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, and many viewers hoped they would see the police performance auditor return for S.W.A.T. season 8.
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
Things Might Feel Odd With Such A Prominent Character Missing & This Could Complicate Things For Hondo
The season will 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. Whilst 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.
Our Verdict On The Chances Of A Nichelle Return In The Future
The Character Might Be Back At Some Point In The Future
S.W.A.T. season 8 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 such, 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.
However, there is a good chance that the character could make a brief return in S.W.A.T. season 9, if the series manages to get yet another renewal. For now, the show will have to figure out how to cope without Nichelle. Unfortunately, Hondo will be lacking his on-screen anchor for S.W.A.T.’s foreseeable future.
Source: TVLine

S.W.A.T.
- Release Date
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November 2, 2017