Besides the thrilling, high-stakes mission that cop procedural shows thrive on, the romantic elements are just as important as they add an emotional depth that makes the often heroic characters appear relatable. For CBS’s much-loved procedural show, S.W.A.T., that romantic element has primarily been provided by the married couple, Nichelle Carmichael (Rochelle Aytes) and Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson (Shemar Moore). However, Nichelle Carmichael has been noticeably absent since the show returned for Season 8 and her chances of ever returning to share the screen with Hondo are pretty slim, according to a new update shared by showrunner, Andrew Dettman.
Aytes’s exit from the show is one of the casualties that came with the show being cancelled and renewed again. After Season 7 was announced to be the show’s last, most of the cast members began accepting other gigs, seeing that the end of S.W.A.T. was in sight. This happened to be the case for Aytes, who got cast for a role in the CBS show Watson, which recently premiered on the network. As a result of being engaged with other commitments, Nichelle has not been able to record episodes for the latest S.W.A.T. season. However, her character has not been written out and as Dettman puts it, she “will continue to be referenced as the woman Hondo goes home to every day,” on the show.
While S.W.A.T. has explored romantic arcs for other key characters, Hondo and Nichelle’s relationship was depicted as a well-rounded and mature romance which easily made them a fan-favorite. From their initial meeting through their shared passion for the community to navigating hurdles often stemming from Hondo’s high-stakes line of work, Hondo and Nichelle evolved through the years to become this admirable couple proving the role of commitment in sustaining a healthy work-life balance. Hondo and Nichelle pretty much had their happy ending, getting married and welcoming their daughter, Vivian. Thus, the lack of screentime from then is unlikely to affect how the show pans out as it relates to Hondo, though audiences will certainly miss their on-screen chemistry.
‘S.W.A.T.’ Will Continue Other Romantic Storylines
While the chance of ever seeing Hondo and Nichelle together now seems unlikely (except S.W.A.T. can score another season renewal), the show will look to other characters to keep up with the romantic subplots. Teasing what’s to come as far as relationships on the series go, showrunner, Dettman told TV Line: “Alfaro (Niko Pepaj) is going to find ‘twin-flame vibes’ with an interesting woman, launching a relationship that will greatly complicate his work life. And a little later on, Tan (David Lim) will continue to advance his relationship with journalist Olivia Navarro (Emily Alabi).”
S.W.A.T. Season 8 recently returned from its winter break with Episode 10, titled “Open Season,” airing last Friday. Subsequent episodes will air Fridays at 10 PM ET. on CBS.
