“There is no mission weighed as carefully or subjected to as much scrutiny as the one we are tasked with today…the targeted killing of another human being.”
Forty-plus days; that’s how long we have to wait to see what happens to Jaz after the heart stopping fall finale of The Brave. As I sit here typing this review, I am still shaking from that episode. From the moment Jaz walked into that hotel, I forgot how to breathe. Improvising was at the forefront and we saw every single team member flex this skill. The best episode to date, “Desperate Times” has left us all asking, “What will happen next and how will this extraordinary team recover?”
Improvising, a term that is most definitely not foreign to this team of amazing men and women. Every single team member, down range and back in DC were on their A game last night. A perfectly laid plan, down to the seconds, what could go wrong? The intelligence team had thought of every scenario and it seemed as if it was going to go off without a hitch but of course, life doesn’t always work that way. Dealing with a highly paranoid target, both teams were forced to make the decision of continuing or aborting.
Once again, we saw Dalton and Jaz bump heads a little but it was something that was so believable and relatable. Jaz was ready to complete her mission no matter what, even if that meant improvising because she truly believed that they shouldn’t wait and they could eliminate their target. As I said in my review for 1×02, “Moscow Rules”, waiting can be one of the hardest things a soldier has to do. Waiting for your mission or next orders can almost be excruciating.
After Jaz’s missed attempt at taking out Fahim Jarif, she and Dalton share some heated words. When Dalton said that he was the one that was allowed to improvise, I didn’t take it as him being condescending or speaking down on his team, I took it as him being a worried leader. When it comes to putting himself in harm’s way or on the line, Dalton never thinks twice, he just acts. But when it comes to his team, he’s more reserved at times. Does he trust them? Hell yes he does! But he’s not one to throw them in head first if he has any say.
But like her leader, Jaz didn’t think twice when it came to heading into the wolves’ den. As I said earlier, from the moment she walked into that hotel, I was a nervous wreck. There were so many things that could go wrong; so many ways that the mission could fail. Unlike their well-timed plan at the beginning of this task, the team was 100% improvising. They were going with their guts and sometimes, that’s even better than the best laid plans. Jaz was the epitome of strength and resilience. Was she scared? Oh I have no doubt she was, but she hid it well and she held her head up and moved forward. Seeing her step up and be the amazing soldier and leader was truly an inspiration.
Back in DC, Campbell, Noah and Hannah did a lot of improvising of their own. Quick with supplying intel for Dalton’s team, without their support and communication, this team wouldn’t be as successful as they are. It’s not just the boots on the ground; it’s the eye in the sky, that voice in your ear keeping you on track. This team of 8 is such a well-oiled machine that takes every moment that is thrown at them and attacks it with every ounce of strength and courage they have.
BADASSES OF THE WEEK
Everyone – Imagine me trying to pick just one person this week. Clearly Jaz is at the top of that list but every single member was at the top of their game this week. Every person was willing to do whatever it took to make this mission work. From Campbell, Noah and Hannah to Dalton and his crew, everyone soared. Everyone excelled.
QUOTING THE BRAVE
Dalton: “I work with whoever gets the job done, okay…I’ll tell you this, they need to be a little more worried about what she (Jaz) can do to them.”
McGuire: “We sure as hell didn’t come all this way to go home knowing that this son of a bitch is still breathing air.”
Dalton: “Look, I know what we just talked about over there. But I don’t want that affecting your decision in any way. You don’t have a damn thing to prove to me. We don’t have to run this mission. And as far as I’m concerned, we can walk out of here with our heads held high. In fact, we probably should.”
Jaz: “When that truck was coming towards us on the beach that day…what was going through your mind?…We got lucky that day. The next people might not be so lucky. Let’s make sure there are no next people.”
Dalton: “I hate this, Preach. I hate this sitting here. I hate this more than they can ever know.”
Preach: “Yeah, so do we, when it’s you out there risking everything, but we have faith in you. So might as well have some faith in Jaz.”
With this episode being the fall finale, I should’ve known it would end on a cliffhanger. Even so, I still wasn’t quite prepared! I honestly teared up when Jaz was caught. I was rooting and running with her to that window. I was holding my breath like her entire team. And like Campbell, I was ready to throw shit when she was taken. I felt Every. Single. Moment. Each and every single member of this team is vital. They all play off each other, they all work like the unified unit any service member would be lucky to have and they have lost one of their own; a loss in a place that no one is supposed to know that they are there. Like Campbell said at the beginning “and no one will even know we were there.”
As I said last week, this team continues to be the unsung heroes. They continue to fight in the background and not take a moment of glory. I am excited (and anxious) to see how the team is going to react and what they’re next move is going to be. Politics would tell them to leave Jaz behind and move forward but there is no way this team will let that happen. Like their leader, Dalton’s team will fight and never give up until they get Jaz back. I see a lot of Dalton’s traits in each one of his team member’s. They all share his passion and his perseverance. They emulate him in the best way. They push forward and that’s exactly what they’ll do when this sensational drama returns. They will prevail; they will fight to bring their sister-in-arms home. I truly believe nothing will stop this team and I’m so ready to see it play out on my screen in January!
Until then, I leave you with this quote from the late Nelson Mandela: “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
If that isn’t this team, I don’t know what is!
The Brave returns Monday, January 1st at 10/9c on NBC.
