As soon as “S.W.A.T.” came to an end, there was hope of a continuation to the story. Shemar Moore worked with the creative team and Sony Pictures Television to bring a spinoff series, “S.W.A.T. Exiles.” It was a huge risk at the time, not even having a network to air, and yet, all 10 episodes were filmed.
Finally, a home was found, and now the wait is over. STARZ will air the first episode on Friday, Sept. 25, and it’s time to see what’s next for Hondo’s story.
When ‘SW.A.T. Exiles’ Will Premiere on STARZ
STARZThere are two ways to watch shows on STARZ. As covered in the “Outlander: Blood of My Blood” how-to-watch post, episodes drop on the STARZ app at midnight ET on the day of release. That means midnight on Sept. 25. It’s great news for those in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones, as the episode drops tonight, Thursday, Sept. 24.
You can start streaming the first hour from 9 p.m. PT, 10 p.m. MT, and 11 p.m. CT tonight. That’s not too long to wait up for the next part of the story.
The other way to watch is via the STARZ channel. This is the old-fashioned way to do things, but the episode will air slightly earlier than expected. The first showing will be at midnight ET, so you can watch it at the same time as those streaming it.
This isn’t usual. The regular airtime for the series is 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on the channel. This could change once “Fightland” comes to an end this week, so we’ll be sure to keep an eye on things. There is a rerun of “S.W.A.T. Exiles” at 10 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 25, and then another rerun at 12:46 a.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 26.
What to Expect in the ‘S.W.A.T.’ Spinoff
There will be a few cameos from the original series, affectionately known as the Mothership by the team, in this first episode. As the trailer makes it clear, Hicks is the one to pull Hondo back onto the team. Fans will also get to see where Deacon is now — at least, in his relationship with Hondo.
The first episode picks up two years after the events of the original series. Hondo has been forced into retirement, and as Moore has explained in previews, he and Nichelle are divorced. His life is nothing like we remember from “S.W.A.T.,” and you’ll feel it in the first hour, along with finding out what got Hondo kicked off the force in the first place.
When he returns to the team, he finds out he’s leading a group that nobody really wants. They’re all set up to fail, and Hondo will have to decide if he wants to prove everyone right or wrong.
The promo also shares that there is a mole on the team. The good news is that you find out who the mole is from the start, and it means fans get to know part of the story early on. The question is why this person is a mole.
