Lina Esco's Christina "Chris" Alonso made an unexpected departure from SWAT after an impressive five-season run.
Shemar Moore's long-standing CBS series has had no shortage of character exits. Fans saw Jay Harrington's Deacon nearly depart SWAT after Season 7, as many believed it would be the show's final season at the time.
Now, new episodes are confirmed as SWAT Season 8 sets its release schedule in stone. However, the team looks vastly different now due to a few major departures over the years, one of the biggest being Lina Esco's Chris.
What Happened to Lina Esco's Chris in SWAT?
Lina Esco played a regular role on SWAT as Christina "Chris" Alonso, the LAPD SWAT team's first female officer, who joined the team after working with the K-9 Platoon.
Esco made appearances in 106 episodes of SWAT between Season 1 and Season 5 before leaving the series after the Season 5 finale.
Season 5, Episode 20 saw Chris quit the SWAT team to take on a new challenge, running a safe house for undocumented immigrant women originally run by Terri Hoyos' Mama Pina.
Shortly after that, she informed Shemar Moore's Hondo that she was leaving the team as Hondo told her to be proud of the legacy she built during her tenure.
She also told Alex Russell's James Street (see more about other SWAT character exits here) about her decision, saying she had two weeks left with the team.
Why Did Lina Esco Leave SWAT?
Right after SWAT Season 5's final episode premiered, Esco posted a lengthy message about her departure on Instagram.
She expressed her desire to "pursue new creative endeavors" and her excitement to "step out of [her] comfort zone" amidst making a difficult decision to leave SWAT. In that message, she thanked her team on the show and the fans for making her journey so memorable:
"Bringing to life a strong, smart, bi-sexual 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/writer/director—I'm excited to step out of my comfort zone and embark on a new chapter, too. that said, this is one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make. I'm forever grateful to my 'SWAT' family—my fellow cast, the crew, the writers, and the 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!"
While Esco's departure appeared to be a mutual decision between her and the SWAT team, her castmates and fellow crew members shared no ill will and were open to her returning.
Executive producer Andy Dettman shared with TV Line answered a question about Esco's potential return in Season 8 honestly in saying, "I don't know." However, he noted that it would be "wonderful to bring everybody back" if it can be worked out:
"It’d be wonderful to bring everybody back. In our mind, Chris is very much a part of Street’s life, so if we can find a way to bring her back through, I’d love to. But I haven’t figured it out yet."
As of writing, there are no indications that Chris will return at any point in Season 8. However, her potential comeback could be saved for a major reveal later in the season, should the team make the decision to bring her in for new episodes.
New episodes of SWAT Season 8 debut on CBS every Friday at 8 p.m. ET and can be streamed on Paramount+.
