Even though David "Deacon" Kay's retirement from the S.W.A.T. team was a real possibility by the end of SWAT season 7, he will be back in season 8, and Deacon's return points to one of the show's biggest problems. Jay Harrington has starred as Deacon in the CBS police procedural action drama from the very first episode. So, the writers were seemingly plotting Deacon's perfect ending (à la retirement) for the SWAT season 7 finale, which was initially thought to be the series finale. However, CBS reversed its previous decision to cancel SWAT and greenlit season 8.
Now, Harrington is set to reprise his role as Deacon in the cast of SWAT season 8, alongside Shemar Moore as Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson, David Lim as Victor Tan, Patrick St. Esprit as Robert Hicks, Anna Enger Ritch as Zoe Bowell, and Niko Pepaj as Miguel Alfaro. Since SWAT season 8 is happening, it appears as though Deacon won't retire. While this is exciting news, especially for those who love Harrington's character, it's also a sign of one of the show's biggest problems.
Deacon's Exit Is Overturned Because Of SWAT Recently Losing Big Name Characters
Street, Luca, & Nichelle Aren't Returning In SWAT Season 8
Jay Harrington has to reprise his role as Deacon in SWAT season 8 because the CBS series has already lost too many stars. Alex Russell as James "Jim" Street, Kenny Johnson as Dominique Luca, and Rochelle Aytes as Nichelle Carmichael won't be a part of the main cast in season 8 as they have left the show. Since the list of SWAT season 8 characters is looking bare, it just makes sense for the writers to reverse Deacon's retirement storyline. If Harrington is willing and available to appear, it's a no-brainer.
Deacon had agreed with his wife, Annie, to retire and focus more on his family during the SWAT season 7 finale. However, Annie acknowledged that her husband wasn't ready to leave the S.W.A.T. team. As a result, season 8 has an easy path to forego Deacon's previous retirement plans. While the upcoming episodes sadly won't feature Street, Luca, or Rochelle, Deacon will still be a strong and reliable presence in SWAT season 8, which is undoubtedly better than losing Harrington's character, too.
SWAT Only Has 3 Original Characters Left
Hondo, Tan, & Deacon Are The Last Ones Standing
One of SWAT's biggest obstacles in season 8 is that only three original cast members remain — Shemar Moore, David Lim, and Jay Harrington. While retaining Moore as the series lead is a huge advantage, it's hard not to notice how different the cast looks compared to season 1. The original cast members who have all exited SWAT are Stephanie Sigman as Jessica Cortez, Alex Russell as Street, Lina Esco as Chris Alonso, Kenny Johnson as Luca, and Peter Onorati as Jack Mumford.
With shows as long as the CBS police procedural action drama, cast changes are inevitable. However, losing actors could also easily lead to inferior seasons and episodes as the TV show tries to move on without the original stars. Hopefully, that won't be the case when SWAT season 8 premieres, but only time will tell if Street, Luca, and Nichelle's absences are greatly felt.
