Jessica Paré has ‘SEAL’-ed her latest series run
Q: Is Jessica Paré really leaving “SEAL Team”? – Jerry Raines, via e-mail
A: She already has, at least in terms of being a series regular. The CBS drama’s recent Season 4 premiere held a big surprise in the exit of her alter ego Mandy, who explained to Jason (David Boreanaz) that she felt she needed to be elsewhere ... and that if she didn’t leave right then and there, she might never do it. Mandy didn’t meet a terrible fate in the universe of the show, as some characters do when they leave a series, so there’s a chance “Mad Men” alum Paré could resurface on “SEAL Team” if only for guest appearances. In any event, she’s expected back to direct an episode later this season – perhaps taking a cue from series star David Boreanaz, who’s directed the show a number several times, including the first half of the story that saw Mandy bid farewell.
Q: If he had undergone cancer surgery in November, how was Al Roker able to do the Macy’s Parade and “Christmas in Rockefeller Center”? – Ann Crane, Clermont, Fla.
A: Chalk it up to the fact that Roker is a dedicated force of nature – which we say with love and respect, having spoken with him many times. It came as a surprise, and a pleasant one, when Hoda Kotb revealed that Roker still was expected to make the NBC parade telecast in a press conference a couple of weeks before the event. And it wasn’t just a token appearance; he was pivotally involved in the program, as he always has been, though with certain differences necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic.
The same proved true the following week with “Christmas in Rockefeller Center,” with Roker right in there sharing the usual hosting duties with his “Today” colleagues Kotb, Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin. It all adds up to something that we’ve known for a long time: You never count the spirited, determined Al Roker out.
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