"Tough Pill To Swallow": SWAT Season 7's Emotional Luca Exit Explained By Star

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Warning! SPOILERS ahead for S.W.A.T. season 7, episode 7, "Last Call"

Summary Luca's emotional exit from S.W.A.T. was brought about by injuries that left him unable to serve.

The entire season 7 cast is preparing to say goodbye, but Luca's departure was especially difficult.

Luca struggled with the idea of a desk job after giving his heart and soul to S.W.A.T. and felt lost without it.

Luca wasn't the only one who struggled with saying goodbye during his emotional S.W.A.T. exit. The show is based on both the 1975 show and the 2003 movie and features a cast of S.W.A.T. team members trying to survive in chaotic situations throughout Los Angeles. The show premiered in 2017 and was canceled by CBS after season 6. A response by fans led to a season 7 renewal, which will likely serve as the show's finale. Kenny Johnson (Luca) was forced to say farewell early, after injuries led Luca to an early retirement.

The entire S.W.A.T. season 7 cast is preparing to leave the show, but Luca's exit was especially hard. In an interview with TV Insider, Johnson spoke about the pain that Luca was going through in his retirement ceremony. With so much pressure on his shoulders, he just wasn't capable of sitting at a desk, rather than working in the field, which led to Luca saying goodbye. Check out his quote below:

That’s a tough pill to swallow. I can’t do a desk job. Luca has a hard time emotionally wrapping around the fact that he can’t go out and be the best that he can at what he does. He was born into S.W.A.T. That’s all he’s ever known. His whole heart and conscience, I would say, is about giving and saving and protecting. And he wants to be out there actively doing it; whether he gives his life up for it or not, it’s something that he does selflessly, I think. I can’t do this, so I’m going to do something else. And then Hondo trying to say, “No, you can go out there and meet somebody new. You can surf the biggest waves.” And I’m thinking like, “Oh, yeah, okay, that’s going to parallel S.W.A.T. At this point in my life?” I’m laughing now, but for Luca, it’s not funny. All I know is it’s being taken away and I have to accept it.

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Source: TV Insider