S.W.A.T. Exiles is turning up the intensity, and two members of Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson’s (Shemar Moore) 44 Squad may be developing more than a professional connection.
Warning! Spoilers for S.W.A.T. Exiles Episode 3, “Burn Zone,” now streaming on Starz.
Episode 3, “Burn Zone,” opens with Ethan (Freddy Miyares) finding Jude (Ronen Rubenstein) asleep at S.W.A.T. headquarters. Ethan offers him a place to stay, saying he could use the company and promising a “sick view” from his rooftop. Jude accepts—and by the episode’s closing moments, Sammy (Lucy Barrett) arrives to see him.
Sammy heads to Ethan’s apartment to spend time with Jude, who explains why he has moved in. Following his previous undercover assignment, he had been placed in corporate housing that was “already furnished and gray” and simply didn’t feel like home.
Sammy admits she has also felt unlike herself while adjusting to the “intense” demands of S.W.A.T. Earlier, she said her boyfriend, a brand manager, struggled to understand what she was going through. Jude listens, and that emotional connection quickly sparks something between them. Sammy initiates a kiss, then pulls back to apologize, only for Jude to kiss her again. They both acknowledge that getting involved is a “terrible” idea—but they continue hooking up regardless.
DECIDER asked Moore how Hondo might respond if he learned that two of his recruits had become romantically involved.
“Hondo doesn’t care. As long as they show up to work and get the job done. They’re young. A little hanky-panky, you know what I mean? Hondo was young once upon a time. Where do you think his baby girl came from?” he joked.
Moore did clarify that Hondo would take notice if the relationship began affecting the team’s chemistry—or interfering with the job.
“You can’t let lovey-dovey emotions; you can’t let any of that get in the way. Your instincts gotta be right on time because you don’t get second chances,” he said, pointing to the dangers of their profession. “But I think they do a good job of keeping it a secret. But not that Hondo doesn’t know, because Hondo seems to have an ear to everything.”
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Moore also believes the possibility of a Sammy-Jude romance adds an entertaining twist for viewers.
“So they’re having a good time, and hopefully the audience is having a good time watching them have a good time,” he said with a laugh.
Could Hondo receive a romance of his own? Moore hinted that the character may need a love interest as he deals with the personal turmoil that has unfolded during the two-year gap between S.W.A.T. and S.W.A.T. Exiles.
“There’s a rumor out there that Hondo can’t be dark and frustrated and moody over his mama and getting kicked off the force. So Hondo is going to have to find love. So I’m going to have to stay in the gym so they can peel my shirt off and, I don’t know, play a little kissy face with somebody,” Moore teased. “That’s the rumor. So, I mean, hey! Maybe that means I still got it!”
He added, “They’re trying to throw me a bone, so I’m not going to fight it too hard.”
Moore also discussed how Season 1’s move to Starz, rather than broadcast television, has expanded what S.W.A.T. Exiles can do. With the “handcuffs” off and no need to “race to commercial anymore,” the series has more room to let its stories unfold.
“They get to be a little darker, a little edgier. The language gets to be a little more colorful. That’s fun as an actor, but when you can really embellish in the action, when you can embellish in the passion and emotion of it so it’s not just a fun video game of good guys chasing bad guys, there’s a lot of heart,” he explained. “There’s a lot of dignity in it, and so you get invested in what’s happening. You can feel it, and our job is to make it feel real. But yeah, there’s a lot of treats, there’s a lot of surprises that will come along the way: familiar faces, romances, shirts off and sexy time. Trust me, it’s a fun ride.”
New episodes of S.W.A.T. Exiles stream on Starz every Friday. The first three episodes are available to watch now.