S.W.A.T.’s Second Life: Who Will and Won’t Be Back From Season 7’s Mass Exodus

As it turns out, Season 7 of S.W.A.T. wasn’t actually the last season. The CBS drama has been blessed with a second un-cancellation, but after several characters were written off, fans can’t help but wonder what Season 8 will look like and if the original cast will return. Keep reading for everything there is to know about Season 8 of S.W.A.T. 

Who’s in the S.W.A.T. Season 8 cast?

The cast for Season 8 has not yet been confirmed, but we know for sure that Shemar Moore will be back leading the 20-squad as Sergeant II Daniel “Hondo” Harelson. The Young and the Restless alum was instrumental in getting the show un-cancelled and he also serves as an executive producer. When CBS announced its decision to renew S.W.A.T. for Season 8, they specifically mentioned Moore. “Here at CBS, we always ‘stay liquid’ and love a good dramatic twist, especially when it leads to an eighth season of S.W.A.T.,” Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, said in a statement at the time. “The show continues to resonate with viewers thanks to our talented cast led by Shemar Moore and our amazing writers and producers who keep the show relevant and action-packed. We’re very pleased to renew it again and incredibly grateful to our partners at Sony and CBS Studios and Shemar for working so closely with us to bring it back for next season.”

Several original cast members were written off in Season 7 to give their characters a “proper curtain call,” as showrunner Andrew Dettmann told TVLine ahead of the season premiere, and it’s unclear if they will be brought back for Season. 8. Alex Russell was the first to go, with his character, Jim Street, transferring over to the Long Beach Police Department to take on a leadership role with their S.W.A.T. team. A few episodes later, Kenny Johnson’s Dominque Luca was shot and injured in a burglary-gone-wrong, forcing him into early retirement. In Episode 8, Jay Harrington’s David “Deacon” Kay turned in his resignation to focus on his family, but he remained on the show for the entirety of the season to help out with the 20-squad’s transition.

Although Russell and Johnson’s status remains a mystery, we know for sure that Harrington will be back, as he was seen celebrating with his co-stars on set when they found out S.W.A.T. had been picked back up for Season 8. Moore also confirmed his return in a May 2o24 interview with  Deadline. As for Russell and Johnson’s fate, he said: “It’s hard to say goodbye to a bunch of wonderful people.” Referencing the Season 5 departure of Lina Esco, who played Christina “Chris” Alonso, Moore added: “Alex Russell, Kenny Johnson and a couple of seasons back we lost Lina Esco … Change is hard; so now we have some OGs, myself as Hondo, Deacon [Jay Harrington], Hicks [Patrick St. Esprit], Tan [David Lim] and some newbies. But regarding those people that you miss, nobody died. And in the world of Hollywood, anything can happen.”

When is S.W.A.T. Season 8’s premiere date?

The exact premiere date for Season 8 of S.W.A.T. has not yet been announced, as of this writing. However, CBS has confirmed that it will return in the fall of 2024, along with fellow dramas Fire Country, NCIS, NCIS: Sydney, Tracker and all three members of the FBI franchise. It’s unclear of S.W.A.T. will remain in its 7/8c time slot, but with the second-half of Blue Bloods’ final season set to air in the fall and Fire Country returning for Season 3, we suspect that CBS’ Friday night lineup won’t change much.

How many episodes are in S.W.A.T. Season 8?

CBS has ordered a full-season run that will consist of 22 episodes, which is up from Season 7’s 13-episode season. The reduced episode count for Season 7 was mainly due to negotiations with Sony over licensing fees and the after-effect of the dual Hollywood strikes.

As it turns out, Season 7 of S.W.A.T. wasn’t actually the last season. The CBS drama has been blessed with a second un-cancellation, but after several characters were written off, fans can’t help but wonder what Season 8 will look like and if the original cast will return. Keep reading for everything there is to know about Season…