Why Lina Esco's Christina Alonso Left SWAT

CBS has had its share of long-running procedural shows, and when each series runs for multiple seasons, the chances of characters saying goodbye increase with each passing episode. "SWAT" ran for eight seasons on CBS before bowing earlier this year, as the series got two unexpected renewals after season 6's finale. But there comes a time when you have to say goodbye to Shemar Moore's Sergeant Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson and the rest of 20 Squad. 

Before all of that drama, fans bade farewell to Lina Esco during the "SWAT" season 5 finale, and much like what happened later when fan-favorite Dominique Luca (Kenny Johnson) left the show, viewers were shocked by the decision to write off Esco's character. However, the actress decided it was time to turn in her badge, and she ended her tenure on "SWAT" amicably with the creative team.

On "SWAT," Lina Esco played Christina "Chris" Alonso, an integral part of 20 Squad, and the first female officer in the LAPD's SWAT team. After coming over from the K-9 division, Chris appeared in 106 episodes of the CBS procedural drama. As the 20 Squad's resident marksman, Chris is a constant presence and romantically entangled with Alex Russell's Jim Street. This whole romantic plotline is a popular relationship among "SWAT" fans, and just before Esco left the role, the two characters finally made the decision to enter into a full romantic relationship. So, a longtime fan-favorite stepping away was always going to leave the viewers wondering if something else was going on.

The decision to write Chris out of the show was influenced by Esco's personal decision to leave, and the entire crew supported her. TV Line (via The Direct) caught up with "SWAT" executive producer Andy Dettman, and he even had hope that they could possibly bring Esco back for Season 8. He said, "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."

The team behind "SWAT" decided to give Chris' decision a ton of meaning in her goodbye episode toward the end of season 5, when she opted to leave her squadmates to run a safehouse for immigrant women. It was a noble choice that Hondo couldn't really argue against once she tendered her resignation, and Esco's performance here felt a little meta as she mentioned being proud of their legacy. The actress clearly didn't want to leave anyone in the dark, and her social media delivered a quick explanation for leaving "SWAT" so suddenly. On Instagram, Esco told the fans she wanted to see what else was out there for her, while thanking her castmates for their work on the series.

"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!"

Fans can take hope in one thing: "SWAT" has a way of landing on its feet repeatedly, so maybe you might see Chris reunite with Hondo on "SWAT Exiles." The spin-off series is being developed now, and despite Shemar Moore being the only talent announced for "Exiles," it's clear that longtime viewers would like to get the band back together. That's going to take some wrangling, but the last few years of TV and movies have proved how everything is possible with enough time. There are no current plans for the spinoff to include the other "SWAT" regulars, but things remain very fluid for the time being.

As ever, hope springs eternal in the weird world of television. Talking to Variety, Sony Pictures TV Studios President Katherine Pope said, "There is a clear world that we're exploring here. We're a few weeks in. We're still putting it all together, but for sure, I think you can expect some of your favorites to be a part of it in some way." That means the door is very much open for all of your former favorites to reprise these roles, and the only question remaining is how long it's going to take before we see some stars from the original show pop up on "SWAT Exiles."