SWAT star David Lim is speaking out after a spinoff was greenlit with just Shemar Moore, following the original show’s cancellation.
The actor played Victor Tan through all eight seasons, from 2017 to 2025, opposite Moore’s Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson.
“I’d be lying if I said the rollout of the new spinoff didn’t sting,” he wrote in a lengthy post on Instagram on Wednesday. “It was tough to see it announced just two days after our finale — with no mention of the cast who helped build S.W.A.T. from day one. After 8 incredible seasons, it felt like we were brushed aside when there could’ve been a moment of reflection and recognition — for the people who built this show, and for the impact it had on so many.”
Sony Pictures Television announced earlier this month that it had greenlit a spinoff of the crime procedural titled SWAT Exiles, which will see Moore reprise his character as he works with a team of young recruits.
Shortly after, Moore addressed Exiles moving ahead without his former castmembers, saying, “Nobody likes change, but without change, you can’t grow. You can’t win without taking your lumps.”
While Moore praised his former SWAT castmates in the Instagram video, he also explained why he’s taking on the spinoff alone by comparing himself to a quarterback in football, aka “Tom Brady of SWAT.” He continued, “That’s my family for life. Just like in sports, Tom Brady might be the quarterback, but people get traded. Tight end gets traded, the running back gets traded, the receivers get traded, but the teams keep on pushing with their quarterback and I’m that guy. So proud, so grateful. I’m not gonna apologize for nothing. Busted my ass for 31 years to do what I do, and excited about the future. I’m excited that SWAT gets to keep playing ball.”
In Lim’s social media post, he also called SWAT, “one of the great honors of my life. I poured my heart into playing Tan — and even more than that, into the team and friendships we built on and off screen.”
“What made S.W.A.T. special wasn’t just the action, or one character. It was the squad. The bond. The camaraderie. The shared blood, sweat, tears, and laughs we gave to every episode. That effortless chemistry was there from the very first day we came together for the pilot, and it carried through all 8 seasons,” he continued. “I’m proud of how we fought for a ninth season. We believed we still had more to give, more stories to tell. We wanted it for our crew, for each other, and for the newer faces just joining us. It wasn’t in the cards for all of us — and that’s okay. We had a magical run and went out on a high note with those final two episodes.”
SWAT concluded its eighth and final season with its finale, “Return to Base,” on May 16. The show was previously canceled after its sixth season in 2023, but was revived two more times, before CBS canceled the show for a second time in March.
