Does Hondo Keep 20-Squad Together? Does Gamble Leave?

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the S.W.A.T. series finale “Return to Base.”]

Heading into the S.W.A.T. series finale, wrapping an eight-season run, 20-Squad is down a member, but Gamble (Annie Ilonzeh) still ends up right in the middle of the action with HQ under attack.

In the penultimate episode, which aired right before the finale on Friday, May 16, Gamble learns that her brother Leon (Nick Creegan) was connected to the drug dealer they’re after and sold him equipment but, despite pulling her gun on him, lets him go. After she confesses to Hondo (Shemar Moore), he wonders how he’s supposed to trust her and decides to let her transfer. The rest of 20-Squad, however, in the finale, isn’t too pleased, especially since they can use everyone with someone having planted landmines around Los Angeles. She’s family, Tan (David Lim) argues, but Hondo disagrees and says she made it clear her family is her family. Hicks (Patrick St. Esprit) refuses to entertain any of Hondo’s suggestions, instead reminding him that as Gamble’s leader, he should be setting her straight.

Russian mercenaries, known as Red Sword, are responsible, using the landmines as an attempt to get their leader, Dmitri Rykov, back. He’s in the CIA’s custody for a prisoner exchange, and Hondo gets into it with a case officer, Briggs (Jordan Belfi), over it. Eventually, Hondo convinces Briggs to let him at least talk to Rykov during transport to another location. A drone turning a landmine essentially into a missile targets them, and so they move Rykov to S.W.A.T. HQ. It’s once they’re there that Hondo realizes that Red Sword isn’t coming to break him out, but to kill him because he has valuable information to share about them burning down the minster of defense’s home (which would make him a free man in Russia).

Bill Inoshita / Sony Pictures Television / CBS

Gamble shows up at HQ to pick up her things as the rest of the team’s heading out — she hasn’t answered their calls because she didn’t want any of them to change her mind — and so she’s inside when Red Sword breaks in to get to Rykov. Even while separated — Hondo with Rykov, Gamble alone and coming to her former boss’ rescue, and Deacon (Jay Harrington), Tan, Powell (Anna Enger Ritch), and Alfaro (Niko Pepaj) outside — 20-Squad manages to work together to take down Red Sword. And Hondo has a brutal hand-to-hand fight with Rykov, who tries to escape. Hondo stops him, and the prisoner exchange goes off as planned, bringing home American hostages.

In the aftermath, there’s a sweet moment where Alfaro shows Powell, who said earlier she wasn’t anyone’s emergency contact, that she’s his, the only person he wants anyone calling if he’s ever in trouble. And Hondo tells Gamble not to transfer out. He knows he hasn’t been acting like a boss, but it took guts for her to ‘fess up to what happened with her brother, and he knows he should have helped her instead of turning his back. Gamble argues that she failed, but as Hondo sees it, he shouldn’t have put it on her to choose between her job and her blood like he did. He calls her the missing piece of the team and tells her she belongs there.

A jump to two weeks later reveals that Gamble does, in fact, stay. Tan also adds a new title, the S.W.A.T. mayoral liaison, after being reluctant to do so. (Deacon argues that he could learn a new skillset and work with the people who run the city, making a difference.)

Meanwhile, thanks to the signing bonus for his security firm’s newest job, Deacon has a lot of money but can’t figure out what to buy himself, despite everyone telling him he should get something. Off Tan pointing out how precious time is and how every shift can be their last, Deacon buys the squad watches, with 20 Squad and Stay Liquid engraved on the back. He hopes it will always be a reminder that every minute spent together on the team is the greatest gift of all.

Hondo’s just starting to give a speech, first turning to Deacon then the others — “This team wouldn’t be what it is without you by my side. That goes for all of you. When I think about what we’ve been through together…” — when they get notified of a robbery in progress. And with that, 20-Squad heads out to save the city another day.

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