S.W.A.T. Moves Two Vets to Recurring in Final Season, EP Promises a ‘Proper Curtain Call’ for Each (Exclusive)
Two S.W.A.T. team members will get earlier sendoffs than the rest, as the CBS crime drama unspools its 13-episode final season.
TVLine has learned exclusively that original cast members Kenneth “Kenny” Johnson and Alex Russell, who since Day 1 have respectively filled the series regular roles of Dominique Luca and Jim Street, will only recur during the upcoming Season 7 (premiering Friday, Feb. 16).
Yet while the actors’ remaining time with S.W.A.T. may be on the shorter side, it promises to be sweet. Or, at least satisfying for their respective fans.
“Looking at [Season 7] being the final 13 [episodes], we wanted to give everybody their proper curtain call,” S.W.A.T. showrunner Andrew Dettmann tells TVLine, “so the episodes that we have for them are really focused on their characters and the evolution of their storylines.
“I’m really excited about the episodes we have for [Luca and Street],” Dettmann reiterates. “The idea for the final 13 was that, if this was the end for us, nobody feels like they were underserved. There are some really good episodes fo Alex and Kenny, for Street and Luca.”
Elsewhere on the final-season casting front, as first reported by TVLine, recurring player Anna Enger Ritch was promoted to series regular, as Officer Zoe Powell.
Back in May, CBS reversed its decision to cancel S.W.A.T., instead handing the long-running procedural a 13-episode seventh and final season.
“We have listened to our viewers and their outpouring of passion for S.W.A.T.,” Amy Reisenbach, President of CBS Entertainment, and Katherine Pope, President of Sony Pictures Television Studios, said at the time in a statement. “We are pleased that we found a way to bring it back and give closure to the show’s storylines and characters, which audiences deserve.”
S.W.A.T. begins its swan song on Friday, Feb. 16 at 8/7c with the first half of a two-parter in which Hondo (played by Shemar Moore), Hicks (Patrick St. Esprit) and Powell head to Mexico City to retrieve a fugitive who slipped from Hondo’s grasp 10 years ago. But when things go sideways, Hondo finds himself once again on the killer’s trail, desperate to fulfill a decade-old promise.
Want scoop on S.W.A.T., or for any other TV show? Email InsideLine@tvline.com, and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line!
I’m glad they will get proper send-offs, but it is a kind of slap-in-the-face to two actors who have been nothing but loyal to the show.
While budget cuts might have had something to do with it and might even have been the primary reason for such cuts in the final season for any filming year that wasn’t cut in half due to strikes, filming for this season of SWAT — and pretty much any show — is butting into pilot season, which generally occurs around March-April.
.
I would not be surprised if the showrunners came to the cast and said something like this: “Hey, we’re going to have to have some budget cuts for this final season, so we need two cast members to bow out. If you want to try pilot season, we’ll book you for recurring with the proviso that you fit a scene or three in the series finale into your calendar. The given pilot will definitely work around you for it. Especially if it’s one we’re doing. Otherwise, we’re going to play darts to see who we’re going to kill off three episodes in.”
.
Alex Russell seems to me to be the one who maybe decided pilot season looks good, given that he’s the youngest member of the cast who’s been there since the beginning. Kenny Johnson took a long leave of absence previously due in part to producing an action flick that he also starred in. He might have said something like, “I can find one of those, easy. I’ll bow out so that no one else has to.”
.
Pure speculation, but I think these are among the more likely explanations.
Sounds like final season budget cuts to me. We’ve seen it before, including recently with Bob + Abishola and Superman and Lois.
I hate to see SWAT end but, I hope these 2 main characters will get their proper send off. I love watching SWAT and did I say I hate to see it end? I love all the cast who did excellent jobs on the show. I Wish they can find a way to bring it back with the original cast.
Yes I agree I enjoyed the show myself it was one of my favorites and I hate to see it end and I hope it will be back.
I don’t want it to end!!!!!
I think that there was some fan sentiment that if the numbers were good enough, SWAT might get more seasons. This should put an end to those hopes. This is the final season. Enjoy it as such.
I don’t either I liked the show very much.
I love Swat. I wish that would not cancel the show. I wish that can find away to keep it on tv.
Yeah, early send-off for 2 integral, beloved characters (Street and Luca) while keeping 2 non essential & unlikeable characters (Powell & Nichelle) till the end. Are we even gonna see Annie and the kids in S07? 🙄
I have to completely agree. Promoting the actress who plays Powell to series regular and bump Luca and Street to recurring? Ridiculous.
This is ridiculous. They have stayed thru the series and the last season of fewer episodes they move them to recurring. Street is my favorite character. I can think of others that would have been better recurring.
Who’s gonna drive Black Betty if Luca’s gone?
Really BAD move. They keep Cabrera and not Street, c’mon!!!!!!. Street is the best character of this show. S.W.A.T is Hondo and Street, they’re the soul, the core, not Deacon, Luca, or Tan.
Or maybe Alex Russell is going to direct more episodes and he wants to focus on that role.
Not Cabrera, Powell.
To me it seems they just don’t want to spend the money on the shows viewers enjoy…There are some shows that have been on way too long…and some that makes me wonder who is watching this show….CBS and other networks need to get a clue…I will miss SWAT…And this move to switch the status of Luca and Street to recurring is a load of you know what …they deserve to be in all episodes…this is a swat TEAM…You disrespect the actors and you disrespect the viewers… All I can say is shame on the powers that be at CBS…
CBS and the other networks are going by the numbers though. NCIS is still broadcast TVs most watched show, and has around a third of the number of viewers on average that it did at its peak, it’s the changing ways people watch TV and in turn the smaller amounts advertisers will pay to be seen by less eyes.
I have a different take on this. Since they are ending the series, isn’t it possible that both Kenny Johnson and Alex Russell have other opportunities that are making it impossible for them to do all the episodes this year?
That may well be the case, however if it was they were, they would say what they were moving onto. The fact they have not leads me to believes otherwise.
I don’t watch this show and have zero interest in it, still I agree that it is a let down for both actors as others have said.
So they are losing half of the legacy characters before the end (Hondo, Deacon, Luca and Street were characters from the original 1975 series). Ever since Chris left and they killed off his mom, they really don’t know what to do with Street. He’s kind of been in limbo. Luca has had more story recently. Sucks that both won’t be there until the end.
That’s not right! I think Luca & Street should go out the way they came in. All together! I will miss this show so much but at least it’s getting a proper send off instead of leaving us hanging wondering what happened to the SWAT group.
Thank you Shemar Moore for fighting for this last season that CBS is taking credit for but you are the one that made it happen! It’s just too bad you all won’t be leaving together the way it should be!
The show is DOA. East New York should have been saved.
Bring back East New York
I LOVED that show and was so sad it got cancelled!
Of course it’s all about money. It always is. They’re promoting Anna and I’m happy about it because I like her and her character very much, but they’re doing it because they’ll pay her a lot less than any other regular cast member.
Same reason they’re “downgrading” Alex and Kenny. Alex got better and better every season playing Street, and I love Kenny since his days on The Shield, I hope none of their characters are killed off, please.
Luca is my favorite. If he is gone so am I.
All I’m going to say is….please do not cancel swat after this season!that would be a big mistake!
Already cancelled bud
If its about budget then why up a recurring character to a full time cast member as CBS demotes 2 cast members to recurring?
[COMMENT REMOVED BY MODERATOR]
Sucks! We also got cheated with the strike out a season. Swat 13 seasons and Blue Bloods 14 seasons. Rip. Yea get rid of long term actors with Swat and add once in a while part timers. Blue Bloods was so wholesome. Rarer nowadays. At least send off’s.
Also Jack McCoy is leaving Law and Order. Did 400 episodes since 1994 wow. Guess 30 years in one roll is enough.
This is ridiculous, to do two of the most popular members like this, and make Powell permanent, this is crappy.
Good riddance to another propaganda piece…..
I think it’s terribly wrong – a slap in the face to the actors and a great disappointment to their loyal fans.
As well and popular as this is, I can begin to state my utter displeasure of CBS making this their final and shortened season. I am totally disappointed with this decision and can’t express how I WILL NOT WAT H any series that replaces it. You have loss a loyal watcher of your shows. YOUR LOSS‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️