All the Drama Surrounding 'S.W.A.T.' Season 7
S.W.A.T. fans had a tumultuous time recently, when CBS canceled the series only to reverse its decision days later, in part thanks to an impassioned plea from star Shemar Moore. Now, viewers are looking forward to the final season that almost never was! Here's everything you need to know about S.W.A.T. Season 7, including who's in the cast and when it's expected to premiere.
What is S.W.A.T. about?
S.W.A.T. is a CBS series about a Special Weapons and Tactics team, centering around its leader, LAPD Sergeant Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, played by Shemar Moore. Sergeant Harrelson is a lifelong L.A. local and former Marine whose loyalty to his community and law enforcement is constantly at odds.
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Was S.W.A.T. canceled? Will there be a Season 7?
Things were looking dicey for a while, but fans can rejoice as there will be another season of S.W.A.T. CBS initially canceled the series at the end of its sixth season on May 5, 2023. A day later, series star Shemar Moore posted a video on Instagram blasting the decision.
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In the video, Moore said in part, “CBS, when I got hired to be Hondo on S.W.A.T., was getting a lot of flak for lack of diversity. If I post this, and I think I might, I will get in a lot of trouble with CBS because I’m calling them out. Because they’ve been wonderful to me for 26 out of my 29-year career. But to abruptly get told that you’re canceled when you led us to believe last week—and the week before, and the week before that—that we would have some semblance of a Season 7 to at least say goodbye, if not continue. And to abruptly be told, ‘You’re done.’”
Moore continued, moving his concerns toward the cast and crew, “I care about my family. My crew. The writers, the producers, the caterers, the wardrobe, the sound mixers, the teamsters, the construction crew, a whole lot of people that are abruptly being told that ‘You don’t matter. Sorry, thank you for your services. Good luck and find a new job.’ And to me, that’s not okay.’ I will be fine, but I’m upset because I busted my whole entire ass to prove that I could do this, and I did prove that I could do this. I understand it’s not personal, it’s business, but I still have faith that S.W.A.T. will live to see another day.”
He ended the video with a call-to-action for fans of the series. “So I’m asking my homies, my fans and my baby girls, and the rest of the world who follow me or follow the show, follow the cast, my brothers and my sisters: Make some f---ing noise. And let them know that canceling S.W.A.T. is a f---ing mistake.”
The call-to-action appeared to have been successful, as just two days later, on May 8, CBS reversed course and renewed the show for a seventh and final season consisting of 13 episodes.
Amy Reisenbach, president, CBS Entertainment, and Katherine Pope, president, Sony Pictures Television Studios, said in a joint statement, “We have listened to our viewers and their outpouring of passion for S.W.A.T. and we have reached an agreement to renew it for a final season of 13 episodes to air during the 2023-2024 broadcast year. S.W.A.T. has aired for six seasons on CBS and garnered a devoted following. We are pleased that we found a way to bring it back and give closure to the show’s storylines and characters, which audiences deserve.”
Related: Shemar Moore Shares Joyous Reaction to S.W.A.T Resurrection
What happened at the end of S.W.A.T. Season 6?
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The Season 6 finale of S.W.A.T. centered around a Mexican cartel leader, Sancho Zamora, who was going after the DEA and LAPD, holding them responsible for the death of his son Ulan.
Two potential cartel targets were meant to go into protective custody but ended up getting captured by Sancho. Officer Luca and Officer Street were conned into entering a trap, leading Hondo to call Sancho and inform him that he was the one who murdered his son. Street and one of the other targets were saved, however Luca was captured by Sancho. Luckily, Hondo and his trusty team was able to arrive in time to save him and arrest Sancho.
The episode ended on a poignant note as Hondo proposed to Nichelle—and she accepted, of course!
Who is cast in Season 7 of S.W.A.T.?
As of this writing, it appears the current main cast will return for the seventh and final season of the series. However, as it is the final season, it's possible we'll see some characters from the past pop up, too.
The main cast that is expected to return is:
Shemar Moore as Sergeant Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson Jr.
Alex Russell as Officer James "Jim" Street
Kenny Johnson as Officer Dominique Luca
David Lim as Officer Victor Tan
Patrick St. Esprit as Commander Robert "Bob" Hicks
Rochelle Aytes as Nichelle Carmichael
Jay Harrington as Sergeant David "Deacon" Kay
What is the release date for Season 7 of S.W.A.T.?
CBS has not yet announced a release date for S.W.A.T. Season 7. The sixth season premiered on October 7, 2022, so it's likely the seventh season will have a comparable release date. However, we do not yet know the length of the WGA writers strike, so we do not know if the premiere will be impacted and/or delayed.
How will the writers strike affect Season 7 of S.W.A.T.?
We don't yet know how the WGA writers strike, which began on May 1, 2023, will affect S.W.A.T. Season 7. Many shows began production earlier than usual in anticipation of the strike, but because the series was in danger of being canceled in the beginning of May, it is unlikely S.W.A.T. was one of them.
The duration of the WGA strike will also impact different shows in different ways. If the strike continues for a long time, Fall 2023-2024 shows like S.W.A.T. could be delayed.
Related: Shemar Moore on the Importance of Tackling Everyday Issues on S.W.A.T.
Is there a trailer for Season 7 of S.W.A.T.?
There is no trailer for the seventh season of S.W.A.T. CBS is likely to release a trailer closer to the premiere of the season.
How to watch S.W.A.T.
It's likely that S.W.A.T. will continue to air in its current time slot, which is Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. New episodes are available to watch the following day on the CBS app and website as well as on Paramount+. Fans can catch up on the previous six seasons on Paramount+.
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