S.W.A.T. fans have been through the wringer during the show’s eight seasons. Is it canceled? Or is it renewed? Do we know? Does CBS?
S.W.A.T is back for now, but some things are different. The new 20-Squad isn’t your grandparents’ version of S.W.A.T. How do viewers like the new look and the younger squad?
It works, but is it as good as it once was?
I promise this isn’t a Toby Keith song. It’s a breakdown of how the S.W.A.T Season 8 is stacking up on what we’re certain (almost) will be the show’s last run.
Classic television shows like S.W.A.T., Hawai’i Five-O, Magnum, P.I., and Quantum Leap intrigue viewers across generational gaps.
The idea of a tough, highly-tuned police division keeping order in one of the country’s toughest cities has appealed to audiences for decades, starting in 1975. However, the show only had a short run in its original format.
But the idea was enough to spawn a series-to-movie adaptation in 2003, starring the legendary Samuel L. Jackson as the infamous Sergeant Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson.
Colin Farrell played Jim Street, NCIS: LA’s LL Cool J played Deacon, and Michelle Rodriguez portrayed Chris.
The movie was a small-wave success that inspired CBS to create the S.W.A.T series remake in 2017. Since then, the reboot has experienced varying levels of acceptance and criticism.
For all eight seasons of S.W.A.T., Hondo has been the sexy face and voice of Shemar Moore (Criminal Minds).
To stick with the original script, other members of 20-Squad included Alex Russell as Jim Street, Lina Esco as Christina Alonso, Jay Harrington as Sergeant David (Deacon) Kay, and Kenny Johnson as Dominique Luca.
However, as is typical with long-running series, not all original cast members stayed until the end.
Because S.W.A.T. had an original cancellation order after its sixth season, the show wrote out Jim Street and Dominique Luca for S.W.A.T. Season 7. Chris left in season five, which made room for a new female S.W.A.T. officer, Zoe Powell (Anna Enger Ritch).
Miguel Alfaro (Niko Pepaj) joined 20-Squad to fill the role of a hotshot rebel after Street’s exit in what the show thought was its last season before it got the reprieve.
The show geared up for Deacon’s exit at the end of S.W.A.T. Season 7 when they thought the show was ending. But since the cancellation order got reversed for the second time, Deacon stayed with S.W.A.T. instead of retiring.
With Luca written out as retiring from S.W.A.T. due to health issues, Hondo had a vacant spot on Twenty-David to fill for the final season.
Interestingly, the newest member of 20-Squad is a female named Devin Gamble (Annie Ilonzeh), making S.W.A.T. more gender-equal with two women officers.
Gamble is the daughter of a cop killer.
In the S.W.A.T. movie, the bad guy turned out to be a former S.W.A.T. officer turned bad guy named Gamble (Jeremy Renner). He shot another S.W.A.T. officer while trying to escape, but the cop didn’t die.
We occasionally see a third female help the 20-David Squad, Alexis Cabrera (Brigitte Kali Canales).
Keeping Twenty David in line — and going to bat for them when they need someone to fight for them — is Commander Robert Hicks (Patrick St. Esprit). Although after butting heads with a prison warden early in S.W.A.T Season 8, it’s unclear how long Hicks will stay a series regular.
Due to the last-minute renewal, S.W.A.T. is reducing the appearance of series regular Nichelle Carmichael (Rochelle Aytes), Hondo’s wife. The filming schedule interferes with her role in the upcoming series Watson.
If we look at S.W.A.T Season 8’s 20-Squad team, we notice a significant difference from the team from S.W.A.T Season 1.
Other than Deacon and Hondo, the rest of the team is quite young and green. They’ve yet to experience the worst humanity has to offer, so they still have a passion for the game.
Victor Tan (David Lim) is starting to develop that hardened shell from years of being a S.W.A.T. agent, but unlike Deac and Hondo, he’s not on the path to retirement just yet.
He took on more responsibility by filling Deacon’s former role at S.W.A.T. school, and his experience has helped mold the younger S.W.A.T. officers.
He’s really helping to develop Powell into a badass while boosting her confidence in her abilities. There’s a strong chemistry there that replaces what we’re missing since we lost the strong friendship of Street and Chris.
As a purist, it took a bit for me to adjust to a 20-David Squad that didn’t include the dynamic of Hondo and his protege, Street.
But it’s been great seeing Hondo take two new S.W.A.T officers under his wing and teach them a thing or two.
He’s developed a big brother relationship as he tries to help Gamble navigate being on the police force while being the daughter of a cop killer. Alfaro shares a lot of reckless heroism with Street, giving us the dynamic of Hondo having to refine the hothead’s rough edges.
So, for the show’s final season, we have a team that is mixed in terms of age, experience, and gender.
The younger members give the team vibrancy and fresh blood, while the original members have the experience and crass to nail their missions and keep everyone safe.
How do you like this new team dynamic compared to the series’ more traditional S.W.A.T. storyline?
Do you think the new characters round out the team in a way that honors the original S.W.A.T. members they’re replacing? And do you hope we see a guest appearance of any of the 2007 members before the show goes off the air?
How do you feel about S.W.A.T. being renewed for an eighth season after two threats of cancellation?
Shows like Blue Bloods and Station 19 aren’t getting the same love.
Leave us your thoughts on S.W.A.T.’s new look and how it works compared to its original masculine format.
Is the ending of S.W.A.T. as good as the beginning?
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