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Shemar Moore reacts to shock Hondo developments in SWAT: Exiles: "Life got hard for him"

Hondo is now without some of the biggest figures in his life, following some devastating developments after the end of the original series.

Published: Thursday, 5 November 2026 at 9:00 am

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Hit action series SWAT may have come to end last year, but after the show was cancelled multiple times, it is rising once more, this time in a new form.

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SWAT: Exiles will reunite fans with Shemar Moore's Daniel 'Hondo' Harrelson, but this time he is tasked with building a new crew from the LAPD's most talented young outcasts, nicknamed the Exiles.

Soon, Hondo discovers that there is a mole in his ranks, and a conspiracy reaching into the LAPD's top brass and the Mayor's office, which is built to tear SWAT apart from within.

Moore spoke exclusively with Radio Times about this new series, which not only features a brand-new supporting cast, but also introduces us to a very different version of Hondo, after a difficult two years after the end of the original show.

"When you pick up with this version, SWAT: Exiles, it's been two years, and you learn very quickly that Hondo's a little grumpier, a little edgier," Moore said. "The expression 'life be life-ing'. Life's gotten a little heavy for him, a little hard. Hence the name SWAT: Exiles.

"He's been cast aside, he's been thrown out, he's been exiled from the force because of a mission gone bad, and a young cadet who he felt he was a mentor to, who he felt he it was his responsibility to protect and to groom - a mission goes bad, and this young cadet ends up losing his life."

The cast of SWAT Exiles, stood in a line wearing police uniforms, holding guns and looking at the camera.

The cast of SWAT Exiles. Sony Pictures Television

Moore continued: "Hondo is guilt-ridden and the blame is put on Hondo, and it's not Hondo's fault, but he hasn't had a chance to prove it or find his own justice, and so he's kicked out of the force. So, you pick up with Commander Hicks, played by Patrick St Espirit, he's brought in immediately into the pilot of SWAT: Exiles, and the system, the machine, the higher ups ask him to chase down Hondo and tell him to come on back and allegedly revive SWAT, bring SWAT back to what it was. That's what he's told.

"But then you find out, again very early on, that it's all set up. That the powers that be, the people above them, actually set them up to fail. They want to take down SWAT for their own political reasons. And even if that means destroying Hondo, even if that means Hondo has to die or be killed.

"And then on top of that, he's given a new team, but a new team that is not ready for the field, not prepared, doesn't have the skill set just yet. Shemar calls them the bad news bears, a bunch of rugrats. It's five Gen Z youngsters that are excited about being cops, like the idea about being cops, but they have no idea what it is in real life in the field and understanding the risks of life and death."

Moore noted the "interesting" dynamic between Hondo and his new team, with both the cast members and their characters calling him "the old guy", "pops", "unc", "dad" and "papa".

Hondo's new young team are played in the series by Ronen Rubinstein, Freddy Miyares, Zyra Gorecki, Lucy Barrett and Adain Bradley.

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"I'm the old guy who's got to figure out these young kids, these youngsters, and we got to come together as a team so we can go out there and be badass and save the day," he said.

Moore also revealed that Hondo has been through some shocking personal tragedies, including that his mother Charice, played by Debbie Allen, has passed away, and that he is divorced from his wife Nichelle, played by Rochelle Aytes.

"He needs to find his purpose again," Moore said. "He's divorced because life got hard for him, and it affected his relationship, his marriage. So now he's divorced. His mother's passed away. So it's a lot of heavy stuff that the fans are going to learn, the audiences are going to learn about Hondo right out the gate.

"And you go, ‘Wow, it's so dark and so heavy.’ But I feel like once you stick with it, it makes room for this really layered fight and rise back to greatness. Hondo's got to figure out a way to find his purpose. He has a daughter out there that he wants to be the best version of himself for. Also now, life is very fragile because what he does for a living, he may not come home. He risks his life every day.

"So he has to balance being a father and making sure that he can come home and be present. But at the same time, he has to go out there and do what he's been doing for so long, and basically finish what he started - get his justice, get his redemption, and then once he figures out that he has a target on his back, now it's about defying the odds and taking down the machine."

SWAT: Exiles launches on 8 November on Sky One and NOW. You can sign up to NOW from £4.99 a month.

Add SWAT: Exiles to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of James Hibbs, smiling against a lime green background.

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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