Deacon (Jay Harrington) is a popular character in the police procedural S.W.A.T. and so when it appeared that the character would soon be retired, many fans were disappointed. David "Deacon" Kay is a longtime member of the Los Angeles Police Department S.W.A.T. team and one of the most likable characters in S.W.A.T. In the beginning of the series, despite being the most senior member of the department, Deacon is passed over for promotion to team leader in favor of Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson Jr. (Shemar Moore).
Initially disappointed, Deacon proves himself a true professional and becomes one of Hondo's most loyal team members. Hondo, for his part, has always treated Deacon with respect and has often gone to him for advice. When the higher-ups attempted to use Deacon as a pawn to damage Hondo's reputation, Deacon immediately sided with his boss, saying there's no better leader. He's one of the most reliable characters in S.W.A.T., so in season 7, when it seemed like his character was heading for an exit, viewers were naturally upset.
SWAT Season 7 Had A Deacon Retirement Storyline — But He Didn't Go Through With It
Deacon Returned To Help Out During Retirement And By The Finale, Was Back
In season 7, it's hinted that Deacon is looking toward retirement. Hondo learned from Deacon's wife that Deacon had been talking more and more about it. After the events of episode 8, "Family Man", when Deacon is held hostage, the danger of the job begins weighing on him. In episode 10, "SNAFU," Deacon tells Victor Tan (David Lim) that he wants him to take over as the instructor for the S.W.A.T. academy class after Deacon retires. By the end of the episode, Deacon has handed in his badge and cleaned out his locker.
Deacon is gone for episode 11 but returns for the final two episodes. A group of violent eco-terrorists stage a kidnapping and Deacon is obligated to return to the squad and by episode 13, he realizes he can't retire from the S.W.A.T. team and rejoins the service. Many characters from the main cast of S.W.A.T. have left the show before season 7, leaving Deacon as one of the few original characters in the series. His presence is important to long-time viewers of the show and provides critical continuity through the years.
Harrington has been vocal online about how happy he is to return to the series. On April 11, 2024, he posted an image on his Instagram happily sharing that S.W.A.T. would be back for season 8.
When asked about his role in season 8, Harrington slyly avoided answering exactly what Deacon would be doing but confirmed the character would return (via TVLine),
"I hope that his team can get their act together and I’m going to leave it to those guys what their ideas are, but I can safely say, I’m not going anywhere. So it’ll be just nice to be back and see where that takes us."
Deacon's Retirement May Have Been Because Of SWAT's Now-Reversed Season 7 Cancelation
CBS Originally Canceled SWAT In 2023
The decision to reverse Deacon's retirement in S.W.A.T. may be because originally, S.W.A.T. was supposed to end with season 7. S.W.A.T. was originally canceled in 2023 because of a licensing agreement between CBS and Sony. With the show ending, it made perfect sense for the writers to retire Deacon from the show. However, after the show was canceled, ratings increased for season 7, and S.W.A.T.'s cancelation was reversed.
With S.W.A.T. season 8 back on the table, the showrunners probably realized they would still need Deacon involved and had to quickly reverse course. While Deacon's retirement plot in S.W.A.T. season 7 now feels a little pointless, it's still great news that he and the show will be returning for season 8.
