David Lim expressed gratitude for the support he received in the days since breaking his silence about how he — and the rest of the S.W.A.T. cast — was excluded from Shemar Moore‘s upcoming spinoff.
“Thank you for the outpouring of love and support this week,” Lim, 41, wrote via Instagram Story on Friday, May 30. “Grateful for the journey, the people, and everything we built. Much love to our SWAT family.”
The social media post showed Lim on set of the CBS series, which wrapped up last month after multiple cancellations. During the two-part finale that aired in May, 20 Squad went on two more rescue missions as each member contemplated their future. The conclusion didn’t include any cliffhangers as the cast attempted to revive the series elsewhere.
Two days after CBS aired the S.W.A.T. finale, Sony Pictures Television announced a spinoff starring Shemar Moore — and a new cast. The decision received backlash since Lim, Jay Harrington, Patrick St. Esprit, Anna Enger Ritch, Annie Ilonzeh and Niko Pepaj all expressed interest in reprising their roles in a future project.
Moore, 55, addressed the backlash, explaining in an Instagram video, “Nobody likes change. I understand that. I get it 100 percent. But without change, you can’t grow. You can’t win without taking your lumps. It ain’t easy making it in the game of Hollywood. It ain’t. TV shows don’t last eight years anymore. The game has changed. But S.W.A.T. Exiles, baby! S.W.A.T. Exiles. Bigger, bolder. S.W.A.T. on steroids.”
While defending the decision, Moore compared the spinoff to a football game, adding, “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. I’m Shemar Moore a.k.a Hondo. But I had a squad. A strong squad. A family. A team. And I would be remiss If I didn’t say out loud to the world and to them — because I know they’re watching this — I love you. I respect you. I appreciate you.”
Sony Pictures TV President Katherine Pope, meanwhile, weighed in on the possibility of bringing back some fan-favorite characters, telling Variety last month, “There is a clear world that we’re exploring here. We’re still putting it all together, but for sure, I think you can expect some of your favorites to be a part of it in some way.”
Pope noted that the shows now exist in their own “universe” while S.W.A.T. Exiles is “a bit of a take on the culture generation clash of Gen X versus Gen Z.”
“Where Hondo is all about duty, hierarchy and chain of command, the Gen Zers are a little more like, ‘I might need to take a mental health day. I want to talk about it. I want to understand it,’” Pope teased about the upcoming series. “It’s kind of our take on Top Gun: Maverick.”
Pope continued: “How do we build bridges around not just generational divides, but all forms of divide? There’s a lot of division going on in our world. If we just took some time to listen and to try and be part of a team, and what that really means, it would probably be better for all of us.”
Lim was the first — and only — S.W.A.T. alum so far to publicly address the drama. The rest of his former costars, however, showed support for his candid statement on their exclusion.
“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,” he wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, May 28. “After eight incredible seasons, it felt like we were brushed aside when there could’ve been a moment of reflection and recognition — for the people who built this show, and for the impact it had on so many.”
