Fans of “S.W.A.T.” have endured a lot of pain during the show’s eight seasons. Canceled? Or has it been updated? Do we know? Does CBS have it?
SWAT is back now, but something is different. The new 20-man squad isn’t your grandparents’ version of a SWAT team.
It does work, but is it as good as before?
I promise this is not a Toby Keith song. Here’s a detailed breakdown of Season 8 of SWAT, which we’re sure will (almost) be the show’s last.
Classic TV shows such as “S.W.A.T.,” “Hawaii Five-O,” “Magnum,” “PI” and “Quantum Leap” have captivated audiences across generations.
Beginning in 1975, the idea of a tough, highly coordinated police department keeping order in one of the nation’s most troubled cities has captivated audiences for decades. .
But the idea was enough to spawn a 2003 TV adaptation starring the legendary Samuel L. Jackson as the infamous Sergeant Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson.
Colin Farrow plays Jim Street, “NCIS: Los Angeles'” LL Cool J plays Deacon, and Michelle Rodriguez plays Chris.
The film was a moderate success, and CBS remade it in 2017.
Hondo served as the sexy face and voice of Seamus Moore (Criminal Minds) for all eight seasons of SWAT.
In order to stick to the original script, other members of the 20 Squad include Alex Russell as Jim Street and Lina Esco as Christina A. Christina Alonso, Jay Harrington as Sergeant David (Deacon) Kay, and Kenny Johnson as Dominique Luca.
However, as is typical with long-running shows, not all of the original cast made it to the end.
Jim Street and Dominic Luca were added to the cast of SWAT Season 7 due to the show receiving an initial cancellation order after Season 6. There is room for the new female SWAT officer Zoe Powell (Anna Engel Ritchie).
Miguel Alfaro (Nico Peppaje) joins 20, filling the role of a rebel character after The Street exits what the show considers to be its final season before it gets a reprieve.
The show prepared for Deacon’s exit at the end of SWAT season 7, when they thought the show was over. But instead of retiring, Deacon remained on the SWAT team as the cancellation order was revoked for the second time.
With Luca retiring from the SWAT team due to health issues, Hondo had an open spot on the Twenty-First Guard to fill his final season.
Interestingly, the newest member of Squad 20 is a woman named Devin Gamble (Annie Ilonzeh), making the SWAT team more gender-equal with two female officers.
Gamble is the daughter of a cop killer.
In the SWAT movie, the bad guy turns out to be a former SWAT officer turned bad guy named Gamble (played by Jeremy Renner). He shot another SWAT officer while trying to escape, but the officer did not die.
We occasionally see a third woman helping 20 David’s squad, Alexis Cabrera (Brigitte Cali Canales).
Commander Robert Hicks (Patrick St. Esprit) is responsible for keeping the Twenty Davids in line and batting for them when they need someone to fight for them. It’s unclear how long Hicks will remain a regular on the show, though after a run-in with a prison warden early in SWAT season 8.
Due to a last-minute contract extension, SWAT has reduced the appearance of Hondo’s wife Nichelle Carmichael (Rochelle Ates). The filming schedule impacted her role in the upcoming TV series “The Watson.”
If we look at the 20-man squad in SWAT Season 8, we see a significant difference from the SWAT Season 1 team.
Apart from Deacon and Hondo, the rest of the team are quite young and new to the game. They haven’t experienced the worst that humanity has to offer, so they still have a passion for the game.
Victor Tan (Master Lin) is starting to develop a hard shell over his years as a SWAT agent, but unlike Deke and Hondo, he’s not yet on the road to retirement.
He took on more responsibility, filling Deacon’s previous position at SWAT school, where his experience helped shape the young SWAT officer.
He really helped Powell grow into a badass while growing her confidence in her own abilities. There’s a strong chemistry there that replaces what we lost when we lost Street and Chris’s deep friendship.
Being a purist, it took me some time to get used to the dynamic of a squad of 20 Davids, not including Hondo and his protégé Street.
But it’s nice to see Hondo take two new SWAT officers under his wing and teach them a thing or two.
He tried to help Gamble navigate his way through the police force and developed a big brother relationship with him when he was the daughter of a cop killer. Alfaro shares much of Street’s reckless heroism, giving us a sense of the hothead’s rough edges that Hondo had to perfect.
So for the final season of the show, we have a diverse team of ages, experiences and genders.
The younger members bring energy and fresh blood to the team, while the original members have the experience and rough minds to complete their missions and keep everyone safe.
How do you feel about this new team dynamic compared to the series’ more traditional SWAT storylines?
Do you think the new characters round out the team in a way that pays homage to the original SWAT members they replace? Are there any guest appearances from any of the 2007 members that you’d like us to see before the show goes off the air?
How do you feel about SWAT being renewed for an eighth season after two threats of cancellation?
Shows like “Blue Bloods” and “Station 19” didn’t get the same love.
Please tell us what you think of SWAT’s new look and how it works compared to the original male format.
Is the ending of “S.W.A.T.” as good as the beginning?
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