Some big changes will be in store when S.W.A.T. returns for its seventh and final season later this month.
With the show preparing to end the storylines of all the characters we’ve grown to love over the years, some won’t even make it to the series finale.
TV Line reports that original cast members Kenneth “Kenny” Johnson (who plays Dominique Luca) and Alex Russell (Jim Street) have been demoted to recurring players for S.W.A.T. Season 7.
While the decision is a shocker because they’ve both been with the show since its 2017 launch, there is a reason for them getting pre-series finale departures.
Series showrunner Andrew Dettmann told the outlet that he decided that due to the truncated 13-episode order. It allowed the creatives to give them episodes “focused on their characters and the evolution of their storylines.”
Indeed, S.W.A.T. does command a massive cast, so trying to find a way to wrap up all these arcs will be a tricky endeavor.
The S.W.A.T. series finale is probably going to be open-ended
Maybe it’s good that the upcoming series finale won’t have to say goodbye to every character because it won’t feel like a rush job.
Far too often, creatives put too many expectations on one episode to bring storylines to a close, so it’s a relief hearing that S.W.A.T. is saying goodbye to characters as the final season plays out.
Dettman felt that getting this last-minute final season was crucial so that none of the characters are “underserved.”
At one point, it seemed like S.W.A.T. wouldn’t even get a seventh season after CBS swung the axe before walking back its decision to keep the show on the air for 13 more episodes.
Shemar Moore believes S.W.A.T. could return
While the showrunner seems at peace with the decision to end the show, series star Shemar Moore is optimistic about a comeback.
Moore said that all indications are that the door is not yet wholly closed on bringing the show back down the line, meaning there’s a good chance we’re in for an ambiguous ending.
If that is the case, a potential comeback could be staged at Paramount+, which became home to CBS originals Blood & Treasure, Criminal Minds, Evil, and SEAL Team back to the air when the broadcast network didn’t want them.
Which cast members are returning for Season 7 of S.W.A.T.?
In other S.W.A.T. final season casting news, Anna Enger Ritch’s Officer Zoe Powell will be around longer thanks to a promotion to series regular.
She joins Moore, Jay Harrington (as David Kay), David Lim (Victor Tan), and Rochelle Aytes (Nichelle Carmichael) as the series regulars for the final season.
S.W.A.T. Season 7 premieres Friday, February 16, at 8/7c on CBS.