Why Clay’s Death Was Necessary on SEAL Team, According to David Boreanaz
SEAL Team star and executive producer David Boreanaz reveals why Clay’s death needed to happen. Since it’s an action series centered around dangerous battlefields, deaths aren’t unusual for the Paramount+ Original. But the death of Clay Spenser (Max Thieriot) in season 6 continues to have repercussions, especially for Boreanaz’s main character Jason Hayes, as SEAL Team season 7 prepares to premiere.
In an interview with Screen Rant’s Rachel Foertsch ahead of SEAL season 7’s premiere on Paramount+ on Sunday, August 11, Boreanaz discusses how Clay’s death will impact the characters heading into the show’s final ten episodes. The star stated that they didn’t want to sugarcoat the dangers the characters face, emphasizing that death is a real possibility. Read the full quote below:
We always say that these men and women, particularly the executives, can or can’t do it. We don’t sugarcoat it. We don’t make it a big, long-form moment in a series like this. One of the reasons we’re so focused on being a streaming channel rather than a television show is that we don’t check those boxes.
So there’s always that authenticity when a character is eliminated—a nicer way to say it’s being shot or killed, or not being successful. I think that’s something Jason Hayes would consider for the series finale. We always want to remind the audience that you don’t know when you’re going to get shot. I think in today’s storytelling world, especially with executives, it can happen at any time.
Theriot has since left SEAL Team to focus on a new project, becoming co-creator and showrunner of the CBS drama Fire Country. Clay died trying to save another veteran, and his loss seems to have had the biggest impact on Jason Hayes. The team leader naturally blames himself for what happened to Clay, though it ultimately ties into a larger theme of where Jason is in his own life and the fact that he could have died suddenly despite having people who depended on him as a single father.
Some viewers have suggested that SEAL Team could have easily kept Clay alive, giving him a fun escape that would still allow Thieriot to make guest appearances if needed. But Paramount+ Original has used the actor’s exit as an opportunity to ensure Clay’s presence remains on the show, even if he’s not seen.
Clay’s replacement is Omar Hamza, who moves to Foxtrot, played by Raffi Barsoumian, joining a season 7 cast that also included Neil Brown Jr., A.J. Buckley, Toni Trucks, Raffi Barsoumian, and Beau Knapp. Though he hasn’t been seen, Clay will appear in these final episodes. Commentary from showrunner Spencer Hudnut, and now Boreanaz, makes it clear that the former SEAL Team regular hasn’t been forgotten.
