S01.E12: The Upside Down

[CooperTV]

Quote

While on a mission to retrieve a downed top-secret drone, Jason and the SEAL Team disobey orders so they can save Clay, who is trapped beneath a room full of armed terrorists. Also, Clay and Stella’s relationship takes a new turn.

Promos

[sigmaforce86]

Stella should not say yes or no to the proposal - smart thing would be to suggest living together and using e-mail and skype to keep up the relationship and make sure of her feelings toward him and also toward a life that keeps her husband away and in danger a majority of the time.  Of course we know Clay isn't going to Afghanistan for three-six months anyway because the whole point was to get him on the team with Jason.  So he's not going unless the entire Seal team is going there and the story is moving there for a time.  I thought the injury to his leg might be the plot line that keeps him from deploying but doesn't look like they're heading in that direction.

Can the writers maybe lay off the "big shot from the government or another military branch marches into command and try's to dictate the mission which screws things up and puts the team in more danger" plot?  This is about the third or fourth time they've thrown that into the mission and it already felt old this episode, they can't keep using it over and over.

Also, as long as I'm in complaint mode, can they have AJ Buckly go down about three shades on his hair color?  It's getting to be Frank Reagan levels of fake black and I thought it looked really bad last night.  Just a little lighter or a little more shading so it's not totally solid would make it look more realistic.

Edited January 18, 2018 by sigmaforce86

[Raja]

I can't believe that any post Vietnam era General raised with force protection as an ultimate political goal could even think that a piece of technology means you leave a man behind in ISIS hands. Maybe you do for the Chinese and a prisoner exchange but not for Jihadist. It took a lot of suspension of disbelief to get into the combat action 

[CooperTV]

Dear show, I know you want Jason and the CIA lady to happen but you also want to drag Jason's broken family nonsense as much as possible, and I want to say to you, please stop on both. Ugh.

Well, Clay went for a broke there, not that I'm against the idea. I do thing the should get married or at least live together at this point.

And last but not the least: Cerberus is okay! Yay!

[mojoween]

It sure sounded like Mrs. Jason was giving Jason an ultimatum at the end.  Either you’re with him and he’s a SEAL or you’re not with him, lady.  Don’t make him choose.

I am not at all interested in Petty Officer Lady with Danny or Clay with Stella.  So going directly from one relationship to the other at the beginning - *yawn*.

I’m waiting for the brown-haired guy who always stays back at the plane to snap at one of the random Generals who come in at the last second and try to change how he does his job.  I liked his quick thinking on the phone to give Jason the time he needed to get Clay.

It was unrealistic to me that Clay was able to pull his leg out from under the stone AND there was no break.

Edited January 19, 2018 by mojoween

[xtwheeler]

11 hours ago, sigmaforce86 said:

Of course we know Clay isn't going to Afghanistan for three-six months anyway because the whole point was to get him on the team with Jason.  So he's not going unless the entire Seal team is going there and the story is moving there for a time. 

I'm confused by this. Jason's entire team IS deploying to Afghanistan (his #2 man has talked with his wife about the extra deployment money, and Jason himself brought up the same thing just this episode). By getting him on the team with Jason, he was assured of deploying with them, not the other way around. Can you clarify? 

 

In general, other than the personal stuff I have no interest in, I though this was a really good episode. I thought (personal cha-cha aside) that it was well-paced, tense, and developed some stuff with the team we hadn't seen yet. It was good to see Clay actually *doing* something worthy of all the buildup, and good to see the team that he did a good job (signaling them to warn them about the enemies on site). For once, I found them referring to him as "the kid" kind of endearing, particularly when coupled with, "our boy." It was the first time I sensed their comraderie with him, as well as their extra protectiveness over him. Certainly a baptism by fire. 

 

I also really liked #2 (gah, I need to learn his name, #2 is a terrible shorthand) being so calm, steady, and level-headed. As Jason said, a lesser operator would have lit the place up and caused a much worse situation. (Same to Clay - - his restraint when hiding there when the guy came down and collected the ammo just feet from him was amazing. I'd have crapped my pants, no joke.) It gave credence to the idea these guys are the elite of the elite. 

 

Alana waxing poetic about the fancy life they could have if Jason traded in saving the world for teaching weekend warriors how to breach a door showed me that she has no idea who he is. She even said it herself 2 seconds before. That is WHO HE IS. He's the guy who will have to be forcibly retired after he's been on one mission too many, and will never settle into post-active duty life. His soul is in those missions and those teams. She needs to realize Jason feels alive saving the world, not sipping rosé in Venice. God, that's even a ridiculous picture. He will hate her if she makes him do it. Forever. 

[sigmaforce86]

2 hours ago, xtwheeler said:

I'm confused by this. Jason's entire team IS deploying to Afghanistan (his #2 man has talked with his wife about the extra deployment money, and Jason himself brought up the same thing just this episode). By getting him on the team with Jason, he was assured of deploying with them, not the other way around. Can you clarify? 

Ahh....this is where my lack of military word meanings messes things up......I actually thought "deployment" was anytime they were on a mission.  So I really believed each episode where we saw them in another country even if just for a few days counted.  I figured that's why #2 wanted back in because if he was sitting at the base when the others went out then he wasn't "deployed".  Is that's not part of deployment?  If it's not then that was my mix up and it changes how I'd look at the conversation and proposal.

[xtwheeler]

6 hours ago, sigmaforce86 said:

Ahh....this is where my lack of military word meanings messes things up......I actually thought "deployment" was anytime they were on a mission.  So I really believed each episode where we saw them in another country even if just for a few days counted.  I figured that's why #2 wanted back in because if he was sitting at the base when the others went out then he wasn't "deployed".  Is that's not part of deployment?  If it's not then that was my mix up and it changes how I'd look at the conversation and proposal.

Ah, that makes sense! I mean, the explanation of your confusion makes sense. Make sense? LOL

Right now the team is stationed at Virginia Beach (if I remember my dialogue correctly). So, they're stateside at their "home base" if you will. They are sent out on separate, discreet missions like this one to Iraq, and the others where they've been sent oversees to do a discreet job. ("Discreet" in the "distinctly defined parameters" way.) 

 

What Clay and #2 (nope, still haven't learned your name, my dude) have been discussing is their upcoming "deployment" to Afghanistan for at least 3 months. This deployment means the whole team and all their support personnel will go to Afghanistan for a long term stay. They will not be flying vacations and forth to the US, nor will they just be doing one very long OP. They'll run multiple local ops out of that base. 

While they're at home in Virginia Beach, they live either on base or off base, like Jason and Clay. They can eat wherever, etc. They are paid their regular salary. When deployed they get a deployment bonus rate added to their base pay. For singletons, this can be a magnificent windfall because deployed in Afghanistan or wherever, they're living on base for free, eating on base for free, etc. Their entire paycheck with deployment wages gets deposited and never spent. 

Anyway, that's the gist. For these short hops, they're stationed at home. Soon they'll be deployed to Afghanistan, so they'll be temporarily assigned a home base in Afghanistan for an unbroken 3-6 month period. 

[sigmaforce86]

1 hour ago, xtwheeler said:

While they're at home in Virginia Beach, they live either on base or off base, like Jason and Clay. They can eat wherever, etc. They are paid their regular salary. When deployed they get a deployment bonus rate added to their base pay. For singletons, this can be a magnificent windfall because deployed in Afghanistan or wherever, they're living on base for free, eating on base for free, etc. Their entire paycheck with deployment wages gets deposited and never spent. 

Anyway, that's the gist. For these short hops, they're stationed at home. Soon they'll be deployed to Afghanistan, so they'll be temporarily assigned a home base in Afghanistan for an unbroken 3-6 month period. 

That makes sense (including the explanation of the confusion of the explanation! LOL)  In short; Deployment isn't where they go on a single mission deployment is where they're based and live day to day.  So as long as they're in Virginia they're home and going on mission.  When they go to another base to live for a stretch they're officially "deployed" (and probably still do missions just from the new base).  I don't know why I got it in my head that their missions were deployments.  

[piequinn35]

Ah I got confused too with the deployment of at least 3 months or 6 months, what Clay was talking about, so it's coming up.

Glad that Cerberus was okay.

#2 is RAY :) 

Is Danny the name of the new boyfriend of Lisa? I thought she and Sonny would be together, I guess they couldn't because of work.

Alana, maybe Jason will retire after the season finale lol

[Adira]

I don't really care about all the interpersonal relationship stuff, but I am LOVING the team's dynamic with each other and the missions they go on.

Ray (#2) is lying about his shoulder, right??  He never actually went to see the doctor and get an MRI in the last episode, correct?

I like that the team is coming around to liking Clay and it's good to see him in action and that he really does keep his cool and makes smart decisions, so it shows that he IS worthy of being on this team and isn't just an arrogant a-hole.

I do NOT understand Clay and Stella.  Neither of them seem THAT into their relationship.  I always got the impression they just have fun together and maybe the sex is good.  But now Clay is proposing??  What??  Ugh, never mind, I don't care.  Show more of the SEALs together!

[piequinn35]

1 hour ago, Adira said:

Ray (#2) is lying about his shoulder, right??  He never actually went to see the doctor and get an MRI in the last episode, correct?

 

Yes. he lied, and his status could affect one of their future missions.

[xtwheeler]

9 hours ago, Adira said:

Ray (#2) is lying about his shoulder, right??  He never actually went to see the doctor and get an MRI in the last episode, correct?

 

8 hours ago, piequinn35 said:

Yes. he lied, and his status could affect one of their future missions.

Agreed. My only question is whether his shoulder is magically better because he got something like a cortisone shot from a friendly off-books doctor, or something more sinister (he wouldn't be the first guy to start swiping someone else's pain pills in desperation). It is definitely going to take one of the team's missions south. 

If he was seeing the PT, shouldn't somebody have rated him "not fit for duty" until he was legitimately better? Jason is being too trusting, and he knows it. 

[mojoween]

Yeah I think Jason is looking the other way at Ray and is just taking what Ray says at face value, even if he knows it’s bullshit.

Which, if true, is worse than what Ray is doing because it jeopardizes the whole team to knowingly let someone with bad parts work with you.

I mean, you would think as Team Leader he would get a copy of Ray’s medical report, no?  I’m sure these guys sign away their HIPAA when they get on the team.

I noticed Ray picked up his backpack with his right arm while not moving his left and wonder if Jason noticed. 

The creators must like Dr. Suess.  Jason HAYES.  CLAY Spenser.  RAY Whatever his last name is.

Edited January 20, 2018 by mojoween

[TV Anonymous]

On 1/18/2018 at 0:28 PM, Raja said:

I can't believe that any post Vietnam era General raised with force protection as an ultimate political goal could even think that a piece of technology means you leave a man behind in ISIS hands. Maybe you do for the Chinese and a prisoner exchange but not for Jihadist. It took a lot of suspension of disbelief to get into the combat action 

Yep. I don't know in other services but the U.S. Army explicitly put "I will never leave a fallen comrade" on its Soldier's Creed. That and the well-documented Battle of Mogadishu where the Rangers expressly refused to be rescued before they could recover all the bodies of the KIAs. On top of that, that Maj. Gen. is from ACC. Does he really have command on JSOC operation? I would think that LCDR Blackburn has a Flag Officer in his CoC that the general can talk to.

[Bridget]

On 1/19/2018 at 9:32 AM, Adira said:

I don't really care about all the interpersonal relationship stuff, but I am LOVING the team's dynamic with each other and the missions they go on.

Ray (#2) is lying about his shoulder, right??  He never actually went to see the doctor and get an MRI in the last episode, correct?

I like that the team is coming around to liking Clay and it's good to see him in action and that he really does keep his cool and makes smart decisions, so it shows that he IS worthy of being on this team and isn't just an arrogant a-hole.

I do NOT understand Clay and Stella.  Neither of them seem THAT into their relationship.  I always got the impression they just have fun together and maybe the sex is good.  But now Clay is proposing??  What??  Ugh, never mind, I don't care.  Show more of the SEALs together!

Yup! His pants are on fire! Ray did call Dr. McMaster, but the doc wasn't in, so Ray never called back. I find it odd that he could ever keep that a secret or hidden from his Commanding Officer (CO). Ray skipping his MRI and doc appt? Someone would have known an hour after he didn't show up and there would be consequences! This storyline isn't working for anyone who knows how the military functions. 

I dated an officer in the USMC for two years who was also a CO. I can't tell you how many times his phone would ring at dinner or late  in the evening, only for one of his sergeants to be on the other end, keeping the ex apprised of both the most mundane things about his Marines and their spouses as well as their medical info, no matter how personal it was. HIPPA didn't seem to apply. 

Someone's pregnant wife had an ultrasound appt? Someone or their wife had a lump somewhere and it needed to be biopsied? Someone's cholesterol or BP were elevated? He knew about it all. One Marine's wife beat him up one night and when the MPs arrived, they arrested the wife and called my ex  "just to keep him in the loop." The chain of command baffled me many times, but I understand why it exists for certain reasons, like the abused husband.

There is no way Jason or the CO would ever clear Ray for for duty. Even if he got a cortisone injection, those wear off after awhile. If he had another one while on deployment, he could have a bad reaction to it or be out of commission for a few days - those shots hurt for several days!

 

Clay and Stella seem like friends with benefits more than anything when compared to a proper couple. She hasn't even socialized with or met his colleagues & their wives at a BBQ or other casual social event. That's a pretty big step they missed in the military community, or at least it was when I began dating my ex. It's not about getting approval from buddies more than it is introducing someone you really care about to your "brothers" to see how well everyone meshes together. I truly miss my ex's friends and their wives more than him! Once you've charmed his buddies & their ladies, and vice versa, especially when you're a civilian girlfriend, it truly is like becoming part of a new family where everyone has everyone's backs. 

It's just plain awkward to watch Stella and Clay together. I don't see any chemistry between them.

Edited January 21, 2018 by Bridget

[Orbert]

When Clay fell down through the floor and Ray was the only other person there, I figured it would lead to Ray dropping a rope or something down for him and then not being able to pull him up because of his bum shoulder.  He radios for help, and the scam is exposed.

Instead, it seems we're going to get a few weeks of "mystery" until someone figures out that Ray is lying about his condition and having been cleared (which others have already pointed out is nearly impossible anyway).

[xtwheeler]

On 1/20/2018 at 6:27 AM, mojoween said:

 

I mean, you would think as Team Leader he would get a copy of Ray’s medical report, no?  I’m sure these guys sign away their HIPAA when they get on the team.

Mitary members' health info is subject to a specific exception to HIPAA. Providers "may disclose the PHI of Armed Forces personnel to Command authorities for authorized activities.

These activities include fitness for duty determinations, fitness to perform a particular assignment, or other activities necessary for the military mission. PHI disclosed to military command authorities, while no longer subject to HIPAA, remains protected under the Privacy Act of 1974."

Their command can make many medical decisions for them in the field, too. Keeping them in ready status is the objective, not giving them choices. 

They and their dependents even give up their right to sue for malpractice for care received from military providers. 

So yeah, Ray's status should have been formally inquired after before he was returned to active status. 

[Kel Varnsen]

On 23/01/2018 at 1:54 PM, Orbert said:

When Clay fell down through the floor and Ray was the only other person there, I figured it would lead to Ray dropping a rope or something down for him and then not being able to pull him up because of his bum shoulder.  He radios for help, and the scam is exposed.

 

I was super surprised that didn't actually happen.

On 20/01/2018 at 11:06 PM, TV Anonymous said:

 I would think that LCDR Blackburn has a Flag Officer in his CoC that the general can talk to.

That did seem weird. If the general wasn't his boss he may have been breaking his bosses orders to follow that guys. That was totally a you need to talk to my boss kind of situation. 

Also does anyone think the guys are going to get deployed?  Changing up the show so it was based out of Afghanistan for the remainder of the season would be an impressive move.

[Ohmo]

On 1/20/2018 at 9:27 AM, mojoween said:

Yeah I think Jason is looking the other way at Ray and is just taking what Ray says at face value, even if he knows it’s bullshit.

Jason may suspect and be trying to give Ray the benefit of the doubt (grey area, so to speak), but I don't think Jason is purposely looking the other way.  He benched Ray to begin with, and he has no problems telling Sonny to get his head on straight during missions.  Jason bends the rules (like what he did with rescuing Clay), and that's what I see with Ray.  I think Jason'd got Ray on a clock of sorts...hoping that Ray will take care of what needs to be taken care of before Jason is forced to make a tough call.

[webruce]

Clay(new kid) is proposing to Stella because his accident on the mission scared him. He thought he would rather be married to Stella then without her. He did a good job being cool in the underground spot and not firing all over the place when the enemy was upstairs around the hole, and the one soldier coming to the hole to retrieve his ammo.

Ray (#2) probably will have a time on deployment with his injury will let the team down. I am surprised that his CO or whoever didn't wonder about a report clearing him from his Dr?. Then the others will have to rise up and cover for him. I do like that Erick Blackburn(Lt. Commander) does cover for Jason and the team. This way they can recover Clay. it was nice too that they do seem to cover each others backs. Clay isn't an outsider like the new guy on some other shows.

I to thought with the bar scene that Sonny(from CSINY) and Lisa Davis would hook up. But he also was close to the lady he rode with on the nuclear missile recovery mission. Danny(scar-face from Riba) does seem like his story with Sonny has disappeared. Seemed like he and Lisa had a thing before but his drinking or whatever broke that off. He thinks he has changed, let's see. I am not sure  that she thinks it will be anything long term.

Jason did get on the drone peoples butts about a quicker recovery. I felt bad for them, they were trying hard. But the team worried about the enemy closing in.