S.W.A.T Exiles premiere sees Hondo lead the 44 Squad as a hidden threat emerges- Recap ahead

Starz's action drama series, S.W.A.T Exiles Season 1, premiered on September 25, 2026. Created by Jason Ning, the show is a spin-off of the 2017 television series, S.W.A.T.

The plot follows veteran LAPD SWAT team leader, Daniel 'Hondo' Harrelson, who returns from retirement when a high-profile mission goes sideways. Hondo is given the responsibility to lead a team of unpredictable younger recruits. Can Hondo navigate the generational divide, navigate clashing personalities, and turn the young squad into one capable of protecting the city?

Titled, Clean Entry, S.W.A.T Exiles Season 1, begins on a challenging note. According to FilmiFeed, Hondo, who was removed from the job two years ago, is called back. However, this time he has to lead a team of five talented officers who had been viewed as difficult or rejected for different reasons. By the end of the premiere, the 44 Squad survives their first test, but Hondo realizes that somebody is trying to sabotage his comeback.

Here's more about it.

S.W.A.T Exiles Episode 1 recap: Hondo leads the 44 Squad

According to FilmiFeed, Hondo's section commander, Clint Myers, tries to encourage him in his duties. Hondo, however, is a bit taken aback when he discovers the supposed reformed unit is operating from an old administrative building. Elsewhere, Deputy Chief Ramon Carrero says Hondo's return to the team is evidence that the department is adapting to change.

Hondo finally meets the 44 Squad. The team looks confident, even though they have been clearly overlooked by the department. Ethan Cole is a tactical specialist whose talent lies in identifying patterns and technology. Samantha 'Sammy' Bishop is outspoken and someone who has an online audience to cater to. Cassidy Reed is highly disciplined and determined to prove her worth. Jude Callan is unpredictable and is not a people pleaser. Lastly, Malik Anderson, a former Marine, seems to be the most committed one in the squad.

When Hondo arrives, he sees Sammy livestreaming in the locker room, and Jude briefly clashes with her over boundaries. Elsewhere, Ethan is busy working on drone calculations. Hondo soon realizes it would be a task to make the 44 Squad function together.

Hondo doesn't back down. He gives them physical challenges and another team-based exercise. Malik finishes first, followed by Cassidy, Sammy, and Jude. Ethan is the last one to complete. However, Hondo notices Ethan's observation skills as he chooses an efficient route.

Why did Malik walk away from Hondo in S.W.A.T Exiles Episode 1?

Hondo made the training more difficult than the recruiters expected. He tampered with the equipment and gave them little information. This resulted in chaos. While Ethan and Cassidy lost coordination, Sammy got confused. Malik was the only one who maintained his position.

When Hondo confronts the team about their poor performance, Malik challenges him. He soon realizes how Hondo manipulated the game. He argues with Hondo and tells him that he has joined the unit to serve and not carry the weight of Hondo's unsolved past. Malik finally walks away.

Deacon helps Hondo

When the training session results in an absolute disaster, Hondo's former teammate, David 'Deacon' Kay, helps him understand where he went wrong.

According to FilmiFeed, Hondo says that the recruits cannot trust each other. Deacon reminds Hondo how he was a difficult young officer himself.

Hondo finally realizes that he treated the recruits as a problem that needed to be fixed; however, the actual problem was his attempt to apply the leadership method that worked with the previous team.

Ethan locates Carlos Vaminez in S.W.A.T Exiles Episode 1

According to FilmiFeed, Ethan, who was independently studying footage connected to Los Emperados members, found a man who looked similar to Carlos Vaminez, a former member of the organisation who went missing years ago.

According to Ethan's analysis, Carlos is set to appear in a particular location. Hondo brings Cassidy and Ethan to track Carlos, but the operation becomes messy when Carlos tries to run away. Cassidy stops him. Sammy and Jude try to convince Hondo to let them interrogate Carlos.

In the end, Carlos admits that he abandoned his past life years ago. He then tried to build a life with his wife and daughter, Celine. However, his past is haunting him.

What happened to Celine in S.W.A.T Exiles Episode 1?

Carlos believes the people looking for him would harm his wife and daughter if they do not get hold of him. His fear turns to reality when his six-year-old daughter Celine is kidnapped.

Ethan begins to track the traffic information and audio data. He identifies an abandoned theatre. The Command hesitates to listen to Ethan's analysis, but Hondo argues the evidence is solid enough. As they finally get permission, the squad leaves to save Celine. Hondo also realizes that somebody is trying to sabotage his comeback. He realizes his unit is given a difficult operation with limited information. He realizes that the team was chosen to fail. The department was trying to create a disposable unit.

Hondo asks the squad to decide whether they want to stay, and they all agree to work together. Malik also returns to the team.

S.W.A.T Exiles Episode 1: Can the 44 squad rescue Celine?

The 44 Squad rescues Celine in S.W.A.T Exiles Episode 1 (Image Via YouTube/@Starz)

The 44 Squad, for the first time, functions like a team. Ethan uses a drone to locate where Celine is being held. Elsewhere, Hondo assigns them tasks accordingly. They also bring Carlos. Cassidy, Jude, Malik, and Ethan work with Hondo as they cover each floor of the abandoned theatre building. They finally succeed in rescuing Celine.

Hondo finally realizes that his group of young recruits functions differently. They handle pressure, complete tasks, and solve cases in a way that's different from his old squad.

S.W.A.T Exiles Episode 1 recap: Is Malik a mole in 44 Squad?

Malik reports to an unidentified person in S.W.A.T Exiles (Image Via YouTube/@SPTV)

However, the rescue does not solve Hondo's problems. At the start of the premiere, the viewers saw how a failed mission involving a young operator, Nico Reyes, had affected Hondo so much that he had a fallout with the department and was removed from S.W.A.T. He then took a job at a private security company. His personal life turned into a mess too. He lost his mother, and his wife Nichelle left him. It was Robert Hicks who tracked him down and offered him to join S.W.A.T.

In the end, when Hondo confronts Hicks about the strange circumstances surrounding 44 Squad, he confesses that he was isolated after Hondo returned. Hondo is sure that someone has tampered with personnel records and someone with influence has been sabotaging his comeback. He asks Hicks to help him find out who is behind it.

In the end, Malik meets an unidentified person who reminds him that he is supposed to report to him/her. So is Malik a mole in 44 Squad?