An update on S.W.A.T. season 8 reveals whether any original characters will return in the series finale. After being saved from cancellation twice, it was announced earlier this year that there would not be a renewal for S.W.A.T. season 9. Instead, the Shemar Moore-led action drama would end with a season finale that will now double as a series finale. The last episode is set to premiere on May 16 at 10 PM ET on CBS.
With the show's farewell just weeks away, TVLine was asked whether viewers should expect former characters like Jim Street (Alex Russell), Christina Alonso (Lina Esco), and Dominique Luca (Kenny Johnson) to make appearances. In response, it was confirmed that these former regulars would not be making appearances, and that's by design since the episode will feel like business as usual. In the quote below, showrunner and executive producer Andrew Dettman shares what he hopes to accomplish with the finale:
“Even if we’re no longer airing each week, we want the viewers to feel that Hondo and 20-Squad will go on, that 20-Squad will always be out there taking down the bad guys and protecting the city of L.A.”
What This Means For The S.W.A.T. Season 8 Finale
It Will Still Feel Big
The S.W.A.T. series finale will be a two-episode event, starting at 9 PM ET. But the last episode will go full circle for Hondo (Moore) and his squad, as their headquarters come under attack during a larger attack on Los Angeles. Even though viewers may not see a lot of the S.W.A.T. cast members that have exited the series since it first debuted in 2017, there is a clear significance to the team having to defend their headquarters and the connection that comes from that. More is revealed in the official synopsis below:
The SWAT team undertakes its final mission when a violent crew of ex-pat Russian mercenaries holds Los Angeles hostage after planting hundreds of hidden explosives across the city in a bid to extort the release of their brutal leader, Dmitri Rykov. When Rykov is brought to SWAT for safekeeping, SWAT HQ comes under attack, forcing Hondo and 20-Squad to fight for their very survival.
S.W.A.T. has been at risk of cancellation for at least a few years now. It's a long-running series, which makes it more costly for the network to keep on schedule. That same reasoning led to the cancellation of Blue Bloods late last year. For that reason, some viewers will feel as though the series should have made plans to include former characters. However, that may not always be viable for one reason or another.
Our Take On The Planned S.W.A.T. Finale
There Should Be Room For Past Characters
It is admirable that the CBS show would want to sign off without too much in the direction of pomp and circumstance. But for the viewers who enjoyed the series precisely because of the bonds between characters like Luca, Street, Chris, and Hondo, there's an argument to be made that S.W.A.T. should have created space to celebrate the totality of what it was.
Source: TVLine
