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When the new S.W.A.T. spinoff Exiles was announced in May, just two days after the series wrapped its run on CBS, it was met with much controversy. Only star Shemar Moore was attached to the new show, and the timing of the announcement rubbed salt in the wound of the rest of the cast, who were not included in the ensemble… until now.
S.W.A.T. Star Slams New Spinoff: ‘It Feels Like We Were Brushed Aside’
Our sister site Variety reports that two of Moore’s former co-stars will be joining him in the pilot episode for S.W.A.T. Exiles: Jay Harrington and Patrick St. Esprit will guest-star as Sergeant David “Deacon” Kay and Commander Robert Hicks, respectively.
Additionally, Ronen Rubinstein (9-1-1: Lone Star), Adain Bradley (The Bold and the Beautiful), Zyra Gorecki (La Brea), Freddy Miyares (Grey’s Anatomy) and Lucy Barrett (The CW’s Charmed) have joined the cast as series regulars, per Variety.
In the offshoot — which does not yet have a network or streamer attached — “after a high-profile mission goes sideways, [Hondo] is pulled out of forced retirement to lead a last-chance experimental SWAT unit made up of untested, unpredictable young recruits,” reads Sony Pictures Television’s official description. “Hondo must bridge a generational divide, navigate clashing personalities, and turn a squad of outsiders into a team capable of protecting the city and saving the program that made him who he is.”
Not mentioned in the recent news is S.W.A.T. star David Lim (aka Officer Victor Tan), who was very outspoken when the spinoff was first revealed, expressing unhappiness at both how it was rolled out and the lack of acknowledgement for the rest of the ensemble.
“What made S.W.A.T. special wasn’t just the action, or one character. It was the squad. The bond. The camaraderie. The shared blood, sweat, tears, and laughs we gave to every episode,” Lim wrote on Instagram on May 28. “That effortless chemistry was there from the very first day we came together for the pilot, and it carried through all 8 seasons.”
Lim went on to add, “I’d be lying if I said the rollout of the new spinoff didn’t sting. It was tough to see it announced just two days after our finale—with no mention of the cast who helped build S.W.A.T. from day one. After 8 incredible seasons, it felt like we were brushed aside when there could’ve been a moment of reflection and recognition—for the people who built this show, and for the impact it had on so many.”
S.W.A.T. Exiles is expected to begin production in Los Angeles later in September, so there is still time for the show to make amends with Lim.
