S.W.A.T. Season 8’s Nichelle Return Gets Disappointing Update

S.W.A.T.‘s season 8 Nichelle Carmichael return prospects receive a disappointing update. The remake of the hit 1970s show S.W.A.T. first debuted on CBS in 2017, and was developed by Aaron Rahsaan Thomas and The Shield creator Shawn Ryan. Nichelle (Rochelle Aytes) has been a regular fixture on the show since her debut in season 3, and her marriage to Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson has been one of the key focal points of the show. Many viewers hoped they would see the police performance auditor return for the ongoing S.W.A.T. season 8, which runs through May 2.

However, the chances of a Nichelle return have now been seemingly quashed. Per TVLine, Nichelle will not appear in S.W.A.T. season 8 due to Aytes’ busy schedule filming another CBS show, Watson, and it is unclear whether a window will appear in her schedule to facilitate filming any scenes for S.W.A.T. The character will continue to exist in the show’s background as Hondo’s wife, but it is unlikely that she will make any appearances over the course of the season.

What This Means For S.W.A.T. Season 8 Moving Forward

This Could Complicate Things For Hondo

The season could certainly feel odd without the presence of Nichelle, who has been something of a mainstay for the past several years, and this is bound to have an impact on Hondo as the season unfolds. Off-camera, the character will continue as wife to Hondo, and mother to Vivvie, but her absence from the series is bound to have a major impact on Hondo as a character, and will remove the great chemistry between Aytes and Hondo actor Shemar Moore. How much this will impact the character, and the potential storylines for the season remains to be seen.

Aytes was not invited back, before joining the cast of Watson, so it would be difficult for the show to come up with a way of reintegrating her at this stage.

Season 8 will mark something of a transition for S.W.A.T., and it will be interesting to see the direction the show chooses to take without Nichelle actively involved. While there are no plans to kill off the character, or write her out, just yet, it seems that any role she is going to have in season 8 is going to be more low-key. There are a lot of directions the show could take, but as long as Nichelle is in the background as Hondo’s wife and anchor, her presence on the show will continue to be important.

S.W.A.T. season 8 existing in the first place was an unexpected season after CBS canceled the show following the conclusion of S.W.A.T. season 7, only to reverse their decision and renew the show for another season. As a result, Aytes had already joined the Watson cast in the interim, so it would be difficult for the show to come up with a way of reintegrating her at this stage.

Watson also stars Morris Chestnut, Eve Harlow, Peter Mark Kendall, Inga Schlingmann, and Ritchie Coster.

Additionally, her schedule has become much more complicated due to her commitments to another show, even though it is one that airs on the same network. Although the medical mystery drama, which stars Morris Chestnut as Dr. John Watson reeling from the death of Sherlock Holmes, debuted midseason, if it becomes popular and is renewed for a full second season, its production timeline would likely line up exactly with any possible future seasons of S.W.A.T.