SWAT fans had to pay an emotional goodbye to popular character Christina “Chris” Alonso as she made her final appearance on the show.
Viewers tuned into the CBS season five finale on Sunday, May 23, 2022 as Alonso's storyline reached a dramatic conclusion.
Who is leaving SWAT?
The finale, titled Farwell, saw Chris, played by Lina Esco, spend the night with her long love interest Jim Street as the team tackled their last high-profile terrorist attack together.
It came after Alonso had told Street had she had decided to leave SWAT to take over for Mama Pina – the woman who runs a local safe house for immigrant women fleeing bad situations and is now hospitalized.
Talking to TVLine in March, she said: “I love the Mama Pina storyline. “It resonates with Chris because this is a woman providing a safe house to women who have no hope in other countries and who escape for a better life.
“Chris has become very invested in volunteering and being a part of that.”
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The season ending showed Chris as she handed in her gun and badge before heading for drinks with her co-workers.
It followed several fan theories over the nature of the character’s exit after rumours first emerged that Esco would be quitting her role in the show after five seasons.
In a statement on her exit Esco said: “Bringing to life a strong, smart, bisexual character like Chris Alonso has been both a pleasure and a powerful opportunity to increase visibility for diverse women everywhere. Five years later, I am leaving SWAT to pursue new creative endeavors.
“Chris never backs down from the unknown and as an actor and director, I’m excited to step out of my comfort zone and embark on a new chapter, too.
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“That said, this is one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make,” she shared. “I’m forever grateful to my SWAT. family – my fellow cast, writers, and producers – for an incredible journey. To the amazing SWAT fans, you are the heart of the show. I can’t thank you enough for your support and for walking beside me through all of Chris’ journey!”
The SWAT showrunners also issued a statement saying: “For five seasons and 106 episodes, we’ve had the pleasure to watch Lina Esco bring Chris Alonso to life on SWAT When Lina came to us a year ago to express her desire to eventually pursue other endeavors, we all worked hard to give Chris a proper, season-long send off, knowing what an important, iconic character she’s been to our audience."
They added: "We’ll miss Chris, but we’ll especially miss Lina, as we wish her the best of luck with everything she chooses to do next.”
Will there be a Season 6 of SWAT?
The last episode of the series saw a tense finale as the squad saw a university chemistry lab seized by terrorists.
But luckily for fans this is not the last we’ll see from the LAPD officers as they are set to return for another season.
Lead actor Shemar Moore confirmed the show had been renewed in an announcement on Twitter back in April 2022.
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He said: "Aaaayyeeeee! Homies, Fans, n Baby Girls! You heard it here first!!!!
"Swatcbs is renewed for SEASON 6! Another year of kicking a** coming your way, ROLL SWAT BABY."
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