SEAL Team’s showrunner and executive producer Spencer Hednut explains why the show’s final ten episodes did not feature an appearance by Max Thieriot as Clay Spenser. Even though he’d been with the action drama series since the very beginning,Thieriot left during season 6 to focus on his dual rolesas the co-creator and lead star ofFire Country. Even though Hednut left the door for a possible cameo by Thieriot, in the form of a flashback or a dream sequence,SEAL Teamendedwithout the veteran television actor reprising his role.
In an interview withTV Insiderto discuss the conclusion of the long-running action series, Hednut gave a detailed explanation for Clay’s absence. The showrunner mentioned that it wasdifficult to work out an appearance by Thieriot because of his commitments toFire Country. Still, in the quote below, Hednut argues thatClay’s presence can be felt throughout the season:
Truthfully, it was so difficult just keeping Max to finish his work on season 6 that I was not going to even attempt to open that can of worms. 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
What Thieriot’s Absence Meant For SEAL Team Season 7
His Presence Is Still Felt
Clay dies towards the end ofSEAL Team’s penultimate season, perishing while trying to save someone else. Since then,Fire Countryhas grown into one of the biggest shows on CBS, with two spinoffs at different stages of development. Before the debut of the show’s last ten episodes, while filming was still underway, Hednut noted that Thieriot could still potentially make a guest appearance. However, the scheduling could not be worked out in the end.
SEAL Team Ignored The Perfect Way To Keep Clay Alive For Season 7 (Despite Max Thieriot’s Exit)
SEAL Team could have kept Clay Spenser alive despite Max Thieriot’s departure during season 6, and it would have helped season 7 in a big way.
There’s an argument to be made that the scheduling conflicts work to the benefit of the Paramount+ series. Even though Clay’s void is filled by Foxtrot transfer Omar Hamza, who Raffi Barsoumian plays, the death gives storyline momentum to the remaining characters. Lead protagonist Jason Hayes (David Boreanaz) struggles to accept what happened, adding it to the ledger of events that plague him, but he isn’t the only one.Clay’s presence is very much part of the show’s farewell, even though he isn’t there in the flesh.
Our Take On Clay’s Absence
Even though it was far from a happy ending, Clay had already completed his arc. While it would have been nice to see Thieriot pop up unexpectedly,SEAL Teamseason 7 was partially about the steps it takes to move on from such a sudden loss. With the inclusion of Stella (played by Alona Tal) and her history with Clay, the series weaved in the character’s memory and solidly worked around scheduling limitations.
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SEAL Team is a military drama that follows the professional and personal lives of the most elite unit of Navy SEALs as they train, plan, and execute high-stakes missions.
