the death of her mother Alana (Michaela McManus).
