Officer Victor Tan is weighing in on Sony’s plans to spinoff S.W.A.T.
In a lengthy Instagram post, actor David Lim, who played Tan from 2017 to this season, admitted that “I’d be lying if I said the rollout of the new spinoff didn’t sting.” He’s referencing the studio’s decision to move on with a new chapter of S.W.A.T. with Shemar Moore as the lead but without the rest of the original cast that helped keep the cop drama on CBS for eight seasons.
“It was tough to see it announced just two days after our finale—with no mention of the cast who helped build S.W.A.T. from day one,” Lim wrote. “After 8 incredible seasons, it felt like we were brushed aside when there could’ve been a moment of reflection and recognition—for the people who built this show, and for the impact it had on so many.”
After the May 16 finale of S.W.A.T., Sony revealed that it was spinning off the cop drama for a new show dubbed S.W.A.T. Exiles. Moore will reprise his character as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson while the 200-person production crew that helped to make S.W.A.T. a success for CBS will get to keep their jobs when production resumes this summer in Los Angeles.
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Deadline learned that CBS had not been given heads-up about the spinoff, finding out about it when the official announcement was made on May 18.
Almost instantly, Moore began taking hits on social media about moving ahead without his squad (though to be fair, this was a Sony call, not his). Moore tried to diffuse the situation via his IG page by explaining how he’s the quarterback, aka “Tom Brady of S.W.A.T.”
“That’s not arrogant. That’s not ego, it’s a fact,” said Moore. “Tom Brady might be the quarterback, but you know, people get traded. Tight ends get traded. The running back gets traded, the receivers get traded but the teams keep pushing with their quarterback and I’m that guy, so proud so grateful, not gonna apologize for nothing. Busted my ass for 31 years to do what I do, and excited for the future.”
The 10-episode Exiles comes from a new creative team, with Jason Ning (Lucifer) as showrunner. Filming is set to begin this summer in Los Angeles.
Here is Lim’s entire message to fans:
“I’ve been sitting with everything that came out last week, and I just want to say this: Being a part of S.W.A.T. for the past 8 seasons has been one of the great honors of my life. I poured my heart into playing Tan—and even more than that, into the team and friendships we built on and off screen.
What made S.W.A.T. special wasn’t just the action, or one character. It was the squad. The bond. The camaraderie. The shared blood, sweat, tears, and laughs we gave to every episode. That effortless chemistry was there from the very first day we came together for the pilot, and it carried through all 8 seasons.
I’m proud of how we fought for a ninth season. We believed we still had more to give, more stories to tell. We wanted it for our crew, for each other, and for the newer faces just joining us. It wasn’t in the cards for all of us—and that’s okay. We had a magical run and went out on a high note with those final two episodes.
I’d be lying if I said the rollout of the new spinoff didn’t sting. It was tough to see it announced just two days after our finale—with no mention of the cast who helped build S.W.A.T. from day one. After 8 incredible seasons, it felt like we were brushed aside when there could’ve been a moment of reflection and recognition—for the people who built this show, and for the impact it had on so many.
I’ve seen the comments, the messages, the support—and it truly means a lot. I may not know what the future holds for Tan, but I couldn’t be more proud of what we created together—our cast, writers, producers, crew… our SWAT family. No version of this story can take that away.
Thanks for riding with us. Always.
Roll SWAT.