Spoilers ahead for the March 24 episode of SEAL Team on CBS, called "A Question of Honor."
SEAL Team returned after taking a week off to reveal what was happening that Jason was arrested for violating Article 119 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, a.k.a. manslaughter for using lethal force without ensuring that his target was armed first. The case looked bad for Jason at the beginning and only got worse when some video that seemed pretty incriminating came to light, and I'm left wondering if the case will have permanent consequences for Bravo even once the storyline is over.
Considering this show is called SEAL Team, is about a specific team, and stars David Boreanaz, I doubt that I'm alone among viewers in assuming that Jason will beat the charge and return to Bravo sooner rather than later. The case against him looked pretty bad with the cell phone video, and the reveal that Jason killed the man who had tortured Ray resulted in the manslaughter charge being bumped up to murder since it looked more like vengeance than anything else. But I'm fully expecting Jason to eventually beat the charges, even if he doesn't go back to the same Bravo brotherhood dynamic as before he was arrested.
The situation was made all the more stressful for all the major characters thanks to the "no contact" orders that were meant to stop Bravo from talking to Jason about the operation that had resulted in the death and subsequent charges, or about the case. Ray went the extra mile in not contacting Jason and encouraging others to do the same, and ultimately recruited a lawyer before delivering a deposition in the case.
It didn't look great that Ray was seemingly not helping, and it looked worse when Jason's JAG lawyer (no, not from that particular JAG) suggested that Jason could share the blame with Ray and lessen the charges against him. Jason refused, but it also planted a seed of doubt that Ray might not have the best intentions in this situation.
Just as I doubt that Jason will be convicted of murder, I doubt that Ray is framing Jason or responsible for the charges, but that seed of doubt between them might alter their dynamic and therefore Bravo even once the case has been concluded. Brotherhood is a huge part of SEAL Team and Bravo, as Mandy commented during her brief scene as Jessica Paré reprised her role while back on set to direct the episode. Anything that puts a crack in that brotherhood is no small deal.
Of course, Ray was playing things pretty close to the chest, and SEAL Team hasn't confirmed just yet where the video came from, so it's possible that everything will be more or less back to normal with the brotherhood restored by the end of the next episode.
Find out as SEAL Team continues the case against Jason in the next new episode on Wednesday, April 7 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. Called "Limits of Loyalty," the episode description reveals that "Jason is put on trial with a potential career-ending outcome, without knowing if his closest friend, Ray, has his back. Also, Stella moves in with Clay, and Sonny visits Hannah to help her prepare for the arrival of their baby." As for how that happens, be sure to tune in!
