Several 'S.W.A.T.' Alums to Appear on 'Exiles' Spinoff With Surprise Twist

After receiving backlash for only bringing back Shemar Moore, the S.W.A.T. spinoff has changed course and will now feature several former alums — but there’s a twist.

Jay Harrington and Patrick St. Esprit will reprise their roles as Sergeant David “Deacon” Kay and Commander Robert Hicks, respectively, in the Exiles pilot. According to Variety, this will be in a guest star capacity after both actors starred on S.W.A.T. for the show’s entire eight-season run.

The change comes after Sony Pictures Television announced a spinoff starring only Moore, 55, from the OG show. The decision received backlash since Harrington, David Lim, St. Esprit, Anna Enger Ritch, Annie Ilonzeh and Niko Pepaj also took part in efforts to revive the series following multiple cancellations over the years.

Moore stood by the decision, saying in a May Instagram video, “Nobody likes change. I understand that. I get it 100 percent. But without change, you can’t grow. You can’t win without taking your lumps. It ain’t easy making it in the game of Hollywood. It ain’t. TV shows don’t last eight years anymore. The game has changed. But S.W.A.T. Exiles, baby! S.W.A.T. Exiles. Bigger, bolder. S.W.A.T. on steroids.”

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He continued: “I’m not saying I’m Tom Brady, but I’m the Tom Brady of S.W.A.T. That’s not arrogant. That’s not ego. It’s a fact. I’m the quarterback. I’m Shemar Moore, a.k.a Hondo. But I had a squad. A strong squad. A family. A team. And I would be remiss If I didn’t say out loud to the world and to them — because I know they’re watching this — I love you. I respect you. I appreciate you.”

Lim, 41, who has been with the show since season 1, was the first cast member to officially break his silence on the drama.

Bill Inoshita/Sony Pictures Television/CBS

“I’d be lying if I said the rollout of the new spinoff didn’t sting. It was tough to see it announced just two days after our finale — with no mention of the cast who helped build S.W.A.T. from day one,” he wrote via Instagram in May. “After eight incredible seasons, it felt like we were brushed aside when there could’ve been a moment of reflection and recognition — for the people who built this show, and for the impact it had on so many.”

Sony Pictures TV President Katherine Pope later weighed in on the possibility that many fan-favorite characters could make surprise appearances.

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“There is a clear world that we’re exploring here. We’re still putting it all together, but for sure, I think you can expect some of your favorites to be a part of it in some way,” he told Variety in June.

Harrington, 53, meanwhile, showed support for Moore but admitted he had no idea there was anything in development.

“[I found out about S.W.A.T. Exiles] the day before. Shemar reached out to all of us to say, ‘This is what’s going on,'” he revealed to TV Line in June. “There’s talk that they’ll reach out to us about stuff. He wanted to be the one to tell us, and say ‘Your reps will find out shortly.’ That’s when I told my reps, and they had no idea.”