CBS procedural drama S.W.A.T. might not win Emmys anytime soon thanks to mixed reviews from critics (48% on Rotten Tomatoes) but it has proven to be a Ratings Juggernaut. The first season alone had an average of 9.13 million viewers while the second season had an average of 8.34 million viewers.
The series is a reboot of the ’70s show the same name and due to its modern flair, it has proven to be a much better offering. S.W.A.T., which shares the same universe with the popular FX police procedural The Shield, has some very intriguing characters. Here are details you probably didn’t know about some of the main ones.
Hondo’s Career History
After finishing High school, Hondo enlisted in the United States Marine Corps where he served for four years under the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines stationed in Somalia. When he came back home, he joined the LAPD where he served as a patrol officer.
After six years on the job, Hondo joined the S.W.A.T. academy. He would then be included in a S.W.A.T. team under the command of Buck Spivey. Due to his good work, Hondo was promoted to team leader after Buck was suspended.
Street Is A Good Hacker
He is often seen with guns than computers but Jim Street is a very good hacker. For example, in the episode titled “Octane,” Street went undercover to get more evidence against a smuggler named Richter. However, the operation went wrong and Street was held captive.
Ritcher put him in confinement with the rest of his crew as he tried to determine who ratted him out to the police. Street used his tech skills and managed to free himself. Also, in the episode titled “Invisible”, Hondo mentioned that Street loves technology and that he was a brilliant hacker.
Deacon’s Marital Status
Sergeant David “Deacon” Kay has been a S.W.A.T. member for ten years. He is also the only S.W.A.T. member who has a wife and has kids. As a result, he tends to be extra careful during operations.
S.W.A.T members often find themselves in dangerous situations but Deacon knows how to maneuver them in order to avoid harm. His vast experience normally gives him the ability to sense danger a lot more quickly than the others.
Luca Isn’t Quite The Handyman
Traditionally, men have been expected to know how to do manual tasks around the home. These include fixing the sink, repairing the fence, and so on. But even when you are a badass S.W.A.T member, such tasks can be challenging.
In the episode titled “Day Off”, it became clear that Dominic Luca has no clue on how to do repairs. The reason for this was that he had lived in rental homes his entire life. Thus when he found himself unable to call a repair company, life became a bit difficult for him.
Deacon’s Daughter
Earlier on his career, Deacon witnessed a school shooting that devastated him. A child that he was really attached to during that short time frame ended up succumbing to her injuries. Her name was Lila.
When Deacon was blessed with a daughter, later on, he named her Lila in honor of the fallen girl. Quite a nice gesture from the man.
Victor Tan’s Intelligence
S.W.A.T’s Chinese-American member Victor Tan is very intelligent. He got high grades in high school and managed to join the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (MIT), where he studied Engineering.
To the shock of his family, he decided to join law enforcement. Despite the disappointment of his parents, he stuck to his passion. Tan extremely loves being a S.W.A.T member. He has confessed that losing his job is his greatest fear.
Luca Is Also A Seismologist
Dominic Luca might not be a handyman but he is very knowledgeable in an area that many other people aren’t. The officer is also an amateur Seismologist (Scientists or scholars who study earthquakes and the propagation of waves).
Luca studied a lot about earthquakes before he joined the force. Due to his vast knowledge of the subject matter, he was able to describe the Shaky Town earthquake in detail.
Jessica Cortez’s Relationship
Four months before the events of the series, Jessica (played by former Bond girl Stephanie Sigman) and SWAT’s leading man Hondo Harrelson (Shemar Moore) decided it would be a good idea to mix work and play. What’s the worst that could happen? Well… a lot.
Their relationship was frowned upon though they were not reprimanded because whatever they were doing wasn’t against LAPD policy. Things got complicated when Hondo was promoted to 20-David Team Leader. When Commissioner Michael Plank caught them, Hondo decided to end the relationship in order to protect her career.
The Real Reason Tan Joined The LAPD
Victor Tan joined SWAT after being a member of the LAPD Hollywood Division’s Vice Squad for a couple of years. At first, it didn’t make a lot of sense for the MIT educated Tan to decide not to pursue the high-paying profession he had studied for in order to become a cop. But there was a reason behind it.
In the episode titled “Rocket Fuel”, it was revealed that Tan’s decision to join the LAPD was influenced by the death of his cousin. He thought his cousin was killed in a car crash only to learn that he had overdosed on the PCP drug. He thus decided to help rid the streets of drugs.
Luca’s Celeb Crush
In the episode titled ”Miracle’, Luca mentioned (much to the surprise of a colleague) that one of his biggest dreams was taking a selfie with pop star Beyoncé. Wow! His dream finally became a reality after he won a game of ‘SWAT-Tag against Chris.
Perhaps the series should have explored this further and shown Luca listening to Beyonce’s music on the regular. This way, audiences wouldn’t have missed this very important detail.
