SWAT has had a long, singular journey. No show can lay claim to being canceled twice and brought back twice. It was the third cancelation, however, that proved to be the killer. It's unlikely SWAT will be able to bounce back a third time, but what it can do is given fans a series finale they will never forget.
CBS confirmed that the two part series finale for SWAT will air on Friday, May 16. It will mark the end of an era, but the synopsis for the finale reveals that there will be plenty of action to make it worth our while. The finale will bring back a "ghost from the past" that will shake Hondo (Shemar Moore) to his core. Why? Well, evidently, the returning character was long thought to be dead, and has resurfaced as a "violent car thief."
SWAT's finale will be broken in two parts
The synopsis for the first half teases some major character moments for Hondo, who will be forced to confront fears on his quest to apprehend his car-jacking foe. The second half of the finale will expand the scope of the series and focus on the team as a whole. A group of ex-pat Russian mercenaries put Hondo and company on the ropes by planting explosives all over Los Angeles.
The mercenaries demand the freedom of their leader, Dmitri Rykov, who SWAT takes to a safe house and vows to defend with their lives. The ensuing battle between the mercenaries and 20-squad will represent the last stand for the latter, whether they survive or not.
We're as disappointed as you are that CBS decided to pull the plug on SWAT. That said, the two part finale sounds like the a perfect distillation of what makes the show so fun to watch. We get character stuff in the first hour, particularly with Hondo and Gamble (Annie Ilonzeh), then we transition to a team effort in which the strength of the action derives from 20-squad's chemistry.
SWAT stars promises "personal" moments
We have already gotten SWAT finale teasers from the cast and crew. Anna Enger Ritch, who plays Officer Powell, told TV Line that fans will leave satisfied while also wanting more from the 20-squad members they know and love. "You’ll want to keep watching what happens," Ritch added. "There are so many avenues and directions to go, so many stories to tell, so many personal things."
SWAT showrunner Andrew Dettmann has been given the very daunting task of making a finale that serves as both a satisfying conclusion and a sort of open door so that fans can imagine characters living on past the events of May 16. We can't wait to see how he threads the needle.