S.W.A.T. Advance Review – “Pilot.” Be the Change.

Season 1, Episode 1

Air Date: Thursday, November 2, 2016, 10/9c on CBS

Rating: ★★★★★

“Fill the gaps, stay liquid.” – Hondo

<i>S.W.A.T.</i> Advance Review – “Pilot.” Be the Change. 1

Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson (Shemar Moore)

Los Angeles S.W.A.T. (Special Weapons and Tactics) member Sergeant Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson (Shemar Moore) finds himself unexpectedly promoted to team leader following an insane shootout between a gang of criminals and his unit. The fallout results in Officer William “Buck” Spivey (Louis Ferreira) losing his job; an innocent African-American teenager clings to life; and a community is on edge. Is Hondo’s promotion both politically and racially motivated or is he truly the best man for the job?

Inspired by the television series and a feature film of the same name, S.W.A.T. lives up to its predecessors, providing an adrenaline filled update to the franchise. Director Justin Lin, whose credits include four of the Fast and the Furious films, wastes no time opening the S.W.A.T. pilot with a bang and doesn’t take his foot off the gas until the end credits roll. Anyone who has seen the various incarnations of S.W.A.T. knows what to expect and the rebooted series doesn’t disappoint. Filled with pyrotechnics, high-speed stunts, and an incredible number of guns, the team behind S.W.A.T. spares no expense when it comes to portraying the gritty streets of Los Angeles without compromise. The action is eye-popping, and while the producers strive for realism, there are a few eye-roll, over the top moments.

Moore gives an outstanding performance as Hondo, a role portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson in the 2003 film. Moore preserves Jackson’s bad ass attitude while adding a tremendous amount of heart and compassion to his portrayal of the character. Moore is mesmerizing on screen, which makes you wonder why this is his first time as a leading man in his impressive 23-year television career.

While much of the dialogue is what you would expect from an action-based police procedural, Hondo’s words are carefully crafted and, at times, appear inspiring given the current racial tension in the U.S. Having grown up in the community he serves, Hondo understands the struggle the neighborhood faces. Fair to Moore or not, Hondo in many ways represents more than a character on television but rather, he is a reflection of the core values that are currently in short demand. Unfortunately, this sentiment doesn’t necessarily translate to the rest of the series, though not for lack of effort.

<i>S.W.A.T.</i> Advance Review – “Pilot.” Be the Change. 2

Meeting with the community.

Written by Aaron Rahsaan Thomas and Shawn Ryan, the S.W.A.T. pilot episode makes a noble attempt at tackling social issues, particularly race relations, especially when it comes to the tension between the police and the African-American community. Yet each time the series takes on a controversial subject head on, the writers seem to ease up as if not to offend those with opposing views. That’s not to say S.W.A.T. doesn’t broach several topics that may prompt the audience to think; however, the series simply refuses to take a side with some of the heated storylines. The message the writers try to convey becomes diluted and an opportunity is missed. Hopefully, as the series progresses, the writers will take more bold chances because there are opportunities for some great storylines as Hondo’s loyalties to the community and his fellow officers are tested.

<i>S.W.A.T.</i> Advance Review – “Pilot.” Be the Change. 3

Christina “Chris” Alonso (Lina Esco), David “Deacon” Kay (Jay Harrington), and Hondo.

Hondo’s team includes David “Deacon” Kay (Jay Harrington), Christina “Chris” Alonso (Lina Esco), and Jim Street (Alex Russell). Even though the S.W.A.T. members work as a cohesive unit, “Pilot” focuses primarily on Hondo and Deacon. I was a fan of Harrington’s work as the title character on Better Off Ted but I admit he looks completely different and very tough with the beard. I also loved seeing Kenny Johnson playing Dominique Luca. Despite having played various characters throughout the years, I still haven’t fully recovered from his character’s death on The Shield, which was also created by Ryan. Having seen the first four episodes of S.W.A.T., the series does begin to dig deeper into the remaining team members’ backstories, although not as timely as I would prefer.

I’m not ashamed to admit Moore is one handsome man, and it should come as no surprise that the writers give Hondo a beautiful love interest, who shall remain nameless to avoid spoiling it. While there’s nothing wrong with some romance sprinkled into an action-packed drama series, the intimate scenes come across as afterthoughts that feel obligatory rather than something natural that moves the story forward.

Despite being predictable at times, S.W.A.T. is an exhilarating series that provides an hour of mindless entertainment with a tremendous amount of testosterone each week. Moore’s performance is outstanding and the series is well worth checking out.

Tune in to the series premiere of S.W.A.T. Thursday, November 2 at 10/9c, only on CBS.

Tweet me @Staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about S.W.A.T. – “Pilot.”

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Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.