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With S.W.A.T. now returning for an eighth season this fall, there’s a lot of anticipation for Season 7’s finale. A sneak peek reveals Shemar Moore’s character facing an extremely dangerous scenario that could cost his life. Does Hondo die in S.W.A.T.? Here’s what we know.
S.W.A.T. is CBS’ police procedural drama that follows Sergeant II Daniel “Hondo” Harelson (played by The Young and the Restless alum Shemar Moore), a former marine who’s hired to lead a new “last stop” Special Weapons and Tactics unit of the Los Angeles Police Department. The series is based on the 1975 series and the 2003 movie of the same name.
S.W.A.T. premiered in 2017 and was initially canceled after its sixth season finale in May 2023. The show was renewed for a seventh and final season the day after its cancellation following an uproar from fans and its cast, including Moore, who called out CBS’ lack of diversity. “We have listened to our viewers and their outpouring of passion for S.W.A.T. and we have reached an agreement to renew it for a final season of 13 episodes to air during the 2023-2024 broadcast year,” Amy Reisenbach, President of CBS Entertainment, said in a statement at the time. “
While fans were grateful that the show was getting a proper ending with Season 7, many still weren’t ready to say goodbye to the 20 Squad. S.W.A.T was then uncanceled and renewed for Season 8 in April 2024. The exciting news came after Moore hinted that the show could still be saved on Instagram. He posted a screenshot of a comment he wrote to a fan, which read: “It might be the end!!! And that would and will make me sad… It’s out of my hands… It’s up to CBS and SONY… Not me.”
With S.W.A.T. set to return for another season, the upcoming Season 7 finale won’t serve as the last chapter after all. But don’t expect the series to hold back; it’s gearing up for an explosive episode to bridge into Season 8, with even Hondo’s fate hanging in the balance.
Does Hondo die in S.W.A.T.?
Does Hondo die in S.W.A.T.? We’re not sure. CBS’ promo for Season 7, Episode 14, “Twenty Squad,” which airs on Friday, May 17, 2024, shows an action-packed scene with Hondo in a life-threatening situation. “It’s going to set off that bomb!” he says, while another clip shows him reaching for safety on a helicopter as a truck explodes.
The synopsis for the Season 7 finale reads, “SWAT faces their deadliest adversary yet when a violent cell of extremists looks to extract vengeance by blowing up half of Los Angeles, potentially killing thousands.”
“I swear if anything bad happens to Hondo in the finale I’m gonna go off,” one fan penned in the comments of the YouTube teaser. “I’m so ready for the season finale,” another user added.
Because of the show’s Season 8 renewal, it’s unlikely that S.W.A.T. will kill off Moore’s character. However, there’s still a chance that the Season 7 finale will set up a dramatic cliffhanger leading into the fall. Moore told Deadline in early May that the upcoming finale was treated as a possible series end.
“We have three episodes left to finish [airing] this season. So when you get to the finale, you’ll see we shaped it in a way that it’s either our swan song or our new beginning,” Moore explained. “We literally didn’t change anything in the writing.”
You’ll have to tune into the Season 7 finale on May 17, 2024, to see what happens.
S.W.A.T. Season 7 airs on Fridays on CBS at 8/7c and streams on Paramount+.
