SWAT season 4 is going to premiere this week on CBS. The first episode will deliver an emotional story and it will dive back into the past. Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson Jr.'s (Shemar Moore) younger years will be addressed, particularly the hardships and challenges he faced before.
Recently, Moore shared on his Instagram account what lies ahead in the two-hour premiere of SWAT season 4. The latest installment takes on timely issues, including police reform and social justice. This will put Hondo in a position where he questions what's happening around him.
Racism would be one of the major themes and Hondo is a Black police officer. He needs to do his job but he feels the suffering of others, as well. The premiere episode will feature a flashback, which was when Rodney King made headlines. It'll also see the younger version of Moore's character.
According to the premiere synopsis, SWAT season 4 kicks off with Hondo, his father Daniel Sr. (Obba Babatundé), and Darryl (Deshae Frost) confronting the racial tension in Los Angeles between the Black community and the law enforcement.
The episode dives back to 1992, the time after the Rodney King verdict. The original plan is to feature this storyline in the season 3 finale to mark the 28th anniversary of the LA riots. However, that wasn't pushed through due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
In a previous interview, executive producer Shawn Ryan told TVLine that the premiere episode spits time between the present day and the past. Donald Dash is set to play the 17-year-old Hondo, while Rico E. Anderson is the younger version of Daniel Sr.
Beyond this storyline, SWAT season 4 will pick up the events that transpired in season 3 finale, "Diablo." The team will continue to pursue El Diablo's scattered drug cartel that is hiding somewhere in the city. They'll also need to track a Jihadist group responsible for detonating bombs in coordinated attacks.
While taking on work-related plots, the new installment still needs to address some of the established storylines, including Moore's relationship with Nichelle (Rochelle Aytes). Their future is in question at the moment and it doesn't appear as though the latter is coming back anytime soon.
And even if Nichelle comes back, she and Hondo won't be in a romantic relationship immediately. In a separate interview with TVLine, executive producer Aaron Rahsaan Thomas made it clear that while Nichelle is coming back into Hondo's life, that doesn't mean they're going to be romantic.
Both of them have a lot to figure out, especially for Hondo's personal life. He is a police officer, while Nichelle is working at a community center. They could have different opinions on certain matters, which could lead to some problems between them.
SWAT season 4 arrives on Wednesday, Nov. 11, on CBS.
