‘SWAT Exiles’ showrunner teases mystery character Nico’s connection to the OG series
'S.W.A.T. Exiles' premiered on Starz, and fans were shocked to see the latest chapter of Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson's life. The OG series ended with Hondo (Shemar Moore) happily married and leading his team in Los Angeles. In the spin-off, he is divorced and has been forced into retirement. The sequel has him return from the sabbatical to lead a new team of 'untested, unpredictable' young recruits. Hondo is back to doing what he does best, but his mind remains in shambles. He is overwhelmed with grief about a young operator named Nico. It is revealed that Nico (Alejandro Akara) lost his life in a mission that went sideways, which was being commanded by Hondo. The loss haunts Hondo so much that it even impacts his leadership of the new team.
Nico appears in the premiere through flashbacks. In the flashback, he is introduced as "Jesse's cousin," which longtime fans thought referred to Jessica Cortez (Stephanie Sigman), who appeared in the CBS show's first two seasons. When asked about the speculation, showrunner Jason Ning stated that they had no such intention. "It's a completely different Jesse," he shared with TV Line. "It's a brand new character altogether." The showrunner, though, is not averse to making this speculation real. "Someone else brought that up," the showrunner shared about the query. "I was like, 'maybe,' but it's purely coincidental and wasn't intentional. But let's make it canon at this point, sure!" This implies the show's narrative wouldn't be affected if 'Jesse' were made 'Jessica.'
This change could also pave the way for Cortez's cameo in the spin-off series. If it happens, she will join other alums like Commander Hicks (Patrick St. Esprit) and Deacon (Jay Harrington) who have already appeared in the sequel. The showrunner assures fans that the sequel will not disregard 'S.W.A.T.,' but it will bring back characters only if it serves the narrative. "We want to honor the original show as many ways as we can, and part of that is asking if there are opportunities for OG cast members to show up in really cool cameo instances," he explained. "But not just to show up. We really looked for ways to bring OG cast members back and make it essential to the story."
Fans need not worry, as the spin-off has time to bring back several favorite characters. It has already been renewed for a second season. Along with Hondo, the show also features recruits Sammy Bishop (Lucy Barrett); Ethan Cole (Freddy Miyares); Cassidy Reed (Zyra Gorecki); Jude Callan (Ronen Rubinstein); and Malik Anderson (Adain Bradley). 'S.W.A.T. Exiles' airs every Wednesday, only on Starz.
