Will Hondo and Nichelle marry in the SWAT final season? (Showrunner weighs in)

Is SWAT going to end with wedding bells for Hondo and Nichelle? Their showrunner has spoken up on that and what else to expect in the show’s final season!

SWAT fans had a wild weekend in May of 2023. First, with no warning, CBS announced that the popular show would end after six seasons. This was after the Season 6 finale was filmed, meaning no time to craft a proper finale. 

The backlash was huge, including from Shemar Moore himself, so within 48 hours, CBS backed off the decision and renewed SWAT for a 13-episode final season. It was to debut in the fall of 2023, only to be delayed thanks to the actor and writer strikes hitting Hollywood. 

Now, the series is coming back for a final season. Speaking to TVLine, showrunner Andrew Dettmann confirmed it will be 13 episodes and even speculated on the chances of just maybe a Season 8. 

The show will have some shifts as Anna Enger Ritch (Zoe Powell) has been promoted to a regular, while Kenny Johnson (Luca) and Alex Rusell (Street) will only be recurring. However, Dettmann has assured fans each will get a spotlight. That follows the two-part Season 7 premiere as Hondo, Hicks, and Powell head to Mexico City to catch a fugitive. 

However, fans are probably more excited about the big news of Hondo and Nichelle’s much–anticipated wedding.

Is there going to be a Hondo-Nichelle wedding in SWAT Season 7?

Having popped the question in the Season 6 finale, it’s logical to expect Season 7 to perhaps culminate in Hondo and Nichelle being married. But here’s a big surprise: It’s already happened!

"I guess it’s not a secret — you’ll find out right away that things have progressed. You’ll notice a ring on Hondo’s finger, and on Nichelle’s finger. They have gotten married during the time away. We did such a spectacular proposal at the end of Season 6, one that was very much like wedding vows, so I didn’t want to retread that. You’ll see right away in the very first scene that there are some rings there and a reference to maybe trying to figure out a honeymoon."

This may be unexpected, but it appears that, like other shows, SWAT is doing a “time jump” to explain the long delay, and it makes sense Hondo and Nichelle would get some sort of quiet ceremony rather than some huge event. Dettmann joked that they would produce a wedding photo so fans get a hint of what the big day was like. 

Will SWAT be renewed for Season 8?

While CBS seems to consider this the final season, Dettman spoke on how they do have hopes that just maybe they can sway CBS into one more year. 

"Look, it was presented to us as definitively final. But I’ve always said, as I talk to the actors and the other writers here, everybody holds out hope. Your show’s not gone till your show’s gone, right? So, we’re approaching it to make it a wonderful farewell if that turns out to be what it is."

So fans may not get the big Hondo-Nichelle wedding they expected, but it does sound like SWAT Season 7 has some great turns to make it a fitting farewell for the hit show. 

SWAT Season 7 premieres on Friday, Feb. 16 at 8/7c on CBS.