The latest update onS.W.A.T.season 8 reveals new insight into Deacon’s future. In the role of David Kay, nicknamed Deacon, Jay Harrington has been with the CBS action drama since the beginning. But the season 7 finale, which was originally intended to be the show’s last, kept Deacon’s potential retirement up in the air until the episode’s closing moments confirmed that Harrington’s character would very much remain a part ofS.W.A.T.season 8.

Ahead of the premiere ofS.W.A.T.season 8, whichreturns to CBS at 8 PM ET on Friday, October 18,showrunner and executive producer Andrew Dettman shared withTVLinethat Deacon will approach the job with vigor after his brush with retirement. In the quote below, Dettman talks about howDeacon’s views have evolved since viewers last saw him:

A composite image features the cast of SWAT in a cropped promotional poster in the background with the SWAT team in uniform and armed in the foreground

“[Deacon will show] a real renewed vigor. Having walked away from it and then realizing this really is his true calling, he is back full force.”

Deacon’s Presence In S.W.A.T. Season 8 Is Important For The Show

Several Cast Members Have Already Exited

The latest update from Dettman puts a bow around theS.W.A.T.season 7 storyline in which Deacon finds himself having to make a choice between his career and his family. Deacon makes the decision, ultimately, to retire as part of an agreement with his wife Annie (played by Bre Blair). Buthe’s saved from having to go through with the retirement by the episode’s end.

The 10 Best Episodes of S.W.A.T

The S.W.A.T. spin-off TV show led by Shemar Moore has accumulated several seasons so far. Here are the 10 best episodes.

Annie sees that Deacon is not ready for retirement, so they revise their decision. With the help of family members, Annie is still able to focus on her job while Deacon gets to keep his and continue working alongside Hondo (Shemar Moore). In previous comments, the showrunner revealed that he did feel uncertain about Deacon’s retirement afterS.W.A.T.season 8 already lost significant cast members.

03102305_poster_w780.jpg

S.W.A.T.season 8 has castChicago Fireactor Annie Ilonzeh in a recurring capacity, while Miguel Alfaro (played by Niko Pepa) has been upped to a main cast member.

Jim Street (played by Alex Russell) and Dominique Luca (Kenny Johnson) both exited the action drama series in season 7. Rochelle Aytes, who plays Hondo’s wife Nichelle, has been moved from a main cast member to recurring as she joins the upcoming Sherlock-connected CBS showWatson. Even thoughS.W.A.T.has cast a few actors to play new recruits to the team, it’s good that Deacon will still be around as a long-time friend of Hondo’s. That’s especially true in light of other, notable shifts in the ensemble.

S.W.A.T.

Cast

S.W.A.T. (2017): This crime-action series follows a locally born S.W.A.T. lieutenant in Los Angeles who must navigate his loyalties between the streets and his duty to commanding a highly-trained unit responsible for resolving challenging crimes. The series explores themes of allegiance, justice, and responsibility within law enforcement.