‘If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It’: S.W.A.T. Exiles Gives Hondo a New Team—and a New Reason to Fight
Reel Perspectives
September 27, 2025
Let’s be honest, when CBS cancelled S.W.A.T. for the second time, fans had every reason to believe that was it for Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson. After eight seasons of watching Shemar Moore lead the team through shootouts, impossible missions, personal drama and more than a few near death experiences, it seemed like Hondo’s story had finally come to an end. But apparently, Hondo wasn’t ready to hang up the badge just yet, and neither was STARZ.
Enter S.W.A.T. Exiles, which premiered September 25 and gives the franchise another shot at life with a ten-episode first season while putting Hondo in a completely different position. If there is one phrase that kept coming to mind while watching the new series, it’s if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Created by Jason Ning, the show has changed, there’s a new team, the dynamics are different and Hondo is definitely not the same man we left behind, but that familiar S.W.A.T. energy is still there.
Hondo has already been through enough to fill several lifetimes. He spent eight seasons trying to protect his team, navigate the politics of the department and balance being a S.W.A.T. commander with being a husband. Now Exiles picks up with a Hondo whose mother has died, his marriage to Nichelle has fallen apart, he's estranged from his child, and he's still dealing with the loss of a former recruit who died under circumstances that have left him carrying plenty of guilt and blame. His career is essentially over, and he is forced into retirement. Commander Robert Hicks comes in with an offer that Hondo doesn't expect and intially doesn't want. Hicks gives him a way back into S.W.A.T. and lead a new 44-Squad, an experimental unit made up of reject recruits by the department.
They're young, they're confident and they have absolutely no problem letting Hondo know that they think some of his old school methods are, well, old. Hondo even refers to himself as a “disgraced has-been,” which pretty much tells you where his head is when this whole thing begins. He's being asked to take a group of recruits who already have strikes against them and somehow turn them into a functioning S.W.A.T. That makes the opening episode, “Clean Entry,” an interesting introduction to the new series.
That tension is immediately apparent in the premiere, which has the difficult task of introducing a new generation of characters without making longtime viewers feel like they're watching a completely different show. There are moments when the new setup feels like a lot to take in, particularly for fans who spent eight seasons becoming attached to the original team, and Hondo's exhausted reaction to being responsible for these hotshot recruits may mirror the reaction of some viewers who are wondering whether this new version can capture the magic of the original.
Fortunately, the series doesn't try to make these recruits instant versions of the characters we've already spent years getting to know. Instead, it gives them room to be messy, make mistakes and slowly show us who they really are.
Lucy Barrett leads the new crew as Samantha “Sammy” Bishop, with Adain Bradley playing Malik Henderson, Zyra Gorecki as Cassidy Han, Freddy Miyares as Ethan Cole, and Ronen Rubinstein as Jude Callan. Of course, they're basically a collection of personalities who should not be working together. They have plenty of confidence, but they don't necessarily have the experience to back it up, and Hondo isn't interested in letting them learn the hard way when someone's life is on the line creating plenty of friction between the veteran officer and the younger recruits.
The real turning point, however, comes when Exiles begins expanding beyond the basic premise of Hondo training a troublesome new team. As the episodes unfold it becomes clear that there is something much bigger happening behind the scenes and Hondo has a mole on his hands. The decision to specifically place him in charge of these particular recruits creates a larger conspiracy that gives the season a much needed hook.
Suddenly, Hondo isn't just wondering whether he can turn his new squad into a legitimate S.W.A.T. team, he's questioning who are his allies, and who he can trust and that is where Exiles really begins to find its groove. The more Hondo questions who is working against him and whether the people around him are actually telling him the truth, the more compelling the season becomes.
Moore has spent nearly a decade carrying this character, so there is an undeniable familiarity when he steps back into the role. This Hondo is grieving, angry and uncertain about his place in the world, and Moore brings more grit without losing the charisma that made Hondo such an important part of the original series.
Without Moore, S.W.A.T. Exiles simply doesn't work. The new recruits may bring fresh energy, but audiences are watching because they want to know what happens to Hondo. There is also something satisfying about watching Hondo get another opportunity after S.W.A.T. was cancelled by CBS twice and thankfully, longtime fans aren't completely being asked to leave the past behind. Jay Harrington returns as David “Deacon” Kay, while Patrick St. Esprit reprises his role as Commander Robert Hicks, giving Hondo familiar faces from his previous life at S.W.A.T. David Lim also returns as Victor Tan later in the season.
For fans who have been waiting to see Hondo back in action, there is something undeniably satisfying about seeing Shemar Moore step back into the role that has become synonymous with his career. With plenty of action, suspense, familiar faces and a new generation of S.W.A.T. officers slowly finding their footing, Exiles proves that sometimes you really don't need to fix what isn't broken. You just need to give it a new place to go. There's enough potential here to make the new 44-Squad feel like more than just the replacement team with it's own identity. The show doesn't need to completely reinvent itself. It just needs to remember why audiences cared about it in the first place.
S.W.A.T. Exiles takes a familiar franchise and gives it a fresh set of characters without completely losing the elements that made the original series work. The new recruits may need some time to grow on longtime viewers, but Shemar Moore remains the biggest reason to stick around, especially as Hondo's personal struggles and the mystery surrounding the squad begins to reveal itself.
With action, suspense, familiar faces and a conspiracy that promises to dig deeper into Hondo's past, Exiles feels like a worthy new chapter rather than simply a reboot wearing the old show's name.
New episodes of S.W.A.T. Exiles premiere Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on STARZ and stream the following day on the STARZ app.
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