Did Ray Die in That Shocking Explosion on 'SEAL Team'?

Fans of SEAL Team know more than most that the show loves a good cliffhanger. Now that Season 4 has started, the show's fans are back to living on the edge of their seats as they wait between episodes. The most recent episode was particularly shocking, largely because of what it might mean for Ray, a fan-favorite character who has been on the show since its earliest episodes. 

The episode titled "The New Normal" focused on how Bravo Team was adjusting after several of their most longstanding members decided to try and make a living outside of the team. Ray was one of those members who left the squad in order to spend more time with his growing family. By the episode's end, though, he was caught up in an explosion that looked like it could be deadly. 

Now, fans are wondering whether Ray survived the explosion, and what will happen to Bravo Team in the wake of the attack against him. They also want to know if Neil Brown Jr., the actor who plays Ray on the show, is planning to leave. SEAL Team has seen a lot of shake-ups already this season. Could Neil's departure be yet another change coming to the show? 

Thus far, there has been no indication that Neil is planning to leave the show. It's possible that the show has kept the news of his departure under wraps in order to preserve the surprise at the end of this episode, but it's also possible that he just isn't planning on leaving. Fans are nervous in part because the show already wrote out a major character this season, but that may actually be a reason for optimism. 

Jessica Pare, who played Mandy on the show, recently departed the series. Neil could be following right behind her, but Jessica's departure was actually public before her final episodes as a regular aired. If Neil leaves the show, the move will be much more jarring for fans. The cliffhanger certainly has people on edge, but it seems likely that Neil will survive the explosion and live to fight another day. 

Fans won't have to wait long to find out what happens to Ray. In the Dec. 16 episode, which is titled "Shockwave," Ray's disappearance takes center stage.

"When Warrant Officer Ray Perry goes missing following an explosion in Tunisia, his former teammates wrestle with how to help their brother and his family while Bravo Team is sidelined," the episode description reads. 

Ray may not be a major physical presence in this episode, but the uncertainty over his fate may further change the dynamic of Bravo Team. Whether he survived or not, SEAL Team seems ready to dive in to what the character means for the show, and what the show might feel like if he wasn't a regular part of it.