The Best Episode Of Shemar Moore's S.W.A.T. According To IMDb (So Far)

"S.W.A.T." has gone through a lot of ups and downs during its soon-to-be-eight-season run on CBS. The drama – which isn't based on a true story – has survived cancellation after cancellation to come back even stronger. But what's the drama's finest hour thus far storywise? According to IMDb users, "School" from Season 2 fits that bill. It comes in at an 8.9 out of 10 and reigns as the show's highest-rated episode as of this writing.

An early outing, "School" finds Sgt. Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson (Shemar Moore) and the team racing against time to prevent another mass shooting at a local high school. The anonymous wannabe terrorist vows that they will kill more students than the previous shooter did, posing an enormous threat to the area. It's a case that forces many members of the team to flash back to the first shooting and the mistakes they made six years before. Tensions come to a head when the previous shooter offers to help the team capture the new threat, and those who saw the havoc he wreaked must cope with the notion of interacting with him. 

In the end, the team manages to prevent the second shooting and reaffirm their position as protectors of the vulnerable. Fans on IMDb continue to praise the episode and its realistic treatment of the aftermath of a mass casualty shooting on both the victims and the rescuers. 

IMDb viewers have raved about "School" ever since it first aired in January 2019. "This is one of the most powerful pieces of tv I have seen in a long time. Well done to the cast and crew in dealing with such a difficult subject in such a controlled and sensitive way," said matt-93718. Agreed Splitfire75, "The presentation just pulls you into [the] episode and by the end someone was cutting onions while I watched."

But IMDb viewers aren't the only ones who think "School" is an important episode of "S.W.A.T." TV Guide cited the episode as a vital watch due to its handling of school shootings and the way it advocates for prevention of such horrific crimes in the future. It noted that the multiple perspectives used — from members of the team that were there the day of the shooting and those that were not — make it especially interesting.

Can the supersized eighth season of "S.W.A.T." live up to its predecessors? Audiences will find out when the series makes a return from its second attempted cancellation on October 18.

If you have been impacted by incidents of mass violence, or are experiencing emotional distress related to incidents of mass violence, you can call or text Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 for support.