Well, Jason held out from operating for three whole episodes.

He would argue "extenuating circumstances" as he negotiated Bravo Team's "temporary" deployment on SEAL Team Season 4 Episode 4.

We'll see, as it's hard saying how long before Ray gets recovered from a Tunisian terrorist group.

It will at least be sometime in early 2021.

Yes, the Covid Curse continues, as viewers get a taste of popular broadcast shows before they're gone again, making room for holiday "entertainment" new and old.

And network executives wonder why streaming is thriving.

No one wants to wait anymore. Nor should they have to.

Anyway, back to the inevitable.

You knew that Jason, who has been pacing like a caged tiger for the first three episodes of SEAL Team Season 4, wasn't going to stay on the sidelines. Not when Ray was in danger.

Jason and the rest of Bravo Team just aren't built for social niceties, which the early third of this episode proved.

It was painful watching Bravo gather at the Perry residence, bringing one pitiful veggie tray among them. If it's not a chips-and-beer scenario, they're just lost, aren't they?

But then, there's not one of them that would be comfortable at a parent-teacher conference, except probably Ray. He's got some people skills the others lack.

Rebecca was doing a good job shaving the sharp edges off of Clay, but that ended badly. So, yeah, just Ray seems at all comfortable in civilian life.

Want proof? Compare the home that Ray and Naima are updating to Jason's bachelor pad. Need I say more?

Bravo was the picture of helplessness early on when word of the bombing where Ray started to leak out.

Ray was the upwardly mobile one among them, and this happened to him. Little wonder they took it personally.

It was a surprise that the agent with Ray was eliminated so quickly. It had appeared like Agent Green was going to be the one to introduce Ray to this new world of shadow diplomacy.

But maybe the message was supposed to be that Ray was entering a different but equally violent type of battlefield now.

These terrorists thought that Ray was someone valuable enough to be ransomed. What happens when they discover his true affiliation?

Now Bravo had been declared undeployable when their brother was in danger. Clay remained firmly ensconced in Lindell's doghouse. Finally, Lindell wanted to keep Jason as far from the rescue/recovery operation as possible.

If Lindell thought Jason was giving Echo Team short shrift before, what could he truly have expected now that Ray was in likely danger?

Yes, Bravo Team dropped by to support Naima, but man, were they a mopey bunch, all sidelined whether by choice or by actions.

It was up to the team's WAGs to help Naima in her time of need.

Do you think Sonny will ever hear the message that if he's not part of the solution, then he's part of the problem? Sure, it's easy to blame Thirty Mike because he's mostly unlikable.

But he was right that Sonny has largely been Southern-fried dead weight since Jason left, waiting for someone else to come back and rescue Bravo from itself. He has to step up.

At least he manned up long enough to offer Jameelah some hope that Bravo could bring her daddy back to her.

It was hard not to feel bad for Jason and Clay when Bravo got called in, and they were left behind.

Natalie has been good for Jason, but he's determined to screw that up. Like with Alana previously, Jason seems to have one foot out the door toward the battlefield, and he's perpetually distracted.

And how likely was it that he had an extended discussion with Natalie before impulsively deciding to reassemble Bravo to go after Ray?

It was intriguing to see Stella come back into Clay's life. Hopefully, she's back for good.

Stella always seems to get that Clay is an operator. Rebecca always appears to treat Clay's career choice as a phase or a stepping stone to something greater.

Clay is fine with his path to the admiralty dissolving. He's content to learn from Jason and Ray to be Jason a decade down the line.

Hopefully, he observes the pitfalls of being in such a role as well.

It was heartbreaking to watch Bravo Team being stripped for spare parts. It was like watching teams being chosen on the playground. Who do you think got picked last?

But Jason knew he had Lindell over a barrel. Lindell didn't want to be the officer whose decisions allowed a SEAL to be beheaded on global television.

So he caved, at least in the short term. For a time, it did appear like a simple retrieval op. Ray would break free and run into Bravo's arms.

But no, time wasn't on their side.

So now we wait to see if Ray and Bravo will survive. It's pretty likely, although one of the lesser operators could be sacrificed rescuing Ray. The team is getting a little too large.

No one wants SEAL Team -- The Next Generation. Clay's the newest of new blood that viewers will accept.

To revisit Jason's struggle, watch SEAL Team online.

Were you surprised Ray wasn't rescued already?

Will Sonny step up?

Will Bravo get to stick together?

Comment below.

Dale McGarrigle is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.