Latest news with #20-Squad
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'S.W.A.T.' Star David Lim Talks the 'Sting' of Being Excluded from New Spinoff
'S.W.A.T.' Star David Lim Talks the 'Sting' of Being Excluded from New Spinoff originally appeared on Parade. S.W.A.T. star David Lim is weighing in on the disappointing news that the spinoff of the hit CBS series will not see any of the cast return with the exception, of course, of Shemar Moore, who plays Daniel 'Hondo' Harrelson, the leader of 20-Squad. The actor, who has starred as Victor Tan in all eight seasons of the series, took to Instagram to say, 'I'd be lying if I said the rollout of the new spinoff didn't sting.' The decision of course to go forward with the new 10-episode Exiles spinoff was made by Sony, and none of the actors were notified ahead of the news breaking, nor were they acknowledged in the announcement of the spinoff. 🎬 🎬 Here's Lim's message in its entirety: 'I've been sitting with everything that came out last week, and I just want to say this: 'Being a part of S.W.A.T. for the past 8 seasons has been one of the great honors of my life. I poured my heart into playing Tan—and even more than that, into the team and friendships we built on and off screen.'What made S.W.A.T. special wasn't just the action, or one character. It was the squad. The bond. The camaraderie. The shared blood, sweat, tears, and laughs we gave to every episode. That effortless chemistry was there from the very first day we came together for the pilot, and it carried through all 8 seasons. Related: Shemar Moore Returns for More in New Spinoff'I'm proud of how we fought for a ninth season. We believed we still had more to give, more stories to tell. We wanted it for our crew, for each other, and for the newer faces just joining us. It wasn't in the cards for all of us—and that's okay. We had a magical run and went out on a high note with those final two episodes.'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. After 8 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.'I've seen the comments, the messages, the support—and it truly means a lot. I may not know what the future holds for Tan, but I couldn't be more proud of what we created together—our cast, writers, producers, crew… our SWAT family. No version of this story can take that away.'Thanks for riding with us. SWAT. 🖤' Season 8 of S.W.A.T. can be streamed on Paramount+. Seasons 1-7 are available on Netflix. Next, 'S.W.A.T.' Star David Lim Talks the 'Sting' of Being Excluded from New Spinoff first appeared on Parade on May 29, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on May 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'S.W.A.T.' stars tease historic Powell and Gamble-focused episode: 'One of the most badass episodes'
In this week's episode of S.W.A.T. Season 8, Episode 13 (Friday at 10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT on Global in Canada and CBS in the U.S.), the women on 20-Squad are set to take the lead. On a hiking trip Zoe Powell (Anna Enger Ritch) and Devin Gamble (Annie Ilonzeh) are on a hiking trip and discover an illegal weed farm, resulting in them having to take on a drug cartel. "That is probably one of the most badass episodes," Annie Ilonzeh told Yahoo Canada. "I think it's the first of S.W.A.T. history." A consistent element of S.W.A.T. is that, while fans love watching characters like Hondo (Shemar Moore) and Deacon (Jay Harrington), the women on 20-Squad are really high on the list of interesting characters on the show. The series creates a space for Powell and Gamble to be tough and badass, and lean into their femininity, and vulnerable. They're more three-dimensional than we've historically seen in this TV genre. "That is such a big thing for me, is not being in that box," Ilonzeh said. "I will be honest, there was a part of me, initially, I was like, OK I'm going get hit over the head with like, 'Well, don't forget to do these things,' ... because this is an established show. But it doesn't mean that there's an established equation that I have to follow or that Anna has to follow." "I've been on other procedurals and you know that you have to hit certain marks. And tonally, it's great for an audience to know that they're going to come to something that they can rely on, and so we definitely take that into into consideration, for sure. But in terms of being able to let my shit fly and be what I want to be, and make Gamble this particular individual that is flawed and is dysfunctional, and professional and compassionate, and all the things that, not just as a woman, but certainly as a woman, that we are hit with every day from the moment we wake up, ... it makes me feel good that she's that one of one. And I think that with every character on this show." Ritch echoed Ilonzeh's statements, saying that "there is no box" that these characters are instructed to fit into. "I think everyone's strength sometimes looks a little different," Ritch said. "So it's really a gift with the writing and the writers and the directors that we've had, they just sort of allow it to surface when it does." "Your power just comes in at random spots, and there's no box to check, or I don't feel like I have to adhere to rules. ... It feels like we're given a lot of freedom, which is such a gift." Going one step further, the writers of S.W.A.T. even proactively ask for thought and opinions from the actors to inform each episode's story. "Some of the writers, Ryan Keleher in particular, was like, 'What do you like? Who are you? What's going on with you?'" Ilonzeh highlighted. "It's a true testament to say about a writer, producer, because they don't have to do that, and they very much care, and are trying to align my vision and my voice with a character that technically they have written as established." "But they're like, 'No. You are the creator of this person, ... so let me know what you want to do.'"
