S.W.A.T. Season 8's Episode Count Should Get Fans Excited

CBS' "S.W.A.T." was canceled and saved after the show's fans made their voices heard. With Season 8 now official, many viewers will undoubtedly be thrilled just to have the crime drama back on their screens after almost losing it. That said, some folks will be even happier to know that the network has ordered plenty of new episodes for the upcoming installment.

According to TVLine, showrunner Andrew Dettman has revealed that "S.W.A.T." Season 8 will contain 22 episodes. For comparison's sake, Season 7 boasts 13 episodes, albeit because of the 2023 Hollywood strikes. Still, it seems that CBS is fully behind the series — at least for the foreseeable future.

Not only has CBS greenlit 22 brand spankin' new "S.W.A.T." episodes, but the network has seemingly left the door open to make more. Season 8 wasn't announced as the last of the bunch, so who knows what the future holds. Of course, the show's future probably hinges on the success of the upcoming season, which could be missing some star power.

"S.W.A.T." was canceled before Season 7, forcing Andrew Dettman to make some bold creative decisions. Jim Street (Alex Russell) and Dominique Luca (Kenny Johnson) were given farewell stories as a result, but with the series set to continue, the showrunner wants actors Russell and Johnson to return to the "S.W.A.T." family and reprise their roles. That might be tricky given their characters' in-universe circumstances, but fans can rest assured knowing that Sergeant Deacon Kay (Jay Harrington) is sticking around.

In an interview with TVLine, Dettman explained why it was important for the character to stay, despite his retirement being on the cards in Season 7. "I was a little worried after losing Street and Luca, that even faking that we were losing Deacon would turn people off," he said. "I'm hoping it didn't, and I don't think it did. So, yeah, Deacon's back and is part of the team going forward."

In an ideal world, Street and Luca would return alongside Kay. That said, 22 episodes gives the "S.W.A.T." creators plenty of wiggle room to craft storylines for everyone in Season 8, while potentially introducing some new characters to the fold.

If you're looking for some entertainment to fill the void while you wait on "S.W.A.T." Season 8, check out the 50 best crime shows of all time.