Next of Kin

**Next of Kin** is the ninth episode of the fourth season in the remake version of *S.W.A.T.*, and the seventy-fifth episode overall, which was aired on February 17, 2021.

## Summary

A tragic mission leads each member of the SWAT team to contend with their emotional distress in varied ways. They grieve the loss of one of their own.

## Recap

Chris calls Luca to tell him Erika is dead. The raid went bad. It was an officer-involved shooting. They need to talk to FID. Now they are all separated. She needs Luca to stay on the phone with her.

The Commander tells Chris to stay on the scene and heads to tell Erika’s sister. Her sister knows when she sees them. She cries hysterically.

Later, SWAT is now being criticized by the city and more. FID hasn’t come back yet with the investigation. They are all on desk duty. Hondo is retracing the raid. The commander tells Chris she needs to undergo a psych eval. until she can be cleared. She heads out to talk to the psychiatrist. She wants to be cleared. They worry that she lived with Erika. Chris admits she hasn’t been staying home. The psychiatrist tells her she needs to process. Chris admits she needs to sleep. Meanwhile, Tan is training the student harder than usual.

Hondo and Deacon head to the scene of the raid and walk the area. Deacon worries about Hondo second-guessing himself. He points out how Hondo took out the guy who killed Erika. This still doesn’t make Hondo feel better. Hondo thinks he has a lead, the area looks like someone from the military trained there.

At headquarters, they look into possible suspects. They need to attend the funeral of the man who killed Erika. They learn it will be live-streamed. They tune in and ID a man who is a former Marine. They plan to look into his background.

Deacon visits an ex of the Marine. She tells him how he joined a group and since then gone down a bad path.

Chris calls Luca on FaceTime to talk. He tells her to keep her head up. Back at headquarters, they gain access to Landon’s computer. They learn of two possible white nationalists cells out there. Hondo is on desk duty but Deac is allowed to go. He tracks down their suspect. Hondo stays online with them. He tries to run. They take him down.

At headquarters, they ask him about the white nationalist group. He isn’t giving them much. Hondo and the team learn they have been cleared for duty. Chris hasn’t yet. The commander doesn’t like some of the grey areas in the FID’s report though.

Chris arrives home. She has boxes with her. Meanwhile, Commander Hicks reports to his Lieutenant and she tells him that although SWAT was cleared, the possibility that the team could have done things differently and could have prevented two people from getting killed is enough to put pressure on the mayor. Commander Hicks says that Hondo made the best of two imperfect choices and he says there was no risk free option. The Lieutenant says that it doesn't matter, not now. She argues that the death of one of their few African American female officers isn’t a good look. Commander Hicks asks "Is that what this is all about, how it looks?”. He then tells her “We lost a colleague, a friend!". The Lieutenant says that she is sorry but the mayor wants a scalp. The scalp must be given to either a member of the team or someone in command that suggests accountability. She’s not happy delivering the message. Commander Hicks asks if she agrees with it. The Lieutenant says no, But she also says that is the message. She tells Commander Hicks that it is up to him who it should be. Commander Hicks isn’t giving up anyone from the team. He sadly tells the Lieutenant that he will take the scalp. Hondo arrives and asks what is going on and Commander Hicks tells him he might have to resign and Hondo says “like hell you do!” and the Lieutenant says that this is political fallout that they're facing and the mayor’s hand is being forced. Hondo says that Commander Hicks isn’t responsible for anything that happened three days ago. The Lieutenant says no offense but she also says that this way above Hondo’s pay grade and he asks if it is and then he gets into the argument and tells the Lieutenant that the men and women who take risks in the field live in a completely different world than the politicians who criticize them. He says that they're thrown into situations where there is a one percent chance that something could go horribly wrong. The Lieutenant says “That’s duly noted” and Hondo says that when they’re put into these situations often enough that this one percent might come up and it came up three days ago. He says that the mayor can pretend all she wants that there’s issues in leadership but he promises the Lieutenant with everything he's made that that game can backfire on her butt. The Lieutenant says “excuse me”? Hondo says either Hicks stays or he’ll go. And he says that the first place he’ll go to will be the Los Angeles Times and he says he will talk about the real systemic problems within the LAPD that the mayor, commission and union still ignore. He says he imagines that they might even want to run his picture in it. The Lieutenant says that she imagines that this will be a tough conversation with the mayor and Hondo says maybe they need to have more tough conversations. The Lieutenant says that she knows that they haven’t always seen eye to eye but that she admires the stances that the two men have taken here. She says it is admirable and frustrating. Commander Hicks tells Hondo that he didn’t have to do that. Hondo says “Yes I did”.

Chris looks through old pictures while she cries. Jim arrives to check on her. He has been feeling terrible. He has guilt. He is glad it wasn’t her. He cannot be with his girlfriend. They are supposed to be together. She tells him to leave.

Deacon and his wife finally talk after a tough time. He tells her he cannot retire. They are his family and they need him right now. Meanwhile, Honda visits Nichelle.

He is torn about his job. He unloads on her. He isn’t sure about being a leader. He tells her he threatened to resign. He is scared and unsure. She thinks he is a leader. He is feeling better already.

## Cast

### Main

* Shemar Moore - Daniel Harrelson
* Alex Russell - Jim Street
* Lina Esco - Christina Alonso
* Kenny Johnson - Dominic Luca
* David Lim - Victor Tan
* Patrick St. Esprit - Robert Hicks
* Jay Harrington - David Kay

### Recurring

* Amy Farrington - Piper Lynch
* Lou Ferrigno Jr. - Donovan Rocker
* Bre Blair - Annie Kay
* Rochelle Aytes - Nichelle Carmichael
* Laura James - Molly Hicks
* Cathy Cahlin Ryan - Wendy Hughes
* Lyndie Greenwood - Erika Rogers
* Adam Aalderks - Lee Durham

### Guest

* David Gautreaux - Yannick
* Kiah Alexandria Clingman - Latasha
* Edward Gelhaus - Landon McBride
* Kym Jackson - Paige
* Michael Nanfria - Councilman Dudley
* Jesus Ruiz - Chief of Police Rivera
* Joe Daru - Malhorta

## Trivia

* Lyndie Greenwood made her final appearance in this episode.

### Notes

* Chris calls Luca to tell him Erika is dead, also The raid went bad and it was the officer-involved shooting.
* SWAT is now being criticized by the city and more, then FID hasn't come back yet with the investigation.
* Deacon and his wife finally talk after a tough time, also He tells her he refuse to retire.

**Deaths**

* Erika Rogers