It was a U-turn we didn’t expect. SWAT Season 7 went from being a shortened final season to just a regular shorter season. CBS opted for SWAT Season 8, and we are certainly ready for it.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that we won’t get to watch SWAT Season 8 in September 2024. That’s not because of the sudden U-turn, though. CBS has opted to push the majority of its shows to October rather than September, and it’s not all that clear why.
SWAT Season 8 will still have around 22 episodes. A delayed start does mean fewer breaks in the season, but it’s still puzzling why there is such a delay.
SWAT Season 8 premiere date set by CBS
CBS made it clear that its premiere week would happen in the middle of October. SWAT Season 8 will be one of the last shows of premiere week, airing on Friday, Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. It will be followed by the usual Friday night lineup, which means Blue Bloods Season 14B will premiere on the same night.
It’s not all that unusual for SWAT to be held for October. We have seen this happen in the past, but it’s usually right at the start of the month.
What to expect in SWAT Season 8
This is one of those shows that stays rather quiet about things that are going to happen. This is great for those who love to stay surprised, but we have so many questions with the way the Season 7 finale, which was written as a series finale, ended.
What we do know is that Luca and Street are gone. That isn’t being ret-conned despite the U-turn. There is a chance that they could return if the story allows—and if we end up with a Stris wedding—but it’s unlikely. However, Alex Russell could return behind the camera to direct an episode or two.
Rochelle Aytes is also out. She has landed a series regular role on Watson. It means less Nichelle, but hopefully, we’ll still get to see Hondo being a dad and husband. That part was a huge character development for him from who he was in the first season.
Niko Pepaj has been upped to series regular, so it looks like Officer Miguel Alfaro will end up joining Hondo’s team. Chicago Fire’s Annie Ilonzeh will get a recurring role as Devin Gamble. She is likely taking another spot on the team, and she has an interesting backstory. Devin was born into a crime family in LA and she wants to put that behind her. Will she be able to gain the trust of her team?
SWAT Season 8 premieres on Oct. 18 at 8/7c on CBS.