Who Is Leaving SWAT Show? Every Actor Who Got Downgraded or Left

S.W.A.T. may be back for a seventh and final season, but some of the TV show's major actors, whom fans have grown to love since Season 1, won't be around for all the upcoming episodes and will instead be leaving the series early.

When CBS canceled S.W.A.T. after six seasons, it quickly reversed its decision and decided to greenlight Season 7. However, with the announcement that the show would return also came confirmation that the 13-episode installment would serve as the final batch of episodes.

For the most part, S.W.A.T. fans have been lucky enough to see many of their favorite actors and characters return season after season, but occasionally, some have had to leave, such as Lina Esco's Chris Alonso.

Every Major Character Leaving S.W.A.T.

Season 7 of S.W.A.T. is led by Shemar Moore and Jay Harrington, two of the show's many actors who have been an integral part of the series since its first episode.

However, some major faces won't be returning in full for the final installment, so here is every major actor and their respective character that will be leaving S.W.A.T. Season 7:

Kenny Johnson - Dominique Luca

Kenny Johnson's Dominique Luca has been one of S.W.A.T.'s main characters since Season 1.

Fans don't have to worry about not seeing him again because he will still appear in a major way in Season 7. However, the actor's role was downgraded from being a series regular to a recurring character.

Johnson is expected to appear as Dominique Luca in only a few of Season 7's episodes, which will apparently heavily focus on that specific character. However, it appears as though Johnson's official sendoff will occur after those episodes.

In an interview with TVLine, showrunner Andrew Dettman revealed that everyone working on the show "wanted to give" the main characters "their proper curtain call," and the episodes dedicated to Johnson and one other actor "are really focused on their characters:"

"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."

Dettman also stated that the episodes in which Johnson will appear "are some really good episodes" for the actor and his character and that fans will likely be satisfied with the conclusion of his arc:

"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."

Alex Russell - Jim Street

Like Kenny Johnson, Alex Russell's official role within S.W.A.T. was also downgraded from series regular to a recurring role.

Playing Jim Street, Russell is another actor who has appeared in nearly every episode of S.W.A.T., but fans won't see him around as much in the show's final 13 episodes.

The quotes from showrunner Andrew Dettman shared above were also made in regard to Russell's role in Season 7, so fans can expect to see a handful of upcoming episodes focusing heavily on the actor and his character.

The same episodes that will highlight Johnson's Luca will also center around Russell's Jim Street, and Dettman shared that he is "really excited" about how they handled Russell's sendoff:

"I’m really excited about the episodes we have for [Luca and Street]."

Is Lina Esco Returning in S.W.A.T. Season 7

Many fans were left devastated when Lina Esco bid farewell to S.W.A.T. after the series' Season 6 finale.

Her character, Chris Alonso, was close with Alex Russell's Jim Street, and many viewers wanted to see her story continue.

However, Esco decided to part ways with the show so she could pursue other roles, but her character remained a large off-screen presence throughout Season 6.

In a Q&A with TVLine, showrunner Andrew Dettman was asked if Esco could potentially make one final appearance in S.W.A.T.'s seventh and final season.

Although Dettman revealed that he didn't know for sure, he did say that "it'd be wonderful to bring everybody back:"

"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."

While nothing has been confirmed, Esco could potentially come back one last time during one of the upcoming episodes centered around Alex Russell's Jim Street and the actor and character's farewell. 

Although her appearance would be brief, it would mean a lot not only to both Esco and Russell's characters but also to S.W.A.T. fans.

Season 7 of S.W.A.T. is currently airing new episodes every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, and Paramount+ Essential subscribers can stream episodes the next day.

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