Having already been cancelled twice, CBS' hit series S.W.A.T. now faces a further third cancellation following the upcoming May finale of its eighth season. This time, said cancellation seems more final than before, with S.W.A.T. fans desperately hoping their favorite procedural won't actually be laid to rest for good. Before any sort of permanent resolution may be decided, there's the small matter of a two-part, two-hour special finale that will see Shemar Moore and the rest of the Twenty Squad face their toughest challenge yet, certainly if the promo for the finale is anything to go by.
Released following the most recent Season 8, Episode 20, "Devil Dog," in which the trio of Hondo (Moore), Deacon (Jay Harrington), and Hondo’s father, Daniel Sr. (Obba Babatundé), rushed to a marine base after Hondo’s cousin, Andre (Freddy D. Ramsey Jr.), was reported AWOL, the promo for both of the finale episodes might've been short, but it was certainly enough to get the blood pumping. Available to watch below, the short promo promises an explosive double-header, with the magnitude of the show's final outing summarized beautifully by a line of dialogue that almost acts as the series' mission statement: "Let's go save this city." The synopsis for Episode 21, "Ride or Die," reads:
"When an auto carrier truck gets hijacked by a high-speed crew, Hondo encounters a ghost from his past; Gamble is thrust into a personal crisis when her brother becomes tangled in the investigation."
The synopsis for Episode 22, "Return to Base," reads:
"The SWAT team undertakes its final mission when a violent crew of ex-pat Russian mercenaries holds Los Angeles hostage after planting hundreds of hidden explosives across the city in a bid to extort the release of their brutal leader, Dmitri Rykov."
Two 'S.W.A.T.' Stars Promise a Finale That Will "Leave You Wanting So Much More"
The build-up to S.W.A.T.'s Season 8 finale double bill is tinged with the bitterness of a beloved procedural coming to a close, despite positive critical and audience response. What should've been a simple, testosterone-fueled final affair for the eighth season evolved into the closing statement for the series as a whole, bringing much more pressure to the last pair of episodes.
For those worried about whether the series can stick the landing, stars Anna Enger Ritch and Annie Ilonzeh have calmed those fears in a recent interview, with the former saying, "It will make you not want this show to end. You’ll want to keep watching what happens. There are so many avenues and directions to go, so many stories to tell, so many personal things… It will leave you wanting so much more." Ilonzeh then added, "You go, ‘Oh my gosh, that just happened!’ And, ‘Wait, I need more!’ We definitely don’t button anything up. We leave you guessing and very curious for more."
The S.W.A.T. two-part series finale will air on CBS on Friday, May 16, 2025. For more updates on your favorite network shows, stay tuned to Collider.
Source: TV Promos
