By Alex Vena
Published Oct. 16, 2026, 11:45 a.m. ET
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The latest episode of S.W.A.T. Exiles let Shemar Moore‘s Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson in on some intel that fans have known about since the very first episode, and even gave him a surprising ally in a member of his team.
Warning! Spoilers ahead for S.W.A.T. Exiles Episode 4, “Get Clear,” now streaming on Starz.
At the start of S.W.A.T. Exiles Episode 4, we see Hondo lead 44 Squad in an operative where he is forced to shoot a woman who he says was armed. As they survey the scene, his recruits can’t find the woman’s weapon, sending Hondo into a panic, and ultimately leading to an investigation by the Force Review Board, in which Hondo and each member of 44 Squad must testify in front of Deputy Chief Roman Carrero (James Le Gros) and Commander Angela Pike (Lenora Crichlow).
The operative involved an anonymous 9-1-1 call alleging that there were hostages being held at a local cannabis farm. When he and 44 Squad arrive at the scene, a man in a mask claims to be an I.C.E. agent in the midst of a raid. The I.C.E. agent tells them to stand down, insisting that their federal operation tops anything from the LAPD. However, after Hondo determines that the I.C.E. agent is not legitimate through the designer gun he has on hand and his warrant being fraudulent, he takes further action outside of the rulebook. The woman he shoots is named Rachel Richards, and is the head of the cannabis farm who turned out to be in on some shady financial dealings.
While S.W.A.T. Exiles fans have been privy to the fact that Malik (Adain Bradley) is a mole attempting to help get Hondo ousted since the very first episode, Hondo is let in on the intel with help of Ethan (Freddy Miyares), the team’s technology specialist. When Ethan is testifying, he is asked about the footage from the drone—which he programmed—that would have caught whether Rachel was actually armed when Hondo shot her. Though Ethan tells the Force Review Board that the drone is damaged, viewers see a conversation between Ethan and Hondo, via a flashback, in which Ethan says he is “90% sure” he could recover the footage. Ethan expresses his trust in Hondo, despite his uncertainty as to whether Rachel actually had a gun on her, and ultimately lies to the Force Review Board.
After Ethan confides in Malik, Cassidy (Zyra Gorecki), Sammy (Lucy Barrett), and Jude (Ronen Rubenstein) that the footage is actually still in Hondo’s office, Malik breaks into Hondo’s office and nabs the footage. He hands it off to Miranda (Annie Ilonzeh), the mayor’s chief of staff, who anonymously gets it over to the Force Review Board. Fortunately, he footage proves that Rachel had taken a gun off of one of the fake I.C.E. agents when Hondo shot her. As Carrero noted after seeing the footage, “It seems like Rachel Richards was in on it. She was trying to take out the witness.”
As for why Hondo opted to hide the footage, it was to hone in on who the mole on the team is. Through the security footage from his office, he caught Malik stealing the drone footage. When Moore stopped by DECIDER’s studio, he told us that he “love[s] the dynamic between Hondo and Ethan,” teasing that in real life, Miyares is “actually a suave, kind of smooth, cool cat” from Miami as opposed to the “nerdy, kind-of introverted” character he plays onscreen.
“He just knows all the gadgets and he talks to himself, and there’s an interesting reason why he talks to himself, which is actually very touching,” he added, referring to a brain injury Ethan suffered before the events of the show. “So he seems just kind of an oddball, but when you get to know him, I think for a lot of people, as much as I want you to love Hondo, there’s an endearing element. A lot of the people are going to fall fall in love with the Ethan character. But that goes for all the other characters. They’re all lovable in their own ways, but I love that Hondo doesn’t see Ethan coming.”
In contrast, Moore noted that “you would think Hondo could relate to Malik,” who he likened to a “young Hondo.” However, he enjoyed how Hondo and Ethan’s alliance is “like opposites attract,” sharing how “somehow they understand each other and they cohabitate and they compliment each other.”
“Hondo’s very good at what Hondo is good at, but Hondo doesn’t know anything about what Freddy’s good at. And [Ethan] can’t touch Hondo and Hondo can’t touch [Ethan], but then together they’re a force,” he elaborated.
Moore attributes the reasoning for Malik’s actions to be because he’s “Gen Z,” explaining that “his learning curve of respecting your elders and understanding who came before you and what it takes” isn’t there.
“I think true to Gen Z is they want instant gratification,” he added. “They have access to everything on tablets, on phones, so if they want it, they want it now. I don’t think they understand the patience of earning it and working for it, stumbling and falling and getting up. If they stumble and fall, they cry about it. In my generation, [when] you stumble and you fall, you just wipe the dirt off. Wipe some dirt on it and get up and go do it again. He wants instant success. He’s willing to kiss a little ass. But he’s going to learn the hard way that he’s just a pawn. And when you’re a sellout like that, they’ve got no use for you.”
Moore cited this as “OG wisdom that [Hondo] has to bestow on this young crowd of Gen Z” in 44 Squad, noting that “Malik’s going to learn really quickly, as many do, Hondo was the wrong dude to mess with.”
New episodes of S.W.A.T. Exiles drop on Starz on Fridays. The first four episodes are streaming now.