Paramount+'s military drama SEAL Team officially came to an end on October 6 after seven seasons, and it was as emotional as ever. The series wrapped up stories and sent some of Bravo in different and surprising directions. However, overall, without giving away spoilers, it was certainly a beautiful way to end the show. Although, while SEAL Team’s final season was amazing, I couldn’t help but hope that Max Thieriot would miraculously find his way back, but I understand why it didn’t happen.
After starring as Clay Spenser for the first six seasons, Max Thieriot exited the series halfway through Season 6 due to his obligations to Fire Country, which he both stars in and co-created. Ultimately, SEAL Team killed Clay off, but I was hoping he'd return in a flashback or dream sequence during the final episodes. However, executive producer Spencer Hudnut told TV Insider why that wasn't even an option, explaining:
Truthfully, it was so difficult just keeping Max to finish his work Season 6 that I was not going to even try to open that can of worms.
Fire Country has only grown in popularity since its premiere in 2022, and with Thieriot starring on the show and serving as an executive producer, his hands were tied. So, I get where the SEAL Team EP was coming from. At the very least, it is nice that he was able to wrap up Clay’s story before officially exiting a few years ago.
It’s hard working on two shows at once, especially if they’re both pretty demanding. Not to mention the fact that Fire Country is turning into a franchise, with one spinoff on the way starring Morena Baccarin and another possibly in the works starring Jared Padalecki. So, honestly, I can’t blame Hudnut for not even wanting to try and get Thieriot for the final season.
Even though Thieriot wasn’t able to return after his exit, Clay was very much part of the story. Bravo was still mourning, especially A.J. Buckley’s Sonny, who promised to look over his family. Alona Tal, who played Clay’s wife, Stella, also still occasionally appeared after Clay’s death and helped bring some peace to both Jason and Sonny, especially in this final season. To that point, Hudnut said:
Clay exists. Clay hangs over the season for sure. I mean, he’s obviously inspiring Sonny [A.J. Buckley] in a lot of ways, and he’s haunting Ray on some levels. And I do think we pay honor to 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, that was enough.
While Thieriot didn't come back to the show, there were still so many ways they could involve his character. So, that's exactly what they did, and I loved to see it.
Even though he didn't appear in the final season of SEAL Team, fans will still see plenty of Thieriot with the upcoming third season of Fire Country. The CBS firefighter drama will be returning on Friday, October 18 at 9 p.m. ET as part of the 2024 TV schedule, and between a helicopter crash, Bode and Gabriela’s complicated relationship, and a new ex-con coming into the mix, there is a lot to look forward to.
To go back and see the beloved actor in both SEAL Team and Fire Country, you can stream both shows with a Paramount+ subscription.
