Is Chris Alonso Coming Back to 'S.W.A.T.'? Here's What Showrunner Andrew Dettman Had to Say

When Christina "Chris" Alonso, played by Lina Esco, left CBS show S.W.A.T., fans were crushed. A fan favorite, the series original left many feeling unsatisfied with her departure.

Over the past few months after an on-screen bomb (not literal, for once), a lot of chatter has circulated online speculating about whether or not the series will bring Chris back. While there's still some question as to the future of Chris's role in S.W.A.T., a series showrunner has weighed in and is putting at least some questions to rest.

Sometimes when a character is cut from a series, especially due to off-screen drama, they can become persona non grata. Which means that they're no longer mentioned, no longer referenced, and there's zero chance of a return to the series. A prime example of this would be Alex Camal from Amazon Prime's The Expanse. Due to accusations of sexual misconduct from his actor, Cas Anvar, the series brutally wrote his character out and then barely acknowledged him in the final season.

Luckily, this is not the case for S.W.A.T.'s beloved Chris. Showrunner Andrew Dettman recently weighed in on his thoughts about Chris's role moving forward. It's not a promise that Chris will return, but it does seem like there's some hope for those holding their breath. Back in March, Chris's boyfriend Jim Sweet dropped this gem of a hint in conversation with Victor Tan: "How’s this — Chris and I will have you over in a few weeks for the engagement party. Just don’t say anything yet, especially to Chris!”

Showrunner Andrew followed up on that in an interview with TVLine, he shared, "You know, I would love to [do a wedding]. In our minds, Street and Chris are still very much part of the S.W.A.T. family.” He went on to promise that they won't do an off-screen wedding, which sounds like a good sign that Chris will return.

Andrew also mused, "The door is open to all of the characters form the past [to return in some capacity], because I think the audience would love that and we would love that. The door is open for Luca or Street or Chris to somehow work back into some episodes. I would be thrilled about that.”

That sounds to us like more than a hint that Chris is returning. But if she does, things will look a little different soon for the S.W.A.T. family. They're taking on a new time slot starting in 2025 after a brief winter hiatus: Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, at 10:00 p.m. ET.

Of course, fans have already heard that Season 8 will be the final season. Yet we're not sold on the idea. After all, Season 7 was also supposed to be the final season, and yet here we are. The show has been canceled twice, and brought back from the brink.

If they want to fit a whole wedding and tie up some important loose ends, they might just need another season, but only time will tell. Although they may have to count star Shemar Moore out if they greenlight Season 9. In a recent interview with People, Shemar mused, "To get canceled twice in a row and to get uncanceled twice in a row, I give kudos to me running my mouth on social media. Nothing lasts forever, but I fight.”

However, he added, "Everybody at S.W.A.T. wants Season 13. And I'm like, "You've got to talk to my knees, boy. It ain't no joke. Hey, I'm 54. It ain't like it was. It's harder and harder running around, jumping over cars and playing tough guy and trying to keep that six-pack together." But since Season 13 would still be a ways off, we're still holding out hope for Season 9 and that big Chris return in the meantime.