The latest update on S.W.A.T. season 8 reveals new insight into Deacon’s future. In the role of David Kay, nicknamed Deacon, Jay Harrington has been with the CBS action drama since the beginning. But the season 7 finale, which was originally intended to be the show’s last, kept Deacon’s potential retirement up in the air until the episode’s closing moments confirmed that Harrington’s character would very much remain a part of S.W.A.T. season 8.
Ahead of the premiere of S.W.A.T. season 8, which returns to CBS at 8 PM ET on Friday, October 18, showrunner and executive producer Andrew Dettman shared with TVLine that Deacon will approach the job with vigor after his brush with retirement. In the quote below, Dettman talks about how Deacon’s views have evolved since viewers last saw him:
“[Deacon will show] a real renewed vigor. Having walked away from it and then realizing this really is his true calling, he is back full force.”
Deacon’s Presence In S.W.A.T. Season 8 Is Important For The Show
Several Cast Members Have Already Exited
The latest update from Dettman puts a bow around the S.W.A.T. season 7 storyline in which Deacon finds himself having to make a choice between his career and his family. Deacon makes the decision, ultimately, to retire as part of an agreement with his wife Annie (played by Bre Blair). But he’s saved from having to go through with the retirement by the episode’s end.
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Annie sees that Deacon is not ready for retirement, so they revise their decision. With the help of family members, Annie is still able to focus on her job while Deacon gets to keep his and continue working alongside Hondo (Shemar Moore). In previous comments, the showrunner revealed that he did feel uncertain about Deacon’s retirement after S.W.A.T. season 8 already lost significant cast members.
S.W.A.T. season 8 has cast Chicago Fire actor Annie Ilonzeh in a recurring capacity, while Miguel Alfaro (played by Niko Pepa) has been upped to a main cast member.
Jim Street (played by Alex Russell) and Dominique Luca (Kenny Johnson) both exited the action drama series in season 7. Rochelle Aytes, who plays Hondo’s wife Nichelle, has been moved from a main cast member to recurring as she joins the upcoming Sherlock-connected CBS show Watson. Even though S.W.A.T. has cast a few actors to play new recruits to the team, it’s good that Deacon will still be around as a long-time friend of Hondo’s. That’s especially true in light of other, notable shifts in the ensemble.
