It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood for some hardcore SEAL PT, and Sonny and Jason — two of Bravo Team’s biggest personalities — are there to take full advantage of the weather.
That motivation is short-lived when Jason falls to the ground clutching his leg, apparently a lingering injury from the team’s previous mission.
Meanwhile Clay, seemingly still torn up over the ambassador’s death from the ill-fated firefight at the diplomatic compound in Yemen, attends her funeral and finds himself chatting up one of the ambassador’s former staffers who immediately realizes that he’s military, and probably spec ops.
Ray seeks out Sonny at a bar, the latter still upset over his breakup with Lisa Davis and fuming over Bravo 2′s supposed involvement in making the split a reality. In a quiet but nevertheless heated conversation, the two SEALs speak their minds with Sonny learning that Ray had nothing to do with the end of his relationship, and Ray learning that Sonny’s downward social spiral was the result of him losing out on Davis.
Jason finally swallows his pride (out of necessity) and talks to the team’s physiologist, Natalie, to get assessed. What he hopes is a routine checkup with a quick-fix solution devolves into the battle-hardened SEAL being forced to confront the fact that he needs surgery, and that he’s non-mission capable.
Bravo’s getting spun up again, and for the first time in a long time... without Jason helming the team. Instead, Ray takes the mantle of Bravo 1 and immediately jumps headfirst into the role and burying his nose in paperwork and planning.
Sonny, demonstrating the rekindling of his friendship with Ray, defends Bravo’s interim leader during a poker game while en route to Paris, letting the other SEALs on the team know his job won’t be easy.
On this particular work trip, the team is back in PSD mode, augmenting a security detail protecting a summit in the French city from would-be assassins.
In a hospital stateside, Jason undergoes an MRI and, being left alone with his thoughts, is flooded with horrible memories he’d rather forget. A doctor pours lighter fluid on the smoldering fire of Jason’s doubts and fears with the dreaded news that he might never be able to operate again.
Over in Europe, the team arrives in Paris and gets to work, advising the detail on how to set up their security coverage and where to place counter snipers for maximum effect.
Captain Lindell — Dev Group’s new commanding officer — in his usual no-nonsense way advises Jason to hang around the operations center for a few days to get acclimated to being an ops chief, as he can’t pull triggers and kick flippers forever.
Bothered but still unwilling to step out of line against Lindell, Jason shows up and sees Davis who informs him that he would indeed make a fantastic ops chief, as well as a former team buddy who left the pipe hitter life and loves his new gig flying a desk.
Heading back to his apartment, Jason puts up a new shelving unit in what seems to be a sign of progress in moving forward with his life, only for him to flip out, smash every picture on the shelf and destroy the brand new piece of furniture.
In Paris, Bravo’s set up with snipers and spotters observing the city around them, looking for the slightest sign of terrorists attempting to position themselves to hit the summit. Vic, the team’s newest member, shadows Ray closely, picking up the veteran Tier 1 operator’s numerous pearls of wisdom.
Come summit day, Sonny spots a suspicious man and gives chase, cornering, clocking, and carrying away the bad guy in a way that seems just... purely Sonny.
Back in Virginia,s gason links up with Mandy Ellis, opening up to her about his impending surgical procedure and asking her out on a road trip. The CIA officer, shocked by Jason’s offer and his apparent vulnerability, doesn’t say yes but doesn’t actually refuse either.
Meanwhile, Bravo’s got their hands full with snipers zeroing in on their position, taking potshots at their observation posts after Ray spots a suspect and fires off a round. The team splits up, and while Clay and Trent get up on a roof, Sonny, Cerberus (the team’s K9) and his handler make their way to the building where the sniper is holed up.
Clay takes a shot and nails the bad guy right as Cerberus bursts into the room and turns the shooter into his personal chew toy.
Back in Virginia, Jason shows up at the hospital to prep for his procedure but hesitates when given the in-processing forms.
He makes a hasty exit.
The episode ends with a difficult scene — Jason sitting in his trashed apartment, hyperventilating in a full-on panic attack, seemingly realizing that his time as an operator could potentially be up.
Ingrid’s Take
Seeing the Team leave for Paris without Jason was sad. He is devastated after the doctor told him he might not heal well enough for the navy to let him go back with his Team. That, together with the reality he’s facing about getting older, is playing havoc with his temper, outlook, interactions with other people etc. It’s a tough situation, but he needs to face the fact that there is only one alternative to getting older – and that is not a desirable one.
Jason’s future? Who knows…it could go several ways. The next episode should give us an idea on the outcome of his surgery. Will it be successful and quick healing? Will it be the worst case scenario so that he’s not cleared to go back to the Team?
I can’t imagine Seal Team without Jason as Bravo 1, at least for another season so my bet is that he’s cleared to go back to the Team this season, but is set up for a more internal position next season even though he thinks he’s “just a soldier” and not cut out for a “desk job.” Sonny put it best. Jason has faced down every threat that has ever come his way, but this time he hasn’t figured out how to face fear.
Onto the rest of the Team. I usually prefer the more action packed team missions, but this one was really cool the way they were on security detail rather than combat mission. The music and camera work while they were setting up for surveillance in the hotel, or whatever it was – was great.
I never associated Sonny and running quickly in the same sentence, but he showed his stuff chasing down one of the Paris bad guys.
I liked it that Trent had a bigger speaking part than usual – which is usually nothing at all. I’d like to hear more from him.
I’m still not sure about Victor. He just doesn’t come across as being very sure of himself and having the bravado I associate with being a SEAL.
Lots of personal relationship action in this episode:
Clay – Met a pretty lady at the Ambassador’s funeral service. She sent him a pair of shoes and he asked her for a date. Let’s see where that goes.
Sonny and Ray – Kissed and made up when Sonny realized that Ray had not told anyone and Lisa and him.
Jason and Natalie – She should tell him where to get off, the way he treats her. He needs an anger management class.
Jason and Mandy – Jason invites Mandy for a drink and proceeds to ask if she wants to go on a road trip. She did a doubletake…didn’t say yes, but didn’t say no. I’m wondering if it was just a “friend” deal or something else. I’d love to see those two get together.
Dita the Dog – Was a hero helping to take down the-would be murderer in Paris.I always like it when she shows her stuff.
Sonny - Is taking his breakup with Lisa really hard and vowing to never do more than one night stands ever again. We’ll see.
Christian’s Take
This was a great character-driven episode for sure. Jason’s physical breakdown, Sonny’s lovelife death spiral, Ray’s chance at leadership...all cool to watch and see how they each develop.
Paris Flight
Bravo is tasked to an interesting mission — one that’s pretty common for special mission units — to advise and assist the US secret service during a diplomatic mission abroad (Paris...not bad!).
I loved the poker game on the C-17 using ammunition as currency. How much does that .300 Win Mag count for? Can any of you count how many and which calibers are represented there? (I saw .50 cal, 5.56, .308, some kind of long-action .30 cal (WinMag or Norma?).
But why am I not seeing 4.6mm? Is Bravo not bringing its MP7s along? A perfect mission for it, I’d think.
Arrival
Seriously, guys, come on — sunglasses inside the building? Waltzing in like the “cool guys” is kinda “un” cool.
I love the counter-sniper unit chief “Agent Sprout.” He’s so atypical that it’s the perfect “grey man” portrayal of this character. Whether it was intended or not, it’s an excellent twist.
One thing that bugs me — and this is typical of “war” movies in general — is that any time troops get around a map, they do these wide sweeping motions to say “here and here.” Never once in my time embedded with military units at various levels have I seen anyone point to a map other than with extreme precision. How many sticks, pencils, eye pro temples have been used to designate movement, targets, positions and routes — never an arbitrary wave of the hand. (Urrrrrr…)
Sniper hides
Loving the sniper hides and the dialogue there. Determining the “pattern of life” of all the dwellings around them, Bravo will be able to determine what’s out of place when an enemy emerges.
But wouldn’t we be seeing Mils in the reticle of the spotting scope?
Not sure what kind of gas gun Clay and Trent have in their position. Maybe it’s one of SOCOM’s new 6.5 uppers?
Ray spits some facts with his “only way to learn precision rifle is to do it, and to keep doing it.” So true. Such a perishable skill.
“A lot of math,” Lopez says. So true.
The TOC
I feel I have to comment on Jason’s visit to the Tactical Operations Center (Combat Operations Center?). It’s sort of a glimpse at the other side of “operators” — there’s a lot of coordination, deconflicting, managing up that goes on behind the scenes when a mission (or multiple missions) are ongoing.
But the whole scene dies when CMC Blake says he got into gardening. Holy crap, that is not a way to sell the command level to door kicker!
Operation in Paris
Dude, how obvious is it when a guy’s holding up a wind meter and taking pictures with his cell phone? Why wouldn’t local police take him down? But hey, Sonny’s got some wheels, huh!
Ray makes the tough call. Exactly what Capt. Lindell said he should do. Moving Clay and sending Sonny into the building to press the tango from the inside.
Never heard of setting up a decoy gun, but it sure worked for Ray’s setup. Very clever.
Did Trent tell Clay to come up 4.5 minutes? I figured they’d be using Mil reticles not MOA ones. And nice little product placement for the Nightforce scope! And Sonny and Brock sporting suppressed Glocks for their entry? Very stylish
Love Lopez’ walk off line “That was next level!”
Welcome to Dev...
Ian D’Costa is a correspondent with Gear Scout whose work has been featured with We Are The Mighty, The Aviationist, and Business Insider. An avid outdoorsman, Ian is also a guns and gear enthusiast.
