CBS reversed its earlier decision to drop S.W.A.T Season 7 after the public outrage.
But does this mean we will witness every character reprising their roles for the new Season?
Unfortunately, there will be a few permanent goodbyes, so keep reading!
Ardent followers of S.W.A.T. have recently been on a topsy-turvy journey, with their beloved series being canceled after six seasons on the CBS network in May 2023. What followed was an outbreak of disdain and fan outrage over the sudden cancellation of their series.
However, the good news is that CBS and Sony Pictures listened to the fans outpouring of support for the series and reversed the show’s cancelation order, instead renewing the series for a final season. Apart from the flood of relief that washed over the eager fans, they were concerned about who might not return for the series finale on CBS. We have some intel on the same.
Is Stephanie Sigman Returning?
Firstly, beginning with Stephanie Sigman, as Captain Jessica Cortez, who left to join the FBI and has not been seen since. She was stationed as a powerful agent and the love interest of Hondo, which would be an interesting plot to develop. But since she exited at the end of the Second Season, no confirmation or updates of her coming back have surfaced. Obviously, she takes her job as an FBI seriously over playing a character in a series, so it is confined that she will not be making an appearance for the final Season.
Will we see Lina Esco?
Lina Esco, as Officer Chris Alonso, has also left to pursue other projects, mainly to take over running a safe house for undocumented immigrant women after she started a romantic relationship with Officer Jim Street. She left at the end of Season 5 and has not been seen on screen ever since. Her fans still speculate that she is with Jim Street and might make a goodbye appearance in the final Season for eager fans.
Will Peter Onorati’s character get a flashback appearance?
Peter Onorati, as Jeff Mumford, left the series, last appearing in season 4, with his character Jeff retiring after being shot. Interestingly he was formerly a SWAT sergeant, as well as a Team Leader, who often worked alongside Squad 20, making him the perfect cast member for the series. Whether he will make a final appearance is still a tricky question, given his sporadic appearance on the show until the fourth season, after which he disappeared completely. It is not too crazy to think that he might make an appearance one final time like he did for a brief moment on a certain cold case.
Will Amy Farrington make an appearance?
Amy Farrington, as Lieutenant Piper Lynch, last appeared in season 4, and it’s unlikely we will see her reappear as the series comes to an end. But never say never since it is the series finale, and the audience might treat their eyes to some surprise appearances.
Other than this, the cast members who are definitely returning for Season 7 are as follows:
- Shemar Moore as Sergeant II Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson Jr.
- Alex Russell as Officer III James “Jim” Street
- Kenny Johnson as Officer III+1 Dominique Luca
- David Lim as Officer III Victor Tan
- Patrick St. Esprit as Commander Robert Hicks
- Rochelle Aytes as Nichelle Carmichael
- Jay Harrington as Sergeant II David “Deacon” Kay
- Lou Ferrigno Jr. as Sergeant II Donovan Rocker
- David Ress Snell as Detective John Burrows
- Anna Enger Ritch as Officer III Zoe Powell
- Brigitte Kali Canales as Officer III Alexis Cabrera
- Mark Labella as LEK
- Niko Pepaj as Officer III Miguel Alfaro
- Kelly Overton as Officer III Eva Durant
As for any additions to the cast, we will be sure to inform you as the filming for the final episodes commences, and new updates are revealed by the network.
S.W.A.T. Season 7 Release Date: When Can We Expect Its Arrival?
Since its previously anticipated fall 2023 release did not make the cut due to the WGA and SAG AFTRA strikes, 2023 does not seem like a favorable year for its release, especially given that CBS and all its competing networks have pushed back their fall 2023 releases to a mid-2024 season release. Now that the WGA strike is over, at least the scripts for the final season can be covered. While SAG AFTRA is still striking it out with the AMPTP over artist rights, it might come to an end soon following the WGA’s chain reaction and a desire for the production houses to resume their filming and work lest they lose sufficient funds over a strike. So, hold your horses because an update regarding filming for the final season is underway. All in all, if the SAG AFTRA strikes end within the next few weeks, we can expect Season 7 to return between March and April 2024.
Ever since its resurrection announcement in May of 2023, a new development has taken place surrounding Season 7. A deal was struck with Netflix regarding its streaming future. S.W.A.T. has a new streaming home on Netflix going forward, and the first five seasons of the landmark procedural appeared on the international streaming giant on May 17, 2023 (via ScreenRant). Season 6 of the series has already arrived in August 2023 on Netflix, so you can easily binge-watch Seasons 1 through 6 on the streamer giant. S.W.A.T.’s additional availability on Hulu and Paramount Plus makes it one of the most accessible network TV shows around.
ROLL #SWAT! We're #1 on @netflix! 💥👊
Catch up on @swatcbs before the final season airs on @CBS. pic.twitter.com/wTCarGS29P
— Sony Pictures Television 📺 (@SPTV) May 25, 2023
With regards to production, it seems like they did not have enough time to complete the filming for Season 7 ahead of its anticipated fall 2023 release due to the hindrance caused by the strikes. As of now, production, unfortunately, remains on an indefinite hiatus until the strike storm cools down.
As it has already been hinted at by George Cheeks, President and CEO of CBS and Chief Content Officer, who stated during a keynote at Banff moderated by Deadline’s Peter White:
“We wanted to build our schedule for when the world goes back to normal.” Further adding, “Once we had done that, once we locked it in, we spent a lot of time focusing on what it was going to look like.” He elaborated that a revised CBS fall scheduling plan is expected to be revealed soon. “First of all, obviously it’s going to be very reality-heavy,” he added.
He discussed the variations between the broadcast and streaming economic models and referred to the recently achieved preliminary deal with the DGA as “helpful.”
Also, check out the official renewal announcement as confirmed by the cast and crew of the show, quoting, “We have listened to our viewers and their outpouring of passion for S.W.A.T. and we have reached an agreement to renew it for a final season of 13 episodes to air during the 2023-2024 broadcast year,” Amy Reisenbach, President, CBS Entertainment, and Katherine Pope, President, Sony Pictures Television Studios, said in a joint statement.
Further adding, “S.W.A.T. has aired for six seasons on CBS and garnered a devoted following. We are pleased that we found a way to bring it back and give closure to the show’s storylines and characters, which audiences deserve. Once again, we appreciate the talents and efforts of the cast, writers, producers, and crew, and everyone who has contributed to the success of S.W.A.T. We look forward to its return next season.”
If there are any more updates on this front, we will keep updating you here at Web News Observer, so stay tuned. Additionally, keep a close watch on Netflix as well as the social media accounts of S.W.A.T. because new updates are due.
Where Can I Watch S.W.A.T?
Earlier, we would lead by saying CBS, but it seems like Netflix holds the reins now. You will currently find the first five seasons of the series on the streamer giant. S.W.A.T. Season 6 has already arrived on Netflix in August 2023. As for Season 7, it seems likely that once the finale episodes are filmed and ready to go, they will appear on Netflix as well. All you need is a subscription plan in hand to access them.
Additionally, you can watch the previous seasons on:
- YouTube TV
- Hulu + Live TV
- FuboTV
- Hulu Plus
For international viewers, Sony Pictures Television distributes the series. The show airs on Sunday nights on Sky Max in the United Kingdom. The show airs on Wednesday nights on AXN Asia in Southeast Asia.
S.W.A.T. Season 7 Plot: What Can We Expect?
*Spoilers*
Even though there is so much silence about the exact plot, there is no doubt that the new season will continue the plot and character arcs from the finale episode, “Legacy,” of the sixth season, in which the viewers got to see that the team works with the DEA to stop a ruthless cartel boss waging war on the streets of Los Angeles as he exacts revenge on those who killed his son. Also, take a look at the official 10-second promo of the final episode if you haven’t streamed the prior season yet.
In Season 7, we can expect new character over-arches with personal relationship developments and thrilling new cases with action-packed sequences. One plotline that should be touched upon in Season 7 is Hondo’s proposal to Nichelle, which she gleefully accepts. S.W.A.T. season 7 has the chance to give Hondo and his crew a fitting ending! That will finally be a cliffhanger-free finale.
We want to hear your thoughts on what can actually be the major plotline for the final season. How do you think they will end the Season? Use the comment section as your brain dump!