Did Clay Die on SEAL Team? What Happened to Him, Explained
As SEAL Team continues to air, fans look back at protagonist Clay Spenser’s time on the show and wonder if he died.
Originally developed for CBS before moving to Paramount+, SEAL Team follows Bravo Team, the most elite unit of Navy SEALs in the military. The team is tasked with some of the most dangerous missions known to man, putting them and their families in danger.
Over six seasons, Max Thieriot played Clay Spenser, a second-generation SEAL who was trained to join Bravo Team and eventually joined the unit.
In February 2022, Deadline announced that Max Thieriot had been cast as the lead in a CBS drama series titled Cal Fire, later retitled Fire Country. The report also lists him as co-writer and executive producer, after the lead role of Bode Donovan had been lined up for him since development began.
In Fire Country, Thieriot’s Bode Donovan is a troubled ex-convict who volunteers to help fight fires with Cal Fire. He is eventually reassigned to his hometown in Northern California and works alongside old friends and family.
The casting left a notable issue, as he had previously starred in SEAL Team as Clay Spenser.
That was rectified in Season 6, Episode 8, when the character was officially killed off. This freed Thieriot to lead his new series, which he helped develop.
This episode premiered in November 2022, shortly after the pilot episode of Fire Country premiered in October 2022. He was originally cast in Fire Country in February 2022, between the release of SEAL Team Season 5 and Season 6.
The SEAL Team Season 5 finale saw Clay make the difficult decision to retire from Bravo Team after what was supposed to be his final mission. Part of the reason was because he became a father after Stella gave birth to their son.
However, things took a turn for the worse when Clay and his team were ambushed during a mission with an RPG attack. Clay was severely injured during the incident. Fans even saw him have his leg amputated at the beginning of Season 6, essentially ending his days with Bravo Team as he retired.
He struggled to get his life back together, despite putting his best efforts into his relationship with his wife and young son. This was evident in his final episode when he stopped a veteran from committing suicide and vandalizing a recruiting center.
A security guard then spotted him holding the veteran’s gun and shot him in the chest, killing him instantly as he lost his life trying to save another.
With Fire Country on Thieriot’s schedule, it was only a matter of time before Clay was killed in SEAL Team. Regardless of whether Fire Country was extended or not, the actor’s time on SEAL Team seems to have come to an end, barring a potential cameo or cameo.
