It’s always a shame when we only get a season to get to know a character. That happened with SWAT season 8, as Devin Gamble joined the team. Her character had an interesting familial backstory, and the end of the season proved that that backstory continued to be a problem for her.
SWAT season 9 isn’t happening, with CBS opting to cancel it for a third and final time. Sony tried to find a new home, but that failed, and instead, the production company is focused on a spinoff series with only Hondo from the original series. It means we don’t get to find out what happens to Gamble, but we can speculate what could have happened had SWAT season 9 been a thing.
Gamble would have likely continued her focus on family in SWAT season 9
Gamble’s family was a huge problem with her in SWAT season 8. After already having to deal with her father being a convict, the end of the season saw her have to arrest her brother. However, she decided not to arrest him in the end, and it led to her twin running away and Gamble almost quitting the force.
Hondo was even willing to let her walk away, until Deacon talked some sense into him. After a firefight at HQ, Gamble ended up rejoining the team. She shared that there were issues at home because of this, as her mom blames her for her brother being on the run, and her other brother isn’t even speaking with her.
We’d likely have seen this come up in SWAT season 9. After all, with her brother on the run, it was only a matter of time before he’d end up caught. Gamble could have likely had to end up arresting him, taking the flack from her family because of it. At least she would have had her SWAT family having her back, but it wouldn’t have been the same.
Could her family have come around? That’s hard to say. Powell said that they would eventually, but not everyone is quick to forgive, even if they are in the wrong. They should be putting the blame on her brother and not her, but it’s easier to blame the person who seems to be working against family matters.
Could more personal storylines come up for Gamble in SWAT?
The eighth season was mostly focused on Gamble’s father and brother. We didn’t get to see her personally in any other way, such as on a date. It would be great to see that side of her life.
Of course, it does seem like work is her life right now. She is young, and that makes a lot of sense. She wants to create a career, but that doesn’t mean she has to sacrifice the rest of her life, and we could have seen her focus on creating more balance between work and personal needs.
If not dating, then at least hanging out with someone like Miko or Powell personally. The SWAT family didn’t seem to have the closeness that Tan, Chris, and Street did in the earlier days, so it would have been great to give the show a chance to offer that if it kept going with SWAT season 9.
SWAT is available to stream on Netflix and Paramount+.
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