A story update for spinoff show S.W.A.T. Exiles has reinforced its Top Gun: Maverick inspiration. When S.W.A.T. was canceled for a third and final time by CBS, it was surprisingly announced that the Hondo spinoff S.W.A.T. Exiles would enter development. The premise of the show sees Hondo training younger, up-and-coming recruits.
S.W.A.T. Exiles will look to continue the story of the original show, and will focus on Hondo, as his arc takes him in a fresh direction, and causes him to approach his professional life differently. The show is set to take inspiration from Tom Cruise's box-office juggernaut Top Gun: Maverick, and a recent story update has cemented this even further.
Per TV Line, there is set to be a fractious relationship with Hondo and at least one of his recruits. As the team leader, Hondo will have recruits from all walks of life under his tutelage, and is bound to have a link to at least one of them. One of the trainees is described as having a "secret beef" with Hondo.
What This Means For S.W.A.T. Exiles
There Could Be Mutiny In The Ranks
Hondo has always been a character who does things his own way, and doesn't suffer fools, but as a teacher/mentor he does have a tendency to rub people up the wrong way
The fact that the trainee is described as having a "secret" beef suggests Hondo will have wronged them in a way he's unaware of. It could link back to his past and his early years as a cop, and it may be a secret that threatens to derail what Hondo is trying to do, and might even impact his relationship with the other recruits.
There are definite elements of Top Gun: Maverick in S.W.A.T. Exiles' story, where Cruise's Maverick comes into conflict with Miles Teller's brilliant but troubled Rooster, the son of his former partner and friend, Goose. Rooster blames Maverick for Goose's death, and the two men have to find a way to move past their differences and work together.
Our Take On How This Will Impact S.W.A.T. Exiles
The Show Could Look To Give Hondo A Redemption Arc
While it is true that S.W.A.T. Exiles might try to take ideas from what would have been S.W.A.T. season 9, it is more likely the show will look to go its own way. One of the ways it can do this is by examining new personal struggles for Hondo, and this "secret beef" could hold the key to making that work over the season.
It could be that S.W.A.T. Exiles is preparing to give Hondo a redemption arc, and that the ghosts of his past will haunt him. Friction with a younger recruit played well for Maverick's character, and the same could be true with Hondo, as the show will look to establish itself as being connected to S.W.A.T., but different enough to thrive.
Source: TV Line
