Shemar Moore’s SWAT Spinoff Confirms 2 Major Returning Characters

The newest update on the S.W.A.T. Exiles spinoff reveals two returning characters. Sony Pictures Television, which produced the long-running action drama S.W.A.T., announced in May that it was planning a spinoff that would feature Shemar Moore reprising the role of Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson Jr.

The spinoff, titled S.W.A.T. Exiles, was revealed mere days after the S.W.A.T. series finale aired on CBS. At the time, there were a lot of questions about whether Moore would be joined by any of his former co-stars from the popular network show. The latest news reveals that at least two major names will be popping in.

Deadline reports that Jay Harrington and Patrick St. Esprit are set to reprise their original roles, reteaming with Moore in the pilot of S.W.A.T. Exiles. Harrington and St. Esprit respectively played Sergeant David “Deacon” Kay and Commander Robert Hicks. It is currently unknown if they will appear beyond the first episode.

What This Means For S.W.A.T. Exiles

The story of S.W.A.T. Exiles takes shape after a high-profile mission goes wrong. This pulls Sgt. Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson out of forced retirement. He’ll lead what’s described as a last-chance experimental S.W.A.T. unit that’s made up of unpredictable young recruits. The project, which hails from showrunner Jason Ning, has been compared to Top Gun: Maverick.

The comparison comes in because of how it pairs a veteran, Hondo, with a new group. But the premise drew backlash online from fans because of how it excluded the established S.W.A.T. cast members. Katherine Pope, the head of Sony Pictures Television, addressed these concerns and teased in interviews that fans would get to see familiar faces.

Production on the pilot episode is reportedly expected to begin next week in Los Angeles. It is worth noting that there is currently no network or streamer attached to the project. Sony Pictures Television intends to shop S.W.A.T. Exiles to potential buyers, meaning it may not end up on CBS.

Our Take On S.W.A.T. Exiles

The spinoff will keep the jobs of the production crew that worked on the original series, which is one benefit of the S.W.A.T. world continuing after season 9. From there, the attention will turn to which young performers will join Moore and whether other familiar faces will get to appear. It could be that Ning, who previously worked on Lucifer, will lean on some of that experience to fill up this new drama.

In any case, after Harrington expressed his openness to coming back as Deacon, it will be good to see Hondo joined by one of his closest companions in S.W.A.T. Exiles. It will help to start the spinoff on the right foot.