SEAL Team showrunner and executive producer Spencer Hednut explains why the show’s final ten episodes will not feature Max Thieriot as Clay Spenser. Despite being with the action series from the start, Thieriot left in season 6 to focus on his dual role as co-creator and lead star of Fire Country. Although Hednut left the door open for Thieriot to make a brief appearance, either in the form of a flashback or a dream sequence, SEAL Team ended without the veteran TV actor returning.
In an interview with TV Insider to discuss the long-running action series’ conclusion, Hednut gave a detailed explanation for Clay’s absence. The showrunner mentioned that it was difficult to schedule Thieriot’s appearance because of his other commitments to Fire Country. However, in the quote below, Hednut argues that Clay’s presence can be felt throughout the season: Really, keeping Max from doing his job in season 6 was so hard that I didn’t even want to open that can of worms. Clay exists. Clay is definitely going to be around throughout the season. I mean, obviously he inspired Sonny [A.J. Buckley] in a lot of ways and he haunts Ray on a number of levels. And I think we’re going to honor Clay in the finale, through Stella [Alona Tal] and through Sonny’s actions. I think even in death, Clay really helped Sonny become the best version of himself. And so, to me, it was enough that Clay died at the end of SEAL Team’s penultimate season, sacrificing himself trying to save someone else. Since then, Fire Country has grown into one of the biggest shows on CBS, with two spinoffs in various stages of development. Before the show’s final ten episodes, while filming was still underway, Hednut noted that Thieriot was still in the running for a guest appearance. Ultimately, however, the scheduling conflict couldn’t be worked out.
There’s an argument to be made that the scheduling conflict worked in the Paramount+ series’ favor. While Clay’s void was filled by Foxtrot’s Omar Hamza, played by Raffi Barsoumian, the death provided momentum for the remaining characters’ storylines. Protagonist Jason Hayes (David Boreanaz) struggled to come to terms with what had happened, adding to the events that had devastated him, but he wasn’t the only one. Clay’s presence was a huge part of the show’s farewell, even though he wasn’t there in the flesh.
While it wasn’t a happy ending, Clay had done his part. While it would be nice to see Thieriot pop up out of nowhere, SEAL Team season 7 is partly about the steps you take to get over such a sudden loss. With the introduction of Stella (played by Alona Tal) and her history with Clay, the show weaves in the character’s memories and works around scheduling constraints.
