Africa hasn't been good to Bravo Team.

Things went from bad to worse on SEAL Team Season 4 Episode 15.

First, for a bunch of sailors, they're not really content to use a warship as a staging area. That likely has something to do with the lack of alcohol, their recreational activity of choice.

To retrieve a Boko Haram defector on SEAL Team Season 4 Episode 13, their first mission was largely a bust, as he ended up dying from injuries inflicted by his former allies, and all Bravo had to show for it was his cell phone. It was declared a treasure trove of intel, but still ...

Then, on SEAL Team Season 4 Episode 14, they loudly hacked Boko Haram's computer network on what was meant to be a stealth operation and rescued one foreign aid worker, leaving dozens of natives also being held captive to their fates.

Now Alpha Team has arrived to relieve Bravo during a mission Jason rightly considered an abject failure. Because frankly, Jason and Bravo didn't want to leave their mission unfinished (how have they handled Afghanistan for 20 years?), and no one wanted to go back to their domestic messes.

Although nobody wanted to admit it, the dramas on the home front affected their performances on the battlefield.

Lucky for Bravo, they got one more chance to redeem themselves as Boko Haram went on a major offensive funded by a mysterious partner. Just pick one of the many terrorist groups or hostile nations opposed to U.S. foreign policies. It's a long list.

That didn't mean that Bravo was in any better emotional state than it had been before this latest twist. Clay and Sonny were feuding. Ray was arguing with Jason. And Pepper was nowhere to be found (and hasn't been for months, to the disappointment of dog fans everywhere). 

After much hoopla, Hannah had her baby offscreen, and Sonny got a call from his absentee dad informing him of that. His self-esteem had so disappeared that he decided to step back and support his daughter financially but generally stay out of the picture.

Clay's harping at Sonny definitely played a role in that decision. Clay's heart was in a good place, but he tried to straighten out Sonny because he couldn't do much to help a whining Stella back home.

Stella also told Clay how bad the rift was in the Perrys' marriage. But Ray was determined that the state of his marriage had nothing to do with his performance in combat.

And Jason couldn't decide if he should be hands-off or hands-on as Bravo One.

Did all that have a role in what happened? Well, it couldn't have helped.

A fresh Alpha Team and a fried Bravo Team appeared ready for this mission. But unfortunately, the partner that asked for their help, the Nigerians, weren't up to pulling their weight. How unusual on a U.S. military excursion.

Somehow, a small Boko Haram unit got by the Nigerian forces and was headed straight for Bravo.

Bravo gained the upper hand until one of the enemy soldiers whipped out a missile and sent it toward Jason, Clay, and poor Full Metal.

SEAL Team is a military drama. As such, injuries and/or deaths are to be expected.

Thus far, the deaths have been limited to tangential characters: family members or teammates added to be eventually killed off.

Now, it appeared to be time to up the ante. Metal is a recurring character that viewers might mix up with Brock or Trent (but not Pepper).

Would it be surprising if Metal or one of the badly outnumbered Bravo or Alpha team members were to die in the season finale, SEAL Team Season 4 Episode 16?

Not at all because that would make SEAL Team feel more gritty, more realistic. The core cast can't skate every time.

Frankly, it was a miracle that all three sailors on that rescue chopper made it back to the ship alive.

Clay didn't flinch when Jason told him it was his duty to keep Metal alive. He also managed to keep Jason alive after he almost got dumped out the door during evasive maneuvers.

Metal had to be as tough as advertised to survive those shrapnel wounds and that broken leg.

Jason's hasty departure left Ray in charge of Bravo.

And what everyone fears would happen finally did as Ray froze when the enemy combatant was trying to kill Brock.

Sonny, despite all his off-duty missteps, took matters in hand and ended the threat. But now Ray and Alpha 1 face long odds in the finale.

Can Ray pull it together one more time? And will he be willing to seek the help he needs when he gets home?

Poor Davis was also under fire. But she refused to go down without a fight.

Whitshaw retaliated against Davis for helping Mina file sexual harassment charges against him, threatening to bring charges against her.

But she decided to forego her dream job to bring down Whitshaw.

Davis realizes what long odds women in the military face, and bringing down a pig such as Whitshaw would help future women advance.

To revisit Bravo's dysfunction, watch SEAL Team online.

Which Bravo Team member needs the most help?

How much of the blame should Jason shoulder?

Will Davis succeed in the end?

Comment below.

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