What to watch this weekend : S.W.A.T. takes its final bow after eight seasons

'S.W.A.T.' star Jay Harrington talks about eight seasons, his friendship with Shemar Moore and saying goodbye as the hit series comes to an end Eight seasons across almost a decade is a long time to kick baddie butt. S.W.A.T. stars Jay Harrington and Shemar Moore though got to do that since the show made its debut in 2017. Except, of course, they were in front of the camera and the scripts gave the baddies the short end of the stick. Exactly how it should be in real life, too. But all good things come to an end as the cliché goes and the eighth season is also the last. S.W.A.T.‘s final episode airs on 26 November on Universal TV on DStv. When a show this good wraps up, it’s not always a happy ending for viewers or for the cast, for that matter, cause sometimes you just want the show to go on. Harrington, who plays Sergeant David “Deacon” Kay, said there have been moments when the finality of it all hit home. After filming an episode with Moore, who plays Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, he said reality bit. “I messaged Shemar with the thought that could be the last time we would have a Hondo and Deacon storyline,” he said. It’s a friendship that developed off-screen and, unlike in many shows where cast members end up as frenemies, the two remain tight as ever. Harrington said from day dot they trained together, were trailer neighbours for years and would have coffee and breakfast together before work. Friends from the get-go “Since day one, we clicked,” he said. “Back in Season 1, we had a storyline where we were stuck up in the woods, being chased by mercenaries, and it was only us for about four or five days. Then, our team comes and rescues us. “We were like, ‘Oh man, those guys are here! We were just having so much fun just the two of us!'” Harrington calls their buddy cop relationship a bromance. “You can’t go through those experiences with someone and not have them,” he said. Thankfully, there is still a lot of S.W.A.T. to get through before the credits roll for the last time, though. Season 8 sees 20-Squad dealing with everything from a city-wide blackout and stolen radioactive materials to kidnappings, a prison outbreak, cartel activity and coordinated attacks. Fresh legs in the new season. Picture: Supplied There are a few new faces too, and Harrington said the younger cast members brought a fresh burst of enthusiasm to set. Sometimes he and Moore would simply watch them between takes and recognise something of themselves from eight years ago. “Many times, Shemar and I would be sitting there and looking at them clowning around in between setups, and we would think, ‘That was us back in 2017 and 2018,'” he said. “They’re passionate, excited and just happy to be there every day.” Harrington also ventured behind the camera during the show’s run, directing three episodes. Playing cops and robbers There are plenty of memories to choose from after eight seasons, he added. The show took the cast and crew across the US, Mexico, Japan and Thailand over the years. Harrington’s memories are legion, but he said there was a moment that just nabbed him. A couple of years into the show, he and Moore were talking about their jobs when childhood suddenly slipped into the conversation. He said it dawned on them that they were essentially still playing cops and robbers, only now it was on television, and someone was paying them to do it The people watching them play have been just as important, he added. Harrington said the loyalty of S.W.A.T. fans has continued to surprise him and the cast has seen the good, the bad and the constructive comments over the years. “It means so much to us that audiences took the time out of your lives to watch what we do and that’s who we do it for,” he said. Watch the trailer And while the curtain may be coming down, Harrington still managed to leave the door cracked open. “Eight great seasons and hopefully more,” he said. “It’s the viewers that kept us going all these years. Thank you.” S.W.A.T. airs Thursdays at 8pm on Universal TV, DStv Channel 117.