SEAL Team Season 1 Episode 8 Review: The Exchange
Tim Morris
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In SEAL Team Season 1 Episode 8, Bravo Team got involved in a prisoner swap with the Taliban, while Clay went apartment hunting with Stella as he waited to find out which team chose him in the Green Team draft.
After being called to the briefing room, the SEALs discovered that their next mission is to transport three Taliban detainees to Afghanistan, where they will exchange them for Army private Lucas Garner, who has been held by the Taliban since deserting his unit in 2014.
The team members were not exactly happy with this news. Sonny, never shy about expressing his opinions, voiced his disdain for Garner and worried that the Taliban might be planning an ambush.
Mandy explained that the ISI, Pakistan's intelligence agency, brokered the deal. The ISI wanted the Pakistani military kept out of the loop because too many Taliban sleepers were embedded there.
Jason and the team were skeptical that the ISI could be counted on, and Ray summed up their concerns to Mandy.
Their spooks are even shadier than ours. No offense.
Ray
It became clear that the team was once again being put in a situation where they wouldn't know who they could trust, and the clueless State Department representative was a good example of the bureaucrats they can't stand.
When Clay's friend asked him if he thought it was a done deal that he was going to Jason's team since he went on an op with them, Clay said he hadn't put much thought into it. His eyes told a different story though.
Jason continued to have issues with Clay in this episode, as he hesitated to draft him even though Clay is at the top of the class. Ray was baffled at Jason's reluctance to have him on the team.
Am I ever gonna understand your problem with this kid?
Ray
While Clay waited to learn his fate, he and Stella went apartment hunting. They make a good couple. A realtor and Stella had an exchange that, while joking, nevertheless made Clay think about the negative impact his job might have on her.
Realtor: More important that the wife loves the place, since she's the one that will be alone in it three hundred nights a year.
Stella: That's okay Chad, because Clay's really married to his work. I'm just a mistress.
Later while moving Clay's stuff into his new apartment, Clay and Stella met his new neighbors, a fellow SEAL and his wife. After talking with the wife, Stella seemed to ponder the possible hardships of being in a relationship with a SEAL.
It's going to be interesting to watch Stella and Clay's relationship develop, and to see if it can withstand the stress that comes from the nature of Clay's job. They continue to grow closer, and near the end of the episode, he gave her a key to his apartment.
Lisa and Ray shared a concerned look when Sonny said the upside of their mission was the chance Garner and the Taliban prisoners might "accidentally" be killed in the crossfire if the exchange went bad.
It was apparent that the other team members were worried about Sonny's potential to be a loose cannon, and what would happen if he lost his cool.
On the plane to Afghanistan, Jason convinced Amir, the senior Taliban prisoner, to keep his subordinates in line, and that it is their best interest to cooperate.
We wanna make this as easy as possible for everyone, which means (if) you'll respect us, we'll respect you.
Jason
When Lisa went to Jason and voiced her concern over what Sonny might be planning to do, he told her that he believed Sonny would keep it together and do his job.
Sonny is definitely the wildcard of this group. It remains to be seen if he can continue to keep his emotions in check in future episodes.
Once in Afghanistan, the team made their way to the Exchange spot. Amir was injured in a tense encounter with the Pakistani army. Jason gave him medical attention that saved his life, over Sonny's objections. This act would end up benefiting the team.
I thought Jason really showed why he is the team leader in this one, from his efforts to keep Sonny in line, to his pragmatism in dealing with Amir and keeping his cool in the encounter with the Pakistanis.
At the exchange point, it became clear that the SEALs were outnumbered and surrounded. They began to worry that they had been set up for an ambush when the Taliban hesitated in releasing Garner.
Amir was seen chatting with the other Taliban leaders, and eventually, Garner was sent across to the waiting SEALs. Amir made eye contact with Jason and nodded, and it was clear that Amir was returning the favor after Jason saved his life.
Sonny also showed a vulnerable side that we didn't know existed as he made a call to his friend Danny and was overcome with emotion.
Jason encountered Clay at the base and let him know that he had chosen him to join Bravo Team.
Jason: 8 AM tomorrow.
Clay: Your team?
Jason: Yes, my team. And bring beer. Good Beer. Cold beer. Not that microbrew crap that's infused with raspberry pumpkin spice that you kids are drinking these days, you got that?
It definitely was a relief to see Jason finally overcome his bias against Clay and realize that he deserved to be on the team.
What did you think of this episode? Was it too predictable when Jason ended up drafting Clay? Will Sonny's temper eventually put his fellow SEALs in jeopardy? Let us know in the Comments section! Don't forget, you can always watch SEAL Team online via TV Fanatic!
