It’s been over three months since SWAT aired its series finale on CBS, but Netflix is serving up some news we’re sure fans will be excited to hear!
Beginning this September, the final season of SWAT will finally be available to stream on Netflix. Season 8 will land on Netflix in its entirety on Sept. 15, giving fans the chance to watch the final season for the first time on Netflix. This will also give SWAT fans the chance to binge the entire series for the first time on Netflix, which is currently home to the first seven seasons of CBS’s hit drama.
The 20-episode season was quite an eventful season for Hondo and 20 Squad, which culminated in a 2-part series finale event that wrapped things up with a perfect balance of closure for unresolved stories and the feeling that the show could continue… and it will, just not how we expected.
SWAT season 9 isn’t happening, but we’re getting a spinoff
From the moment CBS announced it would not be renewing SWAT for season 9, the cast and fans once again began fighting the cancellation in hopes that it would once again lead to a reversal.
Leading the charge, Shemar Moore went to battle to try to get a ninth season and even called upon Netflix to save the show. Following the decision, Moore took to Instagram where he noted they’d love to come play if Netflix was “interested in a show that is on autopilot that the world is watching.” Unfortunately, Moore’s efforts to convince Netflix, CBS, or another network to save the show did not work out, and SWAT ended with its series finale on May 16.
While a ninth season of SWAT is not happening, the show will live on via a spinoff that is currently in development from Sony Pictures Television. The new series, titled SWAT: Exiles, will see Moore returning as Hondo in a show that will see him pulled back into the world of SWAT, where he is tasked with leading an experimental unit filled with unpredictable new recruits.
Outside of Moore, no other member of the SWAT cast is connected to the project and there is a good chance it could stay that way. There was a lot of drama behind the announcement with multiple members of the SWAT cast feeling blindsided by the spinoff and hurt by the fact they weren’t being asked back, rightfully so. Sony Pictures Television has since said they’re figuring out whether additional members from the original show will appear in any capacity, but nothing has been announced.
Netflix could be a perfect home for SWAT: Exiles
At the moment, SWAT: Exiles has a 10-episode order from Sony Pictures Television and Shemar Moore is attached to star, with additional casting set to be announced soon. However, the show does not have an official home. Sony is said to be looking to find a home for the show, and we have to imagine Netflix could be at the top of their list.
Netflix is the only place where fans can stream every season of SWAT in one place without having to purchase the episodes/seasons. The show has been a strong performer for Netflix in the past, and if season 8 is well-received when it drops in September, we have to imagine Netflix might show some interest in becoming home to the show’s spinoff.
The 10-episode season format fits perfectly into Netflix’s model, and Netflix has found a lot of success in saving canceled broadcast shows with passionate fans. SWAT: Exiles becoming a Netflix exclusive seems like a perfect fit, and we wouldn’t be shocked at all if Netflix gained an interest in the spinoff should SWAT make its way into the Top 10 upon season 8’s release on Sept. 15.