S.W.A.T. star David Lim reacts to the surprising spinoff news, sharing his thoughts in a lengthy social media post. Mere days after the S.W.A.T. series finale aired on May 16, it was announced that Sony Pictures Television, which produces the action drama, was moving forward with the spinoff S.W.A.T. Exiles. Shemar Moore is set to reprise his role as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson Jr., though reporting has indicated that he’ll be joined by a new cast of fresh faces.

Lim, who plays Victor Tan, reacted to the spinoff news on Instagram. In a lengthy post, which is included below, Lim confessed that Hondo’s spinoff’s surprise rollout did “sting”, underlining the lack of a mention for the original cast. The actor, who was a part of S.W.A.T. from its very first episode, went on to thank fans for their messages of support and said that he doesn’t know what the future might hold.

What The S.W.A.T. Spinoff Means For The Show’s Future

It Reportedly Came Together Very Quickly

Subsequent reporting about how the S.W.A.T. spinoff came together revealed that it moved forward with surprising quickness. The speed with which the project was announced, just hours after the finale, was because Sony Pictures Television wanted S.W.A.T. Exiles to be ready to present for the annual LA Screenings, which is where Sony TV was hoping to highlight the new show to international and domestic buyers. But the speed also played a part in why former cast members were not notified about the spinoff, according to a report from Deadline.

Another reason for fast-tracking the spinoff, per sources, is that there was only a short window to secure the involvement of Moore and the show’s crew members. Exiles, which hails from Lucifer showrunner Jason Ning, sees Hondo leading an experimental SWAT unit of untested and unpredictable SWAT recruits.

When CBS canceled S.W.A.T for the third time, Sony and others weren’t finished with it. S.W.A.T. season 9 would have been better than a spinoff.

Original series creator Shawn Ryan is not involved with the project at this stage, due to being under an exclusive deal with Netflix, though he reacted positively to the news on social media. Former S.W.A.T. cast members could reprise their roles, though that hasn’t yet been decided. The news, and the way it broke, has sparked a strong reaction online.

Our Take On The S.W.A.T. News

It’s The Latest In A Trend

As a cost-cutting measure, studios and networks have favored breaking up popular shows into spinoffs with new casts rather than continuing relatively more expensive long-running dramas and comedies. Blue Bloods is becoming Boston Blue, with a largely new cast led by the returning Donnie Wahlberg, so the S.W.A.T. move is not entirely surprising. But the way it was announced, plus Moore’s reaction, has garnered a few headlines.