S.W.A.T. managed to survive cancellation twice, and news about it getting a Season 8 came just a month before the Season 7 finale, which many thought would also be the series finale. Let me tell you, this is a great thing too, because, despite CBS promoting Season 7 as the final season following its first reverse cancellation, resurfaced quotes make me think the upcoming finale would have made fans really upset if a renewal didn’t happen.
What Kenny Johnson Said About S.W.A.T.'s Finale Before Season 8 Renewal
Prior to the surprise renewal, Kenny Johnson spoke to TVLine ahead of his departure as Dominique Luca. He admitted that he had read the script for what they thought was the “series finale” at the time, and he explained that it actually left the door pretty open:
I just read the last episode, because I asked Andy [Dettman] if I could read it and so I did, and, you know, it’s a great last episode, but it definitely leaves it open.
Usually, with a series finale, storylines are wrapped up, and even if there might be questions, there is closure for the characters. However, for S.W.A.T., even Shemar Moore was keeping an open mind about its future, which could be why there were still some loose threads in the finale. Despite the season setting up the end for some characters, such as Street, Luca, and even Deacon, Johnson shared that the end is not set in stone for everyone:
There’s not a definitive ending where everyone takes off somewhere. They kind of leave it where there is definitely a possibility — if somebody wants to go on with it, or however they do it — that that could happen.
S.W.A.T. has said goodbye to Alex Russell’s Street with him going to Long Beach, and it also said so long to Luca, who had to bow out due to a career-ending injury. It has also been setting up Jay Harrington’s Deacon to retire, so fans might have assumed that these remaining episodes would continue to set up the characters to either move beyond S.W.A.T. or stay with the team. However, it seems like that is not the case.
Why Fans Would Have Been Frustrated After the Finale
Since the finale is leaving the door open for more, if a renewal hadn’t happened, it likely would have made fans even more upset. Any show being canceled is definitely disappointing, but when the finale either leaves off on a cliffhanger or doesn’t include any sort of closure, then the cancellation feels even worse.
Not knowing where the characters are going would have definitely been upsetting. It does sound like many of the cast and crew were really hoping for a renewal, and it’s a good thing. Now, we don't need to worry about S.W.A.T. ending with an open door and questions. Instead, we'll be able to walk through this door into Season 8, where we'll get to see our favorite stories continue.
The season finale of S.W.A.T. won’t be premiering until May 17, so fans will have to wait and watch for themselves to see if they are left satisfied or itching for Season 8. Then, the wait will begin for the next installment's premiere on the 2024 TV schedule later this year. And while that wait for the next season will be brutal, knowing that 20-Squad is coming back will be well worth it.
New episodes of S.W.A.T. air on Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, and you can stream them the next day with a Paramount+ subscription.
