Many were likely apprehensive about S.W.A.T. Exiles when it was first announced.
Many questions came up about the show and its vibe, especially given how quietly and quickly the spinoff happened as S.W.A.T. ended.
It’s okay to be apprehensive and nervous, but it’s also important to go into the new series with an open mind. This isn’t the same show.
Sure, some of the same characters return, but it has a grittiness the CBS series couldn’t match.
As a premium cable channel, STARZ is the perfect home, and Shemar Moore teased what’s to come while discussing the series’ development in an exclusive chat with TV Fanatic.
The best part is that he knows change is scary, and he has some comforting words about it.
TV Fanatic: The first episode of S.W.A.T. Exiles quickly gets into the story, telling us where Hondo is and what happened in that fateful mission. Was it important to tell that story right away?
Shemar Moore: It was.
And, believe me, it was bittersweet to say goodbye to some friends and some family. Business can be cruel sometimes, but it’s business.
To be offered the opportunity to continue the franchise and keep S.W.A.T. alive for the masses who have supported us is great, but I asked, “What is going to be different? If we’re going to do more of the same, then you should have kept it the way it was.”
This one is going to be different, and now that we’ve shot it, I’m excited by the challenges it brought up for me.
The show looks different; it looks darker; it feels different.
The tone is different; the writing is different.
The writing and topics have more layers and controversial elements.
There’s an A story, where we’re always going to be your superheroes. We’ll chase down those bad guys, but we don’t always get it right.
It’s not squeaky clean, episode by episode. We make mistakes. We may fail temporarily, but we’ll get back up and keep fighting.
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Then you’ve got the B story, where there’s this whole undercurrent serialized story that you have to watch every week to see how it plays out. That’s exciting.
So episode to episode, week to week, you’re excited to see this show.
I liked that it’s a little somber and sad when you find out Hondo is divorced and his mom has passed away, so Hondo’s light dims. He’s burdened, heavy, and a little bit lost in his purpose.
Then he’s asked to come back and make it all right, but he’s been lied to and set up, and the machine is actually against him.
The members of his team he thought he could trust — now he learns he can’t. He has nowhere to turn, except to himself, his instinct, his soul.
The fans of the old show will see S.W.A.T., but it’s really different.
I love that you brought up the different vibe, because I immediately got that with the new building, how it’s super dark. So, was that a conscious decision to add the grittiness?
I don’t think you’re old enough to remember Hill Street Blues.
I watched reruns.
It was a great cop show. The headquarters had bad leather furniture and little desks.
I love this new interpretation with the sets. The old show was wonderful, and it was grand and big.
But there are no big, techy computer screens. This is a dark, low-budget world. They don’t have a lot to work with, but they have to get it done.
I just think it’s a more grounded, real approach to the everyday life of these cops, dealing with their circumstances and turning into superheroes without the tights and cape.
They go in and fight for justice.
And the language. I get to be a little more colorful in how I talk, but only when it matters. It’s for the right reasons and to make the right statements.
Nobody likes change, but when you see this first episode, I think you’ll get about 10 to 15 minutes in, and you might be fighting it, but you won’t be able to help but wonder where it goes.
I like that in the first episode, Sammy gives Hondo a book about old dogs and new tricks, and I feel that is for you as Hondo, but also for us as the viewers. We can all learn new tricks.
I think that sums it up perfectly.
I could name a few scenes that I like, but you just said it. That scene right there, even when we shot it, every time she passed me that book, I said to the whole crew, “This is effed up, but it’s so good.”
I don’t care how many seasons this show goes, we’ll always remember that scene.
S.W.A.T. Exiles premieres on September 25, 2026, on STARZ, and we’ll be covering it weekly right here. Join me as I break down each episode and enjoy a darker side of the franchise.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
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The post Shemar Moore Wants You To Get Ready for a Dark and Gritty S.W.A.T. Exiles appeared first on TV Fanatic.