The Taylor Sheridan-verse has been infiltrated by a Navy SEAL team. That is, CBS’s “SEAL Team” creator Benjamin Cavell and former showrunner Spencer Hudnut are now overseeing “Dutton Ranch” and “Marshals,” respectively. As such, fans of the “Yellowstone” spin-offs might be tempted to check out the pair’s military series, and now they can do just that via Netflix. The streamer just added all seven seasons of “SEAL Team,” which follows the professional and personal lives of an elite Navy SEAL unit led by David Boreanaz’s Jason Hayes.
Boreanaz picked “SEAL Team” as his “Bones” follow-up, and it served him well. The show emerged in the wake of History Channel’s “Six” and around the same time as NBC’s “The Brave,” both of which similarly focused on military units. But Cavell’s series tried to set itself apart by paying special attention to authenticity. The show hired former Navy SEAL Mark Semos and former U.S. Army special operations soldier Tyler Grey to advise, and their expertise allowed “SEAL Team” to not only accurately recreate mission protocols but the personal toll warfare takes on the individuals involved as well.
At least, that was the idea. Reviews for the first season did acknowledge the authenticity of the show but also highlighted how much of that was undercut by a vaguely jingoistic tone typical of other CBS procedurals. Still, “SEAL Team” ran for seven seasons, which means audiences responded positively. Now, those who missed out on the series during its run on CBS (and later Paramount+) can catch up on all 114 episodes courtesy of Netflix.
SEAL Team stars David Boreanaz as a tortured Navy SEAL badass
Benjamin Cavell will serve as the new “Dutton Ranch” showrunner following the departure of Season 1 showrunner Chad Feehan. Indeed, the show has been plagued by behind-the-scenes drama, much of which was brought to light by Ed Harris who said he’d considered walking away mid-way through. The hope is that Cavell can get things back on track, and he certainly has the experience.
“SEAL Team” has a simple premise. The Navy SEALs are an elite special-operations force, but the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) is the best of the best. David Boreanaz plays Jason Hayes, leader of DEVGRU’s Bravo Team. He’s haunted by the death of a brother-in-arms but refuses to process it, dismissing therapy and focusing on his missions to the detriment of his children and estranged wife. Those missions are the military’s most dangerous and important black ops operations, which means Hayes and his team are in constant peril. Luckily, they’re good at their job. Hayes is supported by his second-in-command Ray Perry (Neil Brown Jr.), alongside Sonny Quinn (A.J. Buckley) and cocky new recruit Clay Spenser (Max Thieriot). CIA analyst Mandy Ellis (Jessica Paré) and logistics specialist Lisa (Toni Trucks) provide support from headquarters as the team travels around the world, from Syria to North Korea, taking down terrorists.
“SEAL Team” debuted in 2017 and earned a solid 71% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. The show then aired for four seasons on CBS before transitioning to streaming service Paramount + for its fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons. The finale premiered in October 2024. Now, all 114 episodes have made their way to Netflix, where the series could be in for a “Suits”-like renaissance — especially given the involvement of the Taylor Sheridan-verse’s new guard.
Yellowstone fans should check out SEAL Team while they can
Benjamin Cavell left “SEAL Team” in 2018, after which John Glenn became showrunner. But Glen was very quickly dismissed following what Deadline called an “unspecified investigation by producer CBS Television Studios.” Spencer Hudnut then stepped up to replace him and remained in place until the series’ end. Subsequently, in 2026, Hudnut was credited as the creator of “Marshals,” the Luke Grimes-led “Yellowstone” spin-off that gave Kayce Dutton the CBS procedural treatment. Considering Kayce’s background as a Navy SEAL, Hudnut made a lot of sense as the man to oversee his solo outing. But “Marshals” very quickly proved it has no idea what it was about and has prompted significant debate among Yellowstone fans as to whether the spin-off is actually good or not.
Now, Cavell has been brought in to oversee “Dutton Ranch,” and we can’t help but be slightly worried in light of how “Marshals” turned out. Many “Yellowstone” fans must be similarly concerned, which is why it might be worth giving “SEAL Team” a look, if only to see what Cavell and Hudnut did with that show. Variety’s Sonia Saraiya was at least somewhat impressed with the first season, noting that “SEAL Team” made “a strong effort to bring the human element of the fight against amorphous terrorists to the broadcast audience.”
If that piques your interest, then it’s worth checking out “SEAL Team” while the entire series is available on Netflix. Elsewhere, “Dutton Ranch” and “Marshals” have both been renewed for second seasons, which will likely premiere in 2027. That gives fans plenty of time to catch up on “SEAL Team” and see whether these CBS boys have what it takes to shepherd the Taylor Sheridan-verse for the foreseeable future.
Leave a Reply