SEAL Team’s Kerri Medders Tees Up Series Finale, Shares Lessons Learned From TV Dad David Boreanaz
Emma Hayes is heading for a wedding — unless, that is, the events of SEAL Team‘s series finale (premiering this Sunday on Paramount+) cast the darkest clouds of her and Brad’s big, upcoming day.
Kerri Medders has played Jason Hayes aka Bravo 1’s eldest of two children since Season 1 of the CBS-turned-Paramount+ military drama, popping up now and again in recent years (as has Emma’s kid brother Mikey). In this farewell season’s premiere, we saw Jason (played by David Boreanaz) hanging out with Emma, her fiancé Brad and Mikey in California, but Emma resurfaces in Vah Beach in Sunday’s “emotional” swan song.
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TVLine caught up with Medders to revisit Emma’s fast track to maturity in the wake of her mom’s tragic Season 2 death, glean lessons learned from her hard-working TV dad, and to tease the series finale.
TVLINE | I’ve enjoyed your work over the years. I felt like from Day 1, you and David had this organic father/daughter dynamic which always elevated the storytelling.
Yeah. It was a very true dynamic. Like, immediately when I met him we clicked. It’s always been such a great time to have the one-on-one scenes with him.
TVLINE | I was just combing through photos of you on the CBS press site, and it feels like in 33% of them, Jason is giving Emma a big ol’ bear hug.
It’s always the one used on social media! Or the ones people make edits about. It’s always us having this huge hug. It’s so funny.
TVLINE | What was your reaction when you heard this was going to be the final season?
It was hard, because it’s been a beautiful time being on this show. Also, it’s seven years, and I feel like I’ve grown up on the show and I just didn’t ever expect it to end. So, I was a little shocked.
TVLINE | Before you opened that final script, did you get wind of what it was going to entail, what was going to happen?
Absolutely. I felt like I knew from the first episode what was going to happen. Nobody knew for sure, but I felt like I had an intuition….
TVLINE | This season got off to a really sweet start with that first episode — the Hayes fam hanging out in California with good ol’ Brad….
Good ol’ Brad…..
TVLINE | …and come midseason, we had some high drama with Mikey and his accidental overdose. What is Sunday’s series finale going to be making people feel?
It’s going to be emotional, honestly. It’s a chapter closing, in a way, but I think it wraps it up in a nice bow to send off the show.
TVLINE | Were there any tears on set filming it?
Oh yeah. From me. When we wrapped the final scene and had a little party afterwards, I broke down in tears because it felt so final and so lovely at the same time. I had this beautiful experience but I just didn’t want to let it go just yet. I didn’t want to let Emma go.
TVLINE | I’m pretty sure that in one of TVLine’s Year in Review packages, Emma was named “Kid You’d Be Proud to Call Your Own.” Because she is a great kid. She got very mature after her mother Alana’s (Michaela McManus) death.
I remember when I read that [Season 2] script because I did not know that was happening. I was like, “Whoa, OK,” and I had to grow up real fast. I had to make sure I took care of [my dad].
TVLINE | David has been working for almost 27 years straight. What sort of things did you learn from him over the years?
He does such effortless work. He’s able to lock in so fast, and the way he executes it is so interesting. I always am inspired by him in our scenes because I felt the energy he was giving me, and tried to reciprocate it. I learned so much, and I feel that I can take those skills and bring them to my next project.
TVLINE | Was he open to changes if you were ever inclined to change things up for a take?
I kind of followed his lead, because he always improvised. I was always on my toes. In a lot of our scenes there was a lot of ad lib, and every take it was something different. That’s actually what I was taught a lot on the set, to always expect the unexpected. When I would practice my lines, I would be like, “I have no idea what’s going to happen, but let’s keep going.” Let’s just be in the environment and be present and know the story.
TVLINE | What are you going to miss most about Emma?
Her spunk. She was very strong in a lot of ways, and very opinionated, but she just wanted the best for her family. And I love the energy that Emma brought out in me.
TVLINE | Did you and Jessica Paré (Mandy) get close, too?
Yes! She is so lovely and funny at the same time. She has such a carefree attitude that I was always cracking up on-set with her. In between takes, we would just talk about the most off-the-wall things, but it was so lovely.
TVLINE | Did you ever see the Mad Men episode where she sang?
No! I didn’t…. Is that something I need to watch?
TVLINE | It’s iconic. Yeah.
OK. So, after we get off, I’m going to search on YouTube and find that! [Laughs] I can’t wait to see that because that’s who she is.
TVLINE | Lastly, would you describe the Hayes family as aspirational?
I think so. I think there’s a lot of reflection that I feel people watching can see, and hopefully it translates a lot to people — especially in SEALs and like that. A lot of people will come up to me and be like, “Wow. that’s the SEAL family life and the storytelling is so true to me,” and I feel like every time someone says that I feel so honored that we’re able to execute that.
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