Warning: This article contains spoilers fromS.W.A.T.season 7 finale.
Twenty Squad lives on!
That just leaves one open spot on the team.
Shemar Moore, Jay Harrington, Jessica Camacho, and Patrick St. Esprit on ‘S.W.A.T.'.Bill Inoshita/Sony Pictures Television/CBS
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Deacon retires then decides to return to Twenty Squad.
What was this arc about in what was supposed to be the final season?
Losing Street, losing Luca, Tan and Alfaro being at odds.
Shemar Moore on ‘S.W.A.T.'.Bill Inoshita/Sony Pictures Television/CBS
Deacon retiring was another way to put stress on Hondo and make him question what is going on.
Ive always loved that Deacon has been this character who was happily married.
Even when he and Annie fight you never feel like this is leading to a divorce.
They love each other, so Deacon was willing to give something up for his family.
Episode 12 ended with the graffiti on his sidewalk and the cold shoulder from his neighbor.
Certainly the biggest threat that S.W.AT.
It sort of run parallel with Deacon.
The two of them because theyre Twenty Squad is so much Deacon and Hondo together.
The two of them are more focused on what theyre doing knowing they’re on the right path.
Alfaro ends the season on better terms with Tan and Twenty Squad.
How does he add to or shift the team’s dynamic?
With Alfaro, hes been a day player for Twenty Squad.
Whenever theyre short a man, they call Alfaro.
Theres still a maturation process that he needs to go through.
Season eight will have some challenges in a different way than what we did with Street in the beginning.
He still is the youngster, gets a little too goofy now.
[Next season] he will become a fully realized adult SWAT member.
Maybe take some of the adolescent out of him.
There is a sixth that needs to be filled on the team.
From a behind the scenes perspective, were looking for somebody who is distinct from the other characters.
Somebody who brings new stories for the writers and a new energy to the team.
You dont want to repeat.
We dont who yet and thats exciting for me and all the writers.
We did see Vasquez suit up and she fit right in.
Why bring her in versus someone viewers know like Rocker?
When she first came in there was a whole history that she was at odds with Hicks.
He has progressed to where he is now.
Thats why rather than have her throw on a FBI jacket, she wears an LAPD jacket.
She got to be LAPD SWAT for real in the end.
This season saw the exits of Street and Luca.
Is there a path for them to return in some capacity?
I would love that.
We parted ways on good terms, Alex Russell directs for us as well.
Weve already been texting him about coming back in season 8 to direct.
Theres no reason why we cannot get him in front of the camera.
The fans would enjoy to see Street and Chris together.
We teased at the end of episode 5 that they were engaged or they were about to become engaged.
family, I would love to find a way to work all of that into season 8.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
S.W.A.T.will return for season 8 on CBS.
