SWAT is no longer ending as CBS orders season 8, but do we really need it?

It seems 20 squad will live to see another day after all. Last year, CBS canceled SWAT with the plan being for the show to conclude with its sixth season. After backlash from both the fans and the cast, CBS reversed its decision and ordered what they called a 13-episode seventh and final season which was set to air as part of the 2023-24 season. 

Due to the strikes, SWAT season 7 was delayed to early 2024 with the final season kicking off in mid-February. The series finale was announced to be coming on May 17 and it seemed that would be curtain call for the series, which fans have accepted as season 7 has very much been written as a final season. 

However, it seems CBS is not yet ready to part ways with the show. That’s right, SWAT is no longer ending and will be coming back for another season at CBS. Not only is SWAT season 8 happening, but CBS has announced that the season will see the series return to its larger episode count with a 22-episode season ordered at CBS. 

“Here at CBS, we always ‘stay liquid’ and love a good dramatic twist, especially when it leads to an eighth season of SWAT!,” said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, in a statement. “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, CBS Studios, and Shemar for working so closely with us to bring it back for next season.”

At this time, there has been no confirmation on which members of the cast will be returning for season 8 with the exception of Shemar Moore, who will be returning in season 8 as series lead Sergeant Daniel 'Hondo' Harrelson. This isn’t too surprising as Moore has been pushing for CBS to reverse its decision all season long and it seems his efforts have paid off. 

“SWAT IS BACK! BELIEVE IN MIRACLES! I am so proud of this show and the people and variables it has taken to make this show what it is and has become,” said Shemar Moore, series star and executive producer. “I am so grateful to the fans around the world who have supported, watched, enjoyed and rooted for SWAT! It is entirely because of this support that S.W.A.T. will continue to shine! This is still a dream job for me … I love my SWAT crew, cast and writers and producers – we have made an incredible, fun, exciting, provocative and heartwarming show for the world to enjoy. Thank you to CBS and Sony for believing in SWAT and giving us this opportunity to shine!”

SWAT season 8 might be happening, but we don’t need it

Look, if you told me that CBS was reversing its decision to cancel the show before the seventh season began, I would have been ecstatic! I was among the fans who were incredibly disappointed when CBS canceled the show as the series has always been a favorite. However, that was before I started watching what was supposed to be the show’s final season  – a season that has very much felt like a final sendoff, one that hasn’t exactly left me happy in many instances. 

While we knew we’d be getting a shortened final season, the hope was that it would at least allow us time to bid a proper farewell to the characters we’ve come to love over the years. However, that went out the window when we learned that Kenny Johnson and Alex Russell’s roles in the final season had been reduced with neither original actor coming back as a series regular. We were promised that they’d recur in the season and assured both of their characters would be given proper sendoffs but that’s far from the reality of what we got. 

Russell appeared in just one episode this season which was used to bring him back only to set up his exit from the series. Meanwhile, Johnson appeared in just two episodes with his sendoff being even worse as he suffered injuries that prevented him from returning to active duty forcing him to leave SWAT. 

There’s also the fact that the show has recently introduced a storyline that is expected to see Jay Harrington’s Sergeant David 'Deacon' Kay leaving SWAT in order to retire from the unit and give his wife, Annie, the opportunity to continue her career after years of sitting on the sidelines. The season 8 renewal comes after filming wrapped on season 7 which means we’re likely going to see Deac walk away from SWAT in what was intended to be the series finale. This means if we want to see Harrington back for season 8, our only hope will be for the writers to reverse the course of his storyline which seems like a major step back. 

We’ve seen far too many times with shows such as Once Upon a Time and Lucifer that continued beyond what was supposed to be their final seasons, that the quality of the writing takes a hit as the writers have to reverse course in order to tell more stories after writing their series finale. While it might be easier for a show such as SWAT to continue beyond what was planned as its series finale given its nature as a procedural, the show has already stripped away at what fans love by writing off so many of the show’s original characters in season 7. 

We can hope that they’ll find some way to bring Street and Deacon back into the mix, but there isn’t much we can do with Luca’s character given he had to walk away from SWAT due to the fact that he wasn’t clearly medically to return to active duty and didn’t want to work an administrative or desk job. As much as we love Hondo and Tan, SWAT isn’t SWAT without the characters we love and we have to ask ourselves, isn’t it better for the show to go out on its own terms with a proper ending than to continue on as a shell of its former self? 

It’s a true shame CBS waited until the eleventh hour to renew the series for an eighth season as we’re not quite sure that season 8 will be needed after what has been a season that has been very much designed to be the final chapter in the show’s story.