‘SEAL Team’ Season 4 Episode 1 Review: Does Jason blame himself for Cujo's death and will he ever be happy again?
It's a bloody day. Jason Hayes (David Boreanaz) slips while running through the snow with a gun in his hand. His bloodied chest and hands tell a tragic story. Mystery and mayhem make the ‘SEAL Team’ opener one of the best episodes on TV ever. It isn't a surprise that the beloved hero David Boreanaz directed it, is it?
A string of flashbacks and a door to Jason's past depict how he was in his old days. Young, robust, full of spark and smiles — Jason was happy! Yes, “happy” is the keyword in the first episode ‘God Of War’ and it makes you wonder: Can Jason ever be as carefree and gleeful as he was? Right in the beginning, Mandy Ellis (Jessica Paré) asks Jason: “Are you telling me that hunting the son of a man who killed a decade ago doesn't phase you at all?” Sticking to his “ignore and override” mantra, he says, “It's just another op.”
What happened at Spin Ghar Mountain?
The episode goes back 24 hours as Romeo Team and Echo Team give company to Bravo Team. The team is all set for Operation Aries and the mission is to look out for the target — the leader of the Zahara network, Asim Al-Hazred (Sameer Ali Khan) — son of the terrorist Jason killed a decade back. No wonder, he mulls over memories from his past. Bravo Team tracked his movements into the mountain region and they head to look for him in three possible locations, all in Afghanistan’s highest peaks in the Spin Ghar Mountain Range.
Bravo, Romeo and Echo get to the location and launch a coordinated assault. If it is successful, it could be their last mission in Afghanistan. Through gunfires and bomb explosions, the enemies fire bullets at the teams and they counter-attack. Amid all the chaos, Cerberus runs past them. When Jason tries to calm him, he ends up getting knocked down by a grenade. When Ray Perry (Neil Brown Jr) says they can't locate him, Sonny Quinn (AJ Buckley) tells the team there is no chance they are leaving without him. Meanwhile, Cerberus is shot. Red blood spills on pure white snow in heartbreaking irony.
What happens in Jason's flashbacks?
The cool dude in a Nirvana T-shirt, Jason was the life of the party in his young days. The scenes show Jason's bond with Ray and Sonny in their old days along with Curtis 'Cujo' Johnson (Callard Harris). In one scene, when Jason's boss Eddie Guzman (Bailey Chase) comes to give him a lecture on how he needs to put his best foot forward for his team, Jason playfully mocks him as soon as he leaves.
In the present day, Ray comes to talk to him: “A little hard on the boys back there, huh?” So, that's how Jason learned his leadership skills. He may be strong on the outside, but inside he is lost. He doesn't share what goes in his mind — his fears or his anxiety or his sorrow. As the melancholic music tugs at our heartstrings, the irony is palpable.
Will Cerberus die?
Jason hoists Cerberus on his shoulders and the two are covered with blood. Carrying her in his arms, he rushes to a safe spot. Jason and Cerberus lie down on the ground as she is squealing in pain. Jason kisses her forehead to calm her down. Beside her, he holds her tight and wonders what to do. His mind races to his past.
Cujo's death has left an indelible scar in his mind. Why does Jason blame himself for Cujo's death? At that moment, Eddie comes to see him and tells him: “As a team leader I feel I let every single one of them down. Accepting responsibility is how I get better. Good isn't good enough for my team. My mission always comes first.” Those words are etched in Jason's heart. He adds, “I got to be on with this team or more of my brothers will die.”
With Cerberus near him, Jason shoots two more enemies who come to attack them. Both of them lie in the snow... waiting. The parallel timeline shifts sketch out who Jason really is underneath all his strength and vigor. Written by Spencer Hudnut and Kenny Sheard, the episode will leave you with one question and it will haunt you forever: Can Jason ever be as happy as he was back then?
‘SEAL Team’ Season 4 premieres with two new back-to-back episodes — titled ‘God of War’ and ‘Forever War’ — on December 2, 2020, from 9 pm ET to 10 pm ET and then from 10 pm ET to 11 pm ET. More episodes in the series will air every Wednesday in the 9 pm slot on CBS.