‘We Didn’t Sugarcoat the Truth’: SEAL Team’s David Boreanaz Explains Clay’s Shocking Death
SEAL Team fans were left reeling after Clay Spenser died of a brain hemorrhage in Season 6, and as the series gears up for its final season, star and executive producer David Boreanaz has opened up about the decision behind the pivotal moment.
The military drama has never shied away from any difficult plot twists. But Clay’s death resonated with fans, especially because of the impact it will have on Boreanaz’s character Jason Hayes going forward. In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant’s Rachel Foertsch, Boreanaz spoke about the shocking change, explaining why it happened and what it means for the characters heading into Season 7. It wasn’t an easy decision, but Boreanaz said killing Clay was necessary to keep the show real.
“We’ve always said that these men and women, specifically the executives, may or may not have made it. We don’t sugarcoat that,” Boreanaz said. “We don’t put it in as a big, episodic moment in a series like this.”
Clay’s death was a response to off-screen changes (but one that benefited the show) Max Thieriot’s decision to leave SEAL Team was due to off-screen factors. Thieriot left the series to focus on his other project, Fire Country, which he starred in and co-created on the CBS drama. Instead, the showrunners took a different path — one that didn’t write Clay off with a happy ending to justify bringing him back in future episodes. He died heroically, saving another veteran, which served the story and had a huge impact on the remaining characters, especially Jason.
Boreanaz says this ties right into the larger story of the show. “There’s always a validity to when a character is written off — a nicer way to say it’s shot or killed, or not working out. I think that’s something Jason Hayes had to consider when he ended the show,” he says. It’s something that underscores the stakes these showrunners are always facing. A constant stream of guilt over Clay’s death only adds to Jason’s confusion.
The decision also allows the series to explore the emotional and psychological fallout from such a loss: Jason, dealing with the death and responsibility of a single father, now has to deal with the guilt of losing a close friend and teammate under his command. One of the really central themes of the story in this final season is unpredictability — the threat of death.
SEAL Team Season 7: Clay’s Legacy Lives On As SEAL Team prepares to wrap up with its seventh season, Clay Spenser will continue to hold a strong place in the legacy department. Although Thieriot will no longer be a part of the show, his character’s legacy will remain. Raffi Barsoumian will play Omar Hamza, the newest member of Bravo Team, but even he cannot replace Clay, as the pain of his death will stay with the team through new dangers and perils.
This has been made clear by statements from Boreanaz and the show’s creators, who have said that SEAL Team will not back down from the brutal realities of military life, even after the series ends. For fans, Clay’s death raises the stakes for these characters’ lives and paves the way for a compelling, heartfelt finale.
