The Drama Behind Shemar Moore's SWAT Spin-Off Series Exiles Explained

Just when it looked like the CBS series "S.W.A.T." was finally dead, after slipping the noose at the eleventh hour over the last two seasons, it yet lives again — only this time, there's a twist to the show's stay of execution. "S.W.A.T." isn't getting renewed, it's getting spun off. And, perhaps most surprisingly, there's a vocal contingent of fans who are none too pleased with this development.

In 2023 and 2024, CBS let the decision to renew "S.W.A.T." go right down to (or, arguably, past) the wire — which is strange because the series has been slowly ticking upwards in the Nielsen ratings over the past three years. Obviously, it's nowhere near as popular as many of the streaming behemoths (as Nielsen's first multi-platform ratings showed), and, like many long-running shows, it keeps getting more expensive to keep the core cast together, but networks have traditionally preferred steadiness to taking a risk on something new.

This time around, Sony Pictures Television, which produced the series for CBS, took a huge risk and greenlit a spin-off on its own titled "S.W.A.T. Exiles." How can you call this spin-off a risk when it's built around the series' main character, Sergeant Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson Jr., as portrayed by the swaggering Shemar Moore? And why are fans upset over a spin-off that retains the services of the show's most pivotal character? Because "S.W.A.T. Exiles" will surround Hondo with an entirely new team of, per the official premise, "a last-chance experimental SWAT unit made up of untested, unpredictable young recruits." This means the series' entire main cast outside of Moore, including fan favorites Jay Harrington as Daniel "Deacon" Kay and David Lim as Victor Tan, are gone.

How did Sony TV manage to bring back "S.W.A.T." in a way that leaves many fans wishing they'd killed it altogether? Would it shock you to learn that saving money by canceling shows was the company's top priority?

Soon after "S.W.A.T. Exiles" was announced, Deadline ran a story detailing the last-second development that spawned the spin-off and discarded the vast majority of the cast that kept fans coming back for more. It's some squirm-inducing stuff, particularly when it comes to the involvement of Moore in getting the hastily created spin-off over the goal line.

On a certain level, Sony TV's decision is admirable, if only because they kept the "S.W.A.T." crew of over 200 people employed (as the new series is set to begin shooting over this summer). These optics matter in Hollywood, and, as someone who doesn't watch the show, my instinct is to applaud the studio for doing right by a load of people who were about to be out of a job.

But Sony TV did the show's cast and writing staff dirty by not contacting them directly once they moved forward on "S.W.A.T. Exiles." Granted, this all came together unusually fast, but it feels somewhat unprofessional to have Moore call his "S.W.A.T." castmates to give them the news — especially since they got dropped because they were too expensive. If you think this was actually a stand-up move by Moore, consider his public statements via Instagram after the fact.

"I'm not saying I'm Tom Brady, but I'm the Tom Brady of S.W.A.T. That's not arrogant. That's not ego, it's a fact. I'm the quarterback." He then continued the pro football analogy. "Tight ends get traded," said Moore. "The running back gets traded, the receivers get traded, but the teams keep pushing with their quarterback, and I'm that guy. So proud, so grateful, not gonna apologize for nothing. Busted my ass for 31 years to do what I do, and excited for the future."

Quarterbacks actually do get traded, Shemar, or sometimes cut altogether when their out-of-control ego alienates their teammates. Evidently, several actors, including Harrington and Lim, were stung by the abrupt turn of events, so I wonder if they'll be open to Sony TV's recent suggestion that they might find a way to bring the old crew back for the odd episode here and there. These guys are successful television actors, so they're not going to wait around for guest spots on "S.W.A.T. Exiles." They're going to chase main cast roles in new or existing series.

So stay tuned, "S.W.A.T." fans. The plot to this behind-the-scenes drama just might thicken.