Dominique Luca's time on SWAT could potentially be coming to an end as fans wait to find out his fate in the show's final season.
Since SWAT first hit CBS in 2017, Kenny Johnson has portrayed key supporting character Dominique Luca, a third-generation SWAT officer and third-in-command behind Shemar Moore's Daniel "Hondo" Harrison."
According to TVLine, Luca is confirmed as one of two original SWAT characters to leave Season 7 before its last episode, with fans wondering exactly how he will make his exit.
The last fans saw of him, he left to work a counterterrorism training seminar in London at the end of Season 6, although he goes through plenty of dramatic moments in this new episode.
[ Full Cast of SWAT Season 7 - Every Main Character & Actor (Photos) ]
Luca's Fate Confirmed for SWAT's Luca
Making his first appearance in SWAT Season 7, fans saw Kenny Johnson return to his role as Officer Dominique Luca in Episode 6, titled "Escape."
Starting the episode teaching his adopted daughter Kelly to drive while she is visiting from San Diego, he returns to his job at the LAPD SWAT division.
Seeing a robbery in progress while with Kelly, he gets her safe and pulls his gun, but he takes three shots to the chest from one of the robbers they off. Kelly is seen yelling and screaming for help as she tries to get care for her father, with viewers now wondering if he will make it out of Season 7 alive.
After CBS (per Deadline) confirmed SWAT would be back for one final season, TVLine shared Johnson would only be back for a limited role in Season 7, with Episode 6 being the first of two appearances this season.
Showrunner Andrew Dettmann "wanted to give everybody their proper curtain call" for Season 7, including Johnson, confirming his episode would be hyper-focus on his character and the "evolution of [his storyline]." The same was done for Alex Russell's Jim Sweet, who left the show earlier in Season 7:
"Looking at [Season 7] being the final 13 [episodes], we wanted to give everybody their proper curtain call so the episodes that we have for them are really focused on their characters and the evolution of their storylines. I’m really excited about the episodes we have for [Luca and Street]. The idea for the final 13 was that, if this was the end for us, nobody feels like they were underserved. There are some really good episodes for Alex and Kenny, for Street and Luca."
Johnson also shared a message to SWAT fans on Instagram in January confirming his "last dance" in these last two episodes, thanking everybody for their support:
"For the fans: Time for our last dance !! After all we’ve been through !! It’s always been my complete honor, and my pleasure !! I wanna thank everyone for all the love and support !! It’s purely all for you guys, and here we go for our last time together !! See you soon. The fact that I’ve got to work with my daughter on 3 films, and here 'SWAT,' is beyond a dream come true !! Thank you Jelli! We get one more dance soon"
Will Luca Die in SWAT Season 7?
Thankfully, Johnson's exit from SWAT does not appear to be on bad terms, as he has been quite positive about closing out his time playing this character.
He even teased a "beautiful bittersweet ending" on his X (formerly Twitter) account on February 9 before Season 7 started, setting up the real possibility that Luca's fate on SWAT will not be a good one.
For most TV and movie characters, taking multiple bullets to the chest does not end well. Seeing this happen with only seven episodes left in SWAT is even more worrying, with no guarantee that Luca will survive this injury.
Johnson's use of the word "bittersweet" could mean he will not be able to work with the SWAT unit anymore, looking at his fate in a more positive light. But going to the other end of the spectrum, seeing him die would surely mark a key turning point moment for Hondo and his team, especially after just getting him back from London.
Unfortunately, the only thing fans can do now is wait for the next episode to air and confirm Luca's fate, with anxiety certainly set to rise in the coming days.
The short tease for Episode 7 teased the chance that Luca "might not make it" and also showed what seemed to be a police funeral procession, only increasing that anxiety further.
New episodes of SWAT air on CBS on Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/5 pm. PT. Each episode then hits Paramount+ the following day.
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