Very few series can boast of coming back from the brink of cancellation as much as the CBS procedural, S.W.A.T. The show has already been cancelled twice, and now, with the series finale looming large, there remains some flickering hope that the show might be renewed. During its two-part series finale, which will air on CBS on Friday, May 16, 2025, audiences can say goodbye to Hondo (Shemar Moore) and the rest of his tactical team. However, one of the show's stars, Annie Ilonzeh, who plays Devin Gamble, has given a hopeful update on the possible future of the show.
When beloved shows get cancelled, it's not a surprise to see petitions springing up to help reverse the decision. Ilonzeh revealed in an interview with ScreenRant that she is hopeful that a shock return could be on the cards for S.W.A.T. Now faced with a further third cancellation, the actress states that a petition to save that show has amassed some 80 thousand signatures. Ilonzeh also revealed that a conversation with an executive producer suggested that the show might not be completely done yet. Ilonzeh's comments read:
"We have our petition at change.org to still save the show, and we've got 80,000 signatures on it, and they've resurrected themselves two times before already, so third time's a charm. But another little bit of tea is I spoke to one of the executive producers, and he's like, "No, we're not flatlined completely yet."
Streaming Represents a Pathway to Ressurection for 'S.W.A.T.'
There is a possibility that CBS might resurrect the show for a third time, taking Hondo and his team into a ninth season. Throughout its eight-season run, S.W.A.T. has been largely successful, and it won't be an outlandish decision should the network decide in that direction. They've done so twice before. Another likely pathway to seeing Hondo and others return would be via streaming and Ilonzeh is very aware of this, adding:
"So, although CBS has canceled us, and that is for sure the deal, there is a world where a particular streamer is interested, and it really could resurrect. I just saw [this EP] and he was like, "It's not over yet." Of all the people, this particular executive producer is the one who would know. He is the one who knows. I was like, "What are we doing?" He's like, "We're still in it."
During the course of the last eight seasons, Hondo and his highly-trained team have taken on every possible threat, danger and deadly scenario thrown their way. And to close out the series, the team will deal with yet another deadly task. 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."
The S.W.A.T. two-part series finale will air on CBS on Friday, May 16, 2025.
Source: Screen Rant
