Set after the flagship, the upcoming S.W.A.T. Exiles will see Hondo with a new team. Plot specifics about the show are still scant at the moment; the show doesn’t even have a broadcaster at this point. That said, the sequel is set to zero in on Hondo as its main character. However, the way his new adventure kicks off is problematic canonically.
S.W.A.T. Ends With A Happy Send-Off For Hondo & His Team
20-Squad Continues At The End Of S.W.A.T.
While a lot of TV shows will see characters lead or retire, that’s not the way S.W.A.T. season 8 ended things. Instead, the focus was on how the team continues to work, as a family unit with everyone together. There was a happy note, as Hondo made it clear that he couldn’t do the job without the people around him.
The S.W.A.T. series finale did a good job of wrapping up a lot of storylines from the season, but there are still a few burning questions.
It was a shame that characters like Luca, Chris, and Street couldn’t return, but it was clear that many of the characters were still in touch with them. We got that sense that these friendships would last for years to come, and that life isn’t over just because the cameras stop rolling.
Hondo’s Spinoff Reveals His Failure After The S.W.A.T. Finale
Hondo Is Forced Into Retirement At Some Point
S.W.A.T. Exiles will see Hondo with a new team, which wouldn’t be too problematic if it wasn’t for the fact that he’s going to be called out of retirement per the show’s premise. It destroys the happy ending that S.W.A.T. season 8 left us, and makes us need S.W.A.T. season 9 to be able to figure out the rest of the story.
There were no hints that someone was coming after Hondo’s job during the final season. It was Hicks’ job on the line, and that was solved before the end of the series. Yet, S.W.A.T. Exiles says that Hondo will be coming out of retirement to help the new generation of recruits.
This ruins everything about the S.W.A.T. series finale, as it indicates that Hondo has failed in his tasks as a leader. The happy ending bubble has been destroyed, leaving a bitter taste when we watch the members touch the sigil for the final time.
Hondo was dedicated to doing the job, and while he would sometimes want to do things a way the top brass didn’t want, he earned the respect of those around him.
When Hicks’ job was on the line, there were suggestions that Hondo would take on a higher leadership role. To have him forced into retirement would suggest that he does something that goes against what he has been for eight seasons.
Why Hondo’s S.W.A.T. Spinoff Is So Problematic
Sony Has Rushed The New Spinoff (And It Shows)
Sony knew that Hondo’s story wasn’t finished despite CBS canceling S.W.A.T. When the production company failed to find a new home for the series, it opted to look at a spinoff series instead.
However, cast options were expiring, and to keep Shemar Moore on the series, Sony had to rush ideas and announcements, and it shows with the way Hondo’s storyline makes no sense with the way S.W.A.T. ended.
S.W.A.T. star Shemar Moore has responded to backlash on his return for the Hondo spinoff show, S.W.A.T. Exiles, stating he doesn’t need to apologize.
Moore hasn’t helped matters by calling himself the “Tom Brady of S.W.A.T.”, suggesting that he didn’t view his time on the series in the way that Hondo views 20-Squad. It’s left a bad taste for those who came to S.W.A.T. because of the focus on a found family.
