'SEAL Team' Season 3 Episode 15 Review: Therapy may help Jason open up, but is Natalie the right woman for him?
Spoilers for 'SEAL Team' Season 3 Episode 15 'Rules of Engagement'
Will the ghost of mental trauma hang over Jason Hayes's (David Boreanaz) head forever? The way things are moving, it seems headed in that direction and it is not a good sign. Worried for his newfound love with Natalie Pierce (Emily Swallow), Jason cannot open up about his deepest fears.
What complicates it further is that Natalie knows and keeps asking him about it. What's worrying is that these complications right at the beginning of the relationship are red flags. Can Natalie bring peace to Jason? For now, it seems unlikely. The fact that Jason has to consult his therapist Dr Conners (Louis Ferreira) to seek guidance is another warning sign.
Directed by J Michael Muro, the episode uncloaks Jason's inner turmoil. David Boreanaz as Jason brings his A-game to the table like he always does. It is heartwarming to see how he brilliantly juggles between being the tough guy and the emotionally damaged man in the same episode. When Jason covers up his inability to open up by saying he wants to "shield" Natalie, Dr Conners reminds him that she works with the SEALs and has in-depth knowledge about the team.
Meanwhile, Clay Spenser (Max Thieriot) goes to a social gathering with his girlfriend Rebecca Bowen (Adelaide Kane) that Sonny Quinn (A.J. Buckley) crashes. It doesn't end well and shows Sonny's fears of losing his friend after he lost his love, Lisa Davis (Toni Trucks).
Putting the emotional issues on hold, the Bravo Team is sent on a special reconnaissance mission to Niger, a developing country, as the United States helps with its infrastructure. Thanks to a terrorist attack alert, they are diverted to protect a group of American engineers constructing a dam. Concerned about Vadik Petrov's meeting with Boko Haram (a man who abducted over a hundred school girls a few years ago), they set their eyes to the gritty mission.
While it helps push Jason's worries away, Clay is lost. Moreover, the rules of engagement raise the level of danger, as the team is not permitted to use their weapons unless the enemy fires first. Ray Perry (Neil Brown Jr) repeatedly asks for permission to engage when he sees that "the enemy is on top" of them. However, his request is denied each time. Nevertheless, the enemy manage to destabilize Team Bravo's position and are later forced to engage in the open.
After successfully getting the area out of danger, when they return home, Captain Lindell (Jamie McShane) presents Clay with a question. When asked where he wants his career to go, Clay says he would like to lead a team of his own. Back at home, Ray's daughter worries about her daddy's safety and asks him the one question every soldier dreads: "Will you go to work and never return?" The way Ray deals with the situation says a lot about his fatherly instincts. For Army veterans, it would be a relatable sequence as their families constantly struggle with these thoughts.
Moreover, with every episode, 'SEAL Team' seems to be inching closer towards nipping mental trauma in the bud. At therapy, Jason gets angry and yells, "You have no understanding of the things I have seen and done." With a calm mind, his doctor helps him see the clear picture and tells him he needs to share his problems. "It's not my thing to say whether Natalie is the right woman for you or not, but you need to open up," he says.
The episode ends with a big cliffhanger as Natalie puts her hand on Jason's hand. What does the future hold for these two? Is Natalie the right woman for Jason or should he be with Mandy Ellis (Jessica Paré) as they truly understand each other and have been friends for a long time? Only time will tell.
'SEAL Team' will air next week at 9 pm ET on CBS.