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The series finale of S.W.A.T. is addressed by showrunner Andrew Dettmann, reacting to the news that the long-running action drama is ending. Regardless of how it chooses to wrap up S.W.A.T. season 8, the popular procedural will have its place in TV history as one of the few shows to survive cancellation twice. It was able to bounce back thanks to compromises over the budget and episode count. But, after being cancelled for a third time in early March, it looks like the end of the road for the Shemar Moore-led series.
In comments to TVLine, Dettmann reacted to the news that the S.W.A.T. season 8 finale will now double as the series finale. Dettman, who has been showrunner and executive producer for several seasons, taking over after series creator Shawn Ryan, shared that the S.W.A.T. season 8 finale was designed to also function as a series finale. Still, in the quote below, Dettmann adds a caveat:
“Having learned our lesson over the last couple of years, we designed the season finale keeping in mind that it could be the series finale. And wanting to go out on a high note either way, we’re not buttoning anything up in a manner that would put an end to 20-Squad.”
There Will Be A Measure Of Closure
Dettman mentions in his comments that the CBS stalwart has faced this scenario a few times before. The producers kept that in mind, writing the finale in such a way that it would also work as a last goodbye. S.W.A.T. is currently filming its last few episodes, with season 8 consisting of 22 overall. It is possible, at this stage, that plans could be tweaked to allow for appearances from past S.W.A.T. characters.
Dettman adds that the finale is not meant to be definitive. Although unlikely, Moore has publicly asked Netflix and other platforms to consider picking up the action drama. There is a possibility that it could happen, with S.W.A.T. performing well on Netflix. However, at this stage, there is no indication that producers Sony Pictures Television are swapping the procedural elsewhere.
More to come…