It was a sad day for S.W.A.T. fans earlier this month when CBS announced that, after nine seasons, the network would be canceling the hour-long drama starring Shemar Moore, Jay Harrington, David Lim, Patrick St. Esprit, Anna Enger Ritch, and Annie Ilonzeh. The network has tried this before, initially canceling S.W.A.T. in May 2023 after six seasons, only to renew it for a seventh, and supposedly final, season just 72 hours later. Before the seventh season could finish airing in April 2024, CBS opted to renew the show for another 22-episode season instead of taking the show off the air as planned. Unfortunately for S.W.A.T. fans, the eighth season didn't bring in enough of an audience for CBS to let the show continue into its ninth season.
While lovers of S.W.A.T. and its cast have plenty to be disappointed about, Shemar Moore fans specifically might be finding a silver lining. The day before CBS's announcement about S.W.A.T.'s cancellation, the network announced that Criminal Minds: Evolution, the reboot of CBS drama Criminal Minds, would be renewed for a fourth season on Paramount+, and a 19th overall. Moore hasn't yet made an appearance on Evolution as former Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan, the character he played on Criminal Minds for 11 seasons, but fans are cautiously optimistic that one fan base's loss might be another one's gain.
S.W.A.T. is About Some of LAPD's Finest
Shemar Moore Leads the Special Weapons and Tactics unit
Image via CBS
S.W.A.T. began airing in the fall of 2017, just over a year after Moore's final episode of Criminal Minds. Based on the 1975 television show S.W.A.T. and its 2003 film adaptation, SWAT, the CBS show centers on Moore’s character, Daniel "Hondo" Harrison, a former Marine and a sergeant with the LAPD who is put in charge of the Special Weapons and Tactics unit after his predecessor shoots an unarmed Black teenager. Hondo, who grew up in South Los Angeles, attempts to bridge the gap between his community and the LAPD as he navigates leading his team and dealing with the political aspects of his job. Hondo's de facto second in command is David "Deacon" Kay (Jay Harrington), another sergeant who was passed over for the team leader position in favor of Hondo, despite Deacon's seniority, which initially strained their relationship. Over the show's eight seasons, the two men have learned to lead the team well together, no matter what they face.
While S.W.A.T. has seen several characters come and go, the show has done a great job over its tenure of allowing viewers to build relationships with characters. Both Victor Tan (David Lim) and Commander Robert Hicks (Patrick St. Espirit) have been around since Season 1, and their regular presence has added an important consistency to the show. Of the other officers on the team, Anna Enger Ritch's Zoe Powell has been around the longest — she first appeared as a recurring cast member in Season 5, Episode 17, "Cry Foul" — while Niko Pepaj's Miguel Alfaro made his first recurring cast member appearance in Season 6, Episode 4, "Maniak." Devin Gamble (Annie Ilonzeh, who played paramedic Emily Foster on Chicago Fire for two seasons) is the team's newest member who was personally recruited by Hondo, despite her father having murdered a Sheriff's Deputy. Gamble's presence shakes up the team, but watching her fight for her spot is a highlight of S.W.A.T.'s eighth season.
Like many of television's most popular procedurals, S.W.A.T. spends time each episode on a case that the squad is dealing with while also giving audiences a glimpse at the personal lives of the characters. Fans have seen Hondo, Deacon, and their team fall in love, break up, get married, and raise children, all while navigating the bureaucracy of the LAPD and the dangers that come with being a member of the S.W.A.T. team. With just two episodes left, fans are hoping for a series ending that feels as satisfying as possible and allows audiences to still imagine what the team might be doing in the future.
Criminal Minds: Evolution Takes the BAU on A Brand New Adventure
Serial Killer Elias Voit and his Serial Killer Network Are a Constant Surprise
After a successful 15 seasons on CBS, Criminal Minds ended its run in February 2020, just before everyone in the world entered a brand new state of being. While the show had long been popular on both network television and streaming, Criminal Minds soared to the top of the list of "Most Streamed Shows" in 2021, and it has remained there ever since. So when Paramount had the opportunity to bring the show back, it was an easy yes. Streaming exclusively on Paramount+, Criminal Minds: Evolution began airing in November 2022, and the show's popularity has not waned.
Evolution kicked off with the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) in disarray. Fan-favorite Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) had been promoted from Unit Chief of the BAU to Section Chief and was fighting red tape, politics, and Deputy Director Doug Bailey (Nicholas D'Agosto) to keep the BAU running smoothly. David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) had taken over as Unit Chief and was reeling from the unexpected loss of his wife, Krystall (Gail O'Grady). Jennifer "JJ" Jareau (A.J. Cook) had briefly overseen the New Orleans field office after the end of Season 15 but had since returned to Quantico, Tara Lewis (Aisha Tyler) and Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez) were handling cases all over the country solo, and Matt Simmons (Daniel Henney) and Dr. Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) were on special assignments. Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) was working for a start-up, and thriving, but that wouldn't last long. By Season 16, Episode 2, "Sicarius," everyone but Simmons and Reid was back together, ready to solve one of the biggest cases the BAU had ever seen — a network of serial killers that built up during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and was beginning to come out of the woodwork.
One of Evolution's greatest decisions was to have a serial killer that touched every episode in the show's first season. Elias Voit (played brilliantly by Zach Gilford), aka Sicarius, leads the serial killer network while also working in tech and living the family life with his wife, Sydney (played by Kiele Sanchez, Gilford's wife IRL), and their two daughters. As serial killers from his network begin to get caught or kill themselves first, Voit begins to spiral and convinces his wife to take their family on the run, only to end up getting caught by Alvez, JJ, and JJ's husband, Will LaMontagne (Josh Stewart), who is on loan from the police department.
Voit returns in Season 2 of Evolution — Season 17 of the show overall — to assist the BAU in locating Gold Star as part of a deal for a lighter sentence. Gold Star, a program that trains children from tough backgrounds to be serial killers, is in the rearview mirror by the end of Season 2, but Voit isn't. He'll be back in Season 3, as will Tyler Green (Ryan-James Hatanaka), who joined BAU's hunt for Voit in Season 1 as revenge for his sister's murder and has been consulting with them ever since. Evolution will make a six-month time jump at the beginning of Season 3 and, according to the season's official description, the BAU will be dealing with Voit's followers and an "increasingly volatile" Voit when the show returns on May 8.
There Are Plenty of Storylines That Could Bring Derek Morgan Back to Criminal Minds: Evolution
Fans Want to See Morgan and Garcia Reunite
While Derek Morgan hasn't been on Criminal Minds since Moore's last guest appearance in Season 13, Episode 5, "Lucky Strikes," his legacy remains. In Evolution's Season 2, Episode 10, "Save the Children," Garcia enters a password so that Voit can give the team access to the information needed to save Prentiss, and though she tells him to turn around, he makes it known that he understood which keys she was typing by asking "Who's Chocolate Thunder?," a nickname Garcia used for Morgan when he was on the show. Fans miss Morgan just as much as Garcia does, and they also miss the banter between Morgan and Garcia, as it was one of the highlights of the original series.
Morgan also built a strong relationship with Prentiss, who was his partner for several years. While their relationship was heavily impacted by Prentiss faking her death in Season 6, Episode 18, "Lauren," they worked hard to rebuild their partnership when she returned in Season 7, and their relationship remains an important one in the show's history. Should Morgan return to the BAU, even if it's just to make an appearance, his relationships with both Prentiss and Garcia will make that return all the more special.
While Morgan left the BAU to spend time with his family, there are plenty of scenarios where he might return. Should Garcia find herself in trouble or struggling in any way, Morgan is likely to be one of the first calls. Depending on what happens with Voit and his serial killer network in the upcoming season, it might make sense for Morgan to come back as a consultant in Evolution's Season 4, or to celebrate or grieve something that has impacted the team. There is even the possibility that something unfortunate might happen to Morgan or his family, leading to the BAU coming to his rescue. However the team behind Criminal Minds: Evolution makes it happen, an appearance from Derek Morgan would be an incredible moment for fans of both Criminal Minds and S.W.A.T., and viewers are hopeful the Evolution team can make it happen once filming for Evolution's fourth season begins in the coming months.
Criminal Minds: Evolution airs exclusively on Paramount+. The third season premieres on May 8, 2025.
