S.W.A.T. Stars React To Shemar Moore's Spin-Off Series (And It's Not All Good)

"S.W.A.T." fans might be rejoicing at their favorite show getting a second lease on life thanks to Sony Pictures Television's decision to launch a new spin-off called "S.W.A.T. Exiles," but it looks like the show's original cast has some mixed emotions about it. Sony's choice to launch the show without negotiating with the majority of the original's cast apparently left some people furious. Now some of those actors have begun to speak out about their feelings regarding the series, and at least two of them have admitted their disappointment.

Jay Harrington, who played Deacon Kay from Season 1 onward, told TVLine that he was dismayed by Sony's lack of care in announcing the show. "I've been in this business for a long time. You don't get 'owed' things just because you put in your time ... It's just a fine line between 'owed' and 'just let me know,' for the studio just to say, 'Hey, this is what we're thinking...'" He added that while he wishes the show well, he was saddened that the rest of the cast was not referred to in Sony's press release announcing the spin-off. 

David Lim, who played Victor Tan during all eight seasons, said on his Instagram that he was hurt that Sony didn't bother to mention the cast in the spin-off's announcement. "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," his statement read in part, adding that he felt he'd been brushed aside. But while some of the cast expressed some resentment toward Sony, Shemar Moore is resolute about the studio's choice to keep the cameras rolling.

While Shemar Moore took the time to reach out to each of his colleagues when the news dropped and has publicly emphasized the importance of their contribution to the brand, he's also been quite vocal about how he sees himself as the focal point of "S.W.A.T. Exiles" and has justified Sony's choice to use Hondo and only Hondo in the upcoming spin-off. 

"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," Moore said in part in an Instagram video. "Tight ends get traded. The running back gets traded, the receivers get traded but the teams keep pushing with their quarterback and I'm that guy." But he was careful to note the cast's importance, adding, "I had a strong squad, a family, a team. I love you, I respect you, I appreciate you," before referring to all of his co-stars by name. 

"S.W.A.T. Exiles," which will feature Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson coping with a generational gap after being benched from his team and forcibly retired, only to be called in to train a new S.W.A.T team, currently doesn't have a home on either a network or streamer.