The series finale of S.W.A.T. is addressed by showrunner Andrew Dettmann, reacting to the news that the long-running action drama is ending. Regardless of how S.W.A.T. season 8 wraps up, the popular procedural will have its place in TV history as one of the few shows to survive cancellation twice. It was able to bounce back thanks to compromises over the budget and episode count. But, after being cancelled by CBS for a third time in early March, it looks like the end of the road for the Shemar Moore-led series.
In comments to TVLine, Dettmann reacts to the news that the S.W.A.T. season 8 finale will now double as the series finale. Dettman, who has been showrunner and executive producer for the past number of seasons, taking over for creator Shawn Ryan, shares that the S.W.A.T. season 8 finale was designed to also function as a series finale. Still, in the quote below, Dettmann adds a caveat:
“Having learned our lesson over the last couple of years, we designed the season finale keeping in mind that it could be the series finale. And wanting to go out on a high note either way, we’re not buttoning anything up in a manner that would put an end to 20-Squad.”
What Dettman's Comments Mean For S.W.A.T.
There Will Be A Measure Of Closure
Dettmann mentions in his comments that the CBS stalwart has faced this scenario a few times before. The producers kept that in mind, writing the finale in such a way that it would also work as a last goodbye. S.W.A.T. is currently filming its last few episodes, with season 8 consisting of 22 overall. It is possible, at this stage, that plans could be tweaked to allow for appearances from past S.W.A.T. characters.
Dettmann adds that the finale is not meant to be definitive. Although unlikely, Moore has publicly asked Netflix and other platforms to consider picking up the action drama. There is a possibility that it could happen, with S.W.A.T. performing well on Netflix. However, at this stage, there is no indication that producers at Sony Pictures Television are moving the procedural elsewhere.
Our Take On S.W.A.T. Coming To An End
It Had A Healthy Run
It is unfortunate for viewers that S.W.A.T. season 9 won't be happening, albeit it's nothing short of impressive that the drama was deemed popular enough to claw its way back from cancellation on two separate occasions. If there was one caveat though, it would be great if the series finale could be a more definitive celebration of the show's history. That would include surprise returns.
S.W.A.T. season 8 airs Fridays at 10 PM ET on CBS
Source: TVLine
