After its abrupt cancellation in 2018, History Channel’s gritty military drama SIX left fans wanting more. The show followed Navy SEAL Team Six as they carried out dangerous missions across the globe, grappling with both international threats and personal demons. Now, seven years later, the story continues in SIX: Shadow Protocol—a made-for-streaming sequel season that revives the franchise with more firepower, psychological depth, and emotional payoff than ever before.
Set three years after the Season 2 finale, Shadow Protocol follows the remnants of the original SEAL team, now scattered and scarred after the events in Eastern Europe. Former leader Joe “Bear” Graves (Barry Sloane) has left the military and works in private security. Alex Caulder (Kyle Schmid), still haunted by the loss of friends, is deep undercover in Turkey, where a rogue ex-SEAL has gone off the grid—and may be leading a paramilitary organization with ties to global insurgents.
When the CIA intercepts intel suggesting that a former teammate might be orchestrating attacks on U.S. targets, Graves is pulled back in for “one last mission.” The operation reunites him with familiar faces—and forces them to confront the cracks in their brotherhood.
Unlike previous seasons, Shadow Protocol expands its scope with new international locations, flashbacks to past missions, and more complex character arcs. The pacing is tight, the action sequences brutally effective, and the emotional beats more grounded. Returning showrunner William Broyles Jr. wisely avoids turning the story into pure spectacle. Instead, the show dives into themes of loyalty, post-traumatic stress, fractured identity, and the blurry ethics of modern warfare.
New cast additions, including a standout performance by Michael Mando as a morally ambiguous CIA handler, add tension and unpredictability to the plot. The show also introduces Nina Toussaint-White as an MI6 liaison who challenges the SEALs’ “America first” mindset in a sharp, modern way.
While it may not reinvent the genre, SIX: Shadow Protocol is a satisfying, pulse-pounding return to form. It gives fans closure while opening the door for future stories in the same universe—perhaps focusing on a younger generation of special forces operatives shaped by a darker, more digital battlefield.
Whether you’re here for the realism, the tactics, or the brotherhood, this new season proves: the war never truly ends—it just changes fronts.
