CBS' "SEAL Team" was the only network military drama from 2017 to survive and advance to season 2 (R.I.P. "The Brave"). The show got a third-season renewal and returns on October 2nd. Season 2 is out now on DVD.
Longtime TV favorite David Boreanaz ("Angel," "Bones") stars in the series as Bravo Team leader Jason Hayes. Season 2 immediately gave viewers an object lesson in how Television Is Not Real Life when Jason's wife Alana (Michaela McManus) is killed in a car accident and Jason becomes the solo parent of their two kids.
Alana had to die because McManus was cast in a lead role on the NBC series "The Village." Unfortunately for her (and "SEAL Team"), that show premiered and was almost immediately canceled. Alana is still dead and McManus is out of a job.
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So, now we've got a SEAL Team leader who's also a widower. The series benched Jason, and he was replaced as team leader by Adam Siever (Michael Irby), who brought back the exiled Ray Perry (Neil Brown Jr.) to the team but didn't give him back his old #2 slot because Clay Spenser (Max Theriot) has stepped up and doing the job well in his absence.
If you think this all sounds pretty soapy, just wait until Adam gets blown up by a suicide bomber and the show figures out a way to get Jason back into his old job.
The show is still determined to keep its operators operating in as true-to-life a fashion as possible, so the missions are still strong if you can stomach the not-exactly-realistic dramatic turns the characters face.
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There are more questionable decisions throughout the season, including one at the end of the season that appears to have cost one lead character her job.
"SEAL Team" apparently plays well around the world and that international success has contributed to its renewal. There's also a rowdy and vocal fan base here at home. If the show can keep its audience during season three, it's likely to become one of those CBS shows that stays on the air for a decade without anyone realizing it ("NCIS: Los Angeles" is somehow entering Season 11!!!).
The home video release includes a gag reel, deleted/extended scenes and a trio of bonus featurettes. "The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday" explores character development in Season 2. "Operation: Puerto Rico" dives into the series' location filming on the island. "Nothing Fake About It: The Props of SEAL Team" gives an in-depth look into the show's props and how prop master Leonard Hancock Jr. tries to make everything look as realistic as possible.