No, Jay Harrington’s Deacon isn’t leaving SWAT — what’s next for the character in Season 8

Deacon (Jay Harrington) is a popular character in the police procedural SWAT And so when it appeared that the character would soon be retired, many fans were disappointed. David “Deacon” Kay is a longtime member of the Los Angeles Police Department SWAT team and one of the most likable characters in SWAT At the beginning of the series, despite being the most senior member of the department, Deacon was passed over for promotion to team leader in favor of Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson Jr. (Shemer Moore).

Initially disappointed, Deacon proves himself a true professional and Becomes one of Hondo’s most loyal team members. Hondo, for his part, always treated Deacon with respect and often went to him for advice. When the higher-ups tried to use Deacon as a pawn to damage Hondo’s reputation, Deacon immediately sided with his boss, saying there was no better leader. He is one of the most reliable characters in SWATSo in season 7, when it seemed like his character was heading for an exit, viewers were naturally upset.

SWAT Season 7 had a Dean retirement storyline – but he didn’t go through with it

Deacon returned to help during retirement and in the final, was back

In season 7, it is hinted that Deacon is looking at retirement. Hondo learned from Deacon’s wife that Deacon was talking about it more and more. After the events of episode 8, “Family Man”, when Deacon is held hostage, the danger of the job begins to weigh on him. In episode 10, “SNAFU,” Deacon tells Victor Tan (David Lim) that he wants him to take over as the instructor for the SWAT Academy class after Deacon retires. At the end of the episode, Deacon handed in his badge and cleaned out his locker.

Deacon is absent for episode 11 but returns for the final two episodes. A group of violent eco-terrorists stage a kidnapping and Deacon is obliged to return to the squad and by episode 13, He realizes he can’t retire from the SWAT team and rejoins the service. Many characters from the main cast of SWAT left the show before season 7, leaving Deacon as one of the few original characters in the series. His presence is important to long-time viewers of the show and provides critical continuity through the years.

Harrington has been vocal online about how happy he is to return to the series. On April 11, 2024, he posted a picture on his Instagram Happy sharing that SWAT Would be back for season 8.

When asked about his role in season 8, Harrington slyly avoided answering exactly what Deacon would be doing but confirmed that the character would return ( via TVLine),

“I hope his team can get their act together and I’ll leave it to the guys what their thoughts are, but I can safely say, I’m not going anywhere. So it’ll just be nice to be back and see where it takes us.”

Deacon’s retirement may be due to SWAT’s now-reversed cancellation of Season 7

CBS originally canceled SWAT in 2023

The decision to restore the retirement of Deacon in SWAT may be because originally, SWAT Was supposed to end with season 7. SWAT was originally canceled in 2023 due to a licensing agreement between CBS and Sony. With the show ending, it made perfect sense for the writers to retire Deacon from the show. However, after the show was canceled, ratings increased for season 7, and SWATs cancellation is reversed.

with SWAT With season 8 back on the table, the showrunners probably realized they would still need Deacon involved and had to quickly reverse course. While Deacon’s retirement plot in SWAT Season 7 now feels a bit pointless, it’s still great news that he and the show will be returning for season 8.