SWAT on TF1: Why did Lina Esco (Chris) leave the series?

The story of SWAT opens tonight on TF1.

First French channel offers this Tuesday, February 14, the last two episodes of the new 5th season of the detective series hosted by Shemar Moore. And as previous episodes have suggested, the end of this fifth installment marks the departure of Officer Cristina “Chris” Alonso, played by Lina Esco.

This exit door that the screenwriters offered the 37-year-old actor is not a big surprise, since Chris shared with Jim (Alex Russell), already several episodes, his decision to leave SWAT to take his father Pina. Relay, which runs a local shelter for immigrant women fleeing difficult situations.

“Bringing a strong, intelligent, bisexual character like Chris Alonso to life was both a pleasure and an incredible opportunity to increase the visibility of women everywhere.”Lina Esco said in a May 2022 press release by TVLine.

“After five years, I’m leaving SWAT for a new creative endeavor. Chris never backs down from the unknown, and as an actor and director, I’m excited to step out of my comfort zone and start a new chapter in my life. Also”He continued, whose character said goodbye to his teammates in the episode “In the Beginning”, broadcast tonight at 21:55 on TF1.

Therefore, Lina Esco leaves SWAT for other projects for herself. But the actor admitted that making this decision was not easy. far from there.

“That being said, this is one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make. I will forever be grateful to my SWAT family—my acting partners, writers, and producers—for making this amazing journey. SWAT amazing fans, you are the heart of the show. I can’t thank you enough for your support And Chris for being with me throughout the journey.”.

The series’ showrunners revealed that Lina Esco informed them of her decision at the end of Season 4, giving them a year to offer a real conclusion to Chris’ character.

“When Lina came to us to express her desire to leave to explore other opportunities, we were all working to give Chris a proper ending that spanned all of Season 5, knowing how important and iconic a figure he was to our audience.”– the creators of the show said in a statement.

After five seasons, Chris Alonso, who has been present since the very first episode, has therefore said goodbye to the series. But don’t panic, SWAT doesn’t stop there, as season six is ​​currently airing in the US.

Season 6, which will not be offered in the wake of season 5 in France, because from next Tuesday TF1 will replace the American police series with the show Koh-Lanta, which will make a big comeback with a new season called “Le feu sanct”.