S.W.A.T. Exiles is taking the franchise in a grittier, more visually ambitious direction on Starz, according to Shemar Moore, who is still urging longtime fans to “roll S.W.A.T.”
During a recent visit to DECIDER’s studio, Moore explained that the sequel series begins two years after S.W.A.T. ended its eight-season run on CBS. The story finds his character, Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, “exiled from the system.”
Hondo was blamed for a mission that went wrong after losing a young cadet he believed in and considered himself a mentor to. Moore was referring to Nico Reyes, played by Alejandro Akara, whose death is revealed through flashbacks in the premiere, “Clean Entry.” “He feels a lot of guilt that he wasn’t there to save him, and then got outed for his demise,” Moore said.
The new series also connects Moore’s work on what he calls “the Mothership” to the next chapter by bringing back a familiar face. Patrick St. Esprit reprises his role as Robert Hicks, Hondo’s former commander, in the S.W.A.T. Exiles premiere. Hicks offers Hondo a chance to return to S.W.A.T. and lead a new team of recruits. Moore described Hicks as “a big factor in the transition of what Hondo has to go through in this new version of S.W.A.T.,” while emphasizing that the spinoff is not a “full departure from the old show.”
“Even though it’s two years later, what I love is that this version of S.W.A.T. doesn’t let go of the history of what we know,” Moore said. “This is just the evolution, this is just a new day of what’s happened. So nobody’s dead as far as the heroes that you remember.”
Moore also hinted at appearances by Jay Harrington’s David “Deacon” Kay and David Lim’s Victor Tan. The new 44 Squad features Sammy, played by Lucy Barrett; Cassidy, played by Zyra Gorecki; Malik, played by Adain Bradley; Ethan, played by Freddy Miyares; and Jude, played by Ronen Rubenstein. Moore said all five performers are “so interesting and they’re so different,” both on camera and off.
“Everybody’s unique and they are a good time. But they are Gen Z to a tilt,” he joked, revealing that his younger castmates have called him “pops,” “old head,” “unc,” and “coach” on set.
While S.W.A.T. Exiles shares plenty of DNA with the original series, Moore acknowledged that its largely new ensemble creates important differences. He was especially enthusiastic about the opportunity to explore the characters—including Hondo—with greater depth.
“I think you’ll enjoy the thrill ride, but there’s a lot of character development in this version of S.W.A.T. There’s a lot of layers to the onion, so you’re going to learn about the characters of these people, besides the badge and the superhero suits,” he said. “Even Hondo, even though you feel like you’ve known Hondo for eight years. You’re gonna see a human, [the] empathetic side, [yet] still that heroic, badass side. But I like that we’re not so perfect.”
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As an executive producer on S.W.A.T. Exiles, Moore was also determined to give Hondo more emotional complexity and make the “rough-around-the-edges” character “a little more layered.”
“Just being the guy who shows up and chases the bad guys and beats up the bad guys, that’s fun. It’s a good time. But it’s kind of one-dimensional,” Moore said. “I wanted him to have a little more internal struggle to get the prize of joy and happiness and heart and love.”
That personal conflict is evident from the opening moments of S.W.A.T. Exiles. Hondo is divorced, has a daughter named Vivienne, and is grieving the loss of his mother. Moore said “art imitates life a lot of the time,” noting that elements of Hondo’s history echo parts of his own. Although Moore is not a Marine and does not “have kills,” he sees meaningful parallels between himself and the character.
“Hondo’s from South L.A., Shemar Moore’s from East Oakland. I know what it is to come out of the hood, and see the world and expand myself, but always feel the need to stay true, and the honor of staying true to where you came from and trying to find that balance,” he said.
Moore also spoke about losing his mother, whom he described as his “best friend” and his “purpose.” He discussed his three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Frankie, calling her “his whole life” and “the rest of [his] life.”
“My mother was my everything. She was the person I wanted to make proud every day and I still fight to make her proud. I know she’s watching over me, but now I got this little girl [and] I need to be the best version of myself for her, to show her how cool daddy is,” he said. “And not just because I’m on TV, but just as a person, as a man, I want to show her the world, and I want to show her what’s possible. So I take those elements of my own life, my own experience, and I give that as much as I can, whether it’s in the writing or just in Hondo’s being.”
The series still delivers what Moore calls its “signature of super cops chasing bad guys.” But he believes S.W.A.T. Exiles adds a stronger emotional core, with “this heart and character element to where you really get endeared and engaged, and learn on a deeper level [about] the characters of who we’re playing.”
New episodes of S.W.A.T. Exiles air Fridays on Starz, with the first three episodes currently available to stream.
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