S05.E22: Farewell

[Danielg342]

From the Futon Critic:

Quote

When control of a university chemistry lab is seized, the SWAT team races to thwart a devastating terror attack

 

[Snazzy Daisy]

Sneak peek (4 of 4) 👀

 

[nittany cougar]

It's interesting that all of the sneak peeks seem centered on the beginning of the episode.

Guess they don't want to give too much about the case.  

This promo shows some kind of lab and the team at  what is presumably a going away celebration for Chris. My guess is that "Farewell" relates to Chris leaving, Mama Pina dying, and possibly someone else leaving the SWAT team.

Edited May 22, 2022 by nittany cougar

[Snazzy Daisy]

22 minutes ago, nittany cougar said:

My guess is that "Farewell" relates to Chris leaving, Mama Pina dying, and possibly someone else leaving the SWAT team.

What about a "farewell" for Luca, a move to a management position - commanding officer etc?

[Danielg342]

Surprised there was no "cliffhanger"-type moment tying back to some of the unresolved plots from last week (Saint, Ortiz and blowback on Hondo from the LAPD), but it still had quite a few finale-worthy moments anyway.

Congrats to Nichelle and Hondo. Now they can really enjoy that weekend getaway, if you know what I mean. :P

Farewell Christina Alonso...but, hopefully, as Hondo said, this isn't goodbye. We'll see what role- if any- she plays next season.

Oh, and I guess Luca finally has a family to call his own outside of SWAT...he's a worthy godfather to Hondo's and Nichelle's kid.

The case was a bit pedestrian. The nerve gas the episode referenced is real, but I wonder if it works the way the episode said it would. I'm not a chemist so I wouldn't know for sure.

One thing I do feel somewhat confident about is that I'm not sure a chemical agent released outdoors, on the open waters too, would be all that effective. You'd think a chemistry PhD- as the criminal was presented as- would know that.

Still, the case had its dramatic moments. Nichelle and Luca were both in peril and, given it's the season finale, there was a good chance that peril was real. I wasn't so sure the writers would have the guts to kill off a pregnant mother and her kid, but the old Luca sure feels expendable.

However, I'm glad the show offed neither of them because I don't believe it would set the right tone.

On to next season...and we'll see how it goes. Who knows how many more we'll get after that but at least S5 ended on a nice note.

[nittany cougar]

I thought that this really would have made a good series finale.  It showed all of the best parts about the team and their relationships and had good action scenes as well.

53 minutes ago, Danielg342 said:

Surprised there was no "cliffhanger"-type moment tying back to some of the unresolved plots from last week (Saint, Ortiz and blowback on Hondo from the LAPD), but it still had quite a few finale-worthy moments anyway.

Congrats to Nichelle and Hondo. Now they can really enjoy that weekend getaway, if you know what I mean. :P

Farewell Christina Alonso...but, hopefully, as Hondo said, this isn't goodbye. We'll see what role- if any- she plays next season.

Oh, and I guess Luca finally has a family to call his own outside of SWAT...he's a worthy godfather to Hondo's and Nichelle's kid.

The case was a bit pedestrian. The nerve gas the episode referenced is real, but I wonder if it works the way the episode said it would. I'm not a chemist so I wouldn't know for sure.

One thing I do feel somewhat confident about is that I'm not sure a chemical agent released outdoors, on the open waters too, would be all that effective. You'd think a chemistry PhD- as the criminal was presented as- would know that.

Still, the case had its dramatic moments. Nichelle and Luca were both in peril and, given it's the season finale, there was a good chance that peril was real. I wasn't so sure the writers would have the guts to kill off a pregnant mother and her kid, but the old Luca sure feels expendable.

However, I'm glad the show offed neither of them because I don't believe it would set the right tone.

On to next season...and we'll see how it goes. Who knows how many more we'll get after that but at least S5 ended on a nice note.

I thought that it was nice that Chris connected with each character.  It was great to see her more open with Street and more relaxed in general.  I especially liked her goodbye scene with Luca.  

I'll admit that I was totally freaked out when Luca was exposed to the toxic gas.  I thought Luca was going to be seriously injured or going to die.  Once again, that was great acting by Kenny Johnson.  He is a very effective actor in all different kinds of scenes.  I can see why he has had such a long career on TV.

I thought the final scene at the bar was awesome.  My only problem was that no one acted surprised or said "we know" after the relationship was revealed.  There should have been some sort of reaction.  I'll fanwank that Luca went to work and told the team even though they asked him not to.

It was a good way to send off Lina Esco and Chris Alonzo. I appreciate all of the work Lina Esco put into this season.  A lot of actors phone it in when they are leaving a show 

I'm willing to give it a try next season, even though I'm doubtful that any character will be able to fill the hole left by Chris.  The show really should have committed to other female characters in a more significant way.  Hopefully one of the new ladies will step up.

Edited May 23, 2022 by nittany cougar

[KeithJ]

9 hours ago, Danielg342 said:

Farewell Christina Alonso...but, hopefully, as Hondo said, this isn't goodbye. We'll see what role- if any- she plays next season.

I'll put a spoiler tag on this just in case.  Hmm, we can't use spoiler tags anymore (at least I can't figure out how to put one it)?  Anyway, I renamed the link so don't hover over it if you don't want to know.

Spoiler

Edited May 23, 2022 by KeithJ

[milkyaqua]

Decent wrap-up for the season.  Even though I had no interest in "stris" it made no sense to put the two together with Lina Esco leaving the show.  They had to have known she was leaving.  The fans of the couple will not/are not happy about it.

[Snazzy Daisy]

Dominic Luca is definitely #1 Stris fan! 🤣

This is a great season finale with a nice send-off for Chris Alonso. It’s lovely to see each 20-squad members (and Hicks too) having their individual moments with Chris on her last day. Nice gestures for the characters and for the fans too. Thank you writers.

Chris didn’t make me cry but Luca did. I held my breath throughout the entire time Luca was in the vent and fighting for his life. His conversation with Chris at the back of the ambulance, that’s so heart warming. Damn you Luca! 😢 

Congrats Hondo and Nichelle on the pregnancy. Making Luca the baby’s godfather is a wise decision. One little thing though, why would Nichelle put a used pregnancy test in an unsealed box? It makes more sense (and more hygienic) if she hides it in her toiletries bag etc.

Final wish prior to S6 - please let Nora Fowler into 20-squad, NOT Alexis Cabrera. Please‼️🙏🏻🤞🏻

[Maverick]

6 hours ago, SnazzyDaisy said:

Dominic Luca is definitely #1 Stris fan! 🤣

  Almost too much so.  Not quite, but on the verge.  Like dude, boundaries.  

 So will Chris still be dating Street next year, and mentioned but not seen?   Not sure how that will play out.   It's a little sitcomy with the oft mention but never revealed wife of a main character.

 I kept expecting someone to die and I think they managed to put everyone in peril except Tan and Hondo's dad.   So, good fake out there.  

[Danielg342]

On 5/23/2022 at 12:55 AM, nittany cougar said:

I thought that this really would have made a good series finale.  It showed all of the best parts about the team and their relationships and had good action scenes as well.

It could have been, you're right. Maybe they filmed it that way in case they didn't get a sixth season, and maybe they just liked the episode so much that they decided not to change it even after getting news of the renewal.

On 5/23/2022 at 12:55 AM, nittany cougar said:

I'll admit that I was totally freaked out when Luca was exposed to the toxic gas.  I thought Luca was going to be seriously injured or going to die.  Once again, that was great acting by Kenny Johnson.

Agreed. That was so real. I almost wondered if that was Hondo or Shemar Moore's actual reaction when Luca was convulsing. Kenny Johnson really nailed that scene.

On 5/23/2022 at 12:55 AM, nittany cougar said:

I thought the final scene at the bar was awesome.  My only problem was that no one acted surprised or said "we know" after the relationship was revealed.  There should have been some sort of reaction.  I'll fanwank that Luca went to work and told the team even though they asked him not to.

My fanwank would be that the team always "knew" all these years but they never said anything because it never affected the team. If Luca could spot it a mile away, how could the rest of the team not notice? Especially Hondo, given his abilities in perception, observation and intuitiveness.

I just might have appreciated a scene similar to what happened on Criminal Minds at the end of "In Heat" when JJ revealed that she'd been dating Will (her eventual husband) all this time. The team all reacted like they knew all along, and given that they were profilers, they had to have known. Maybe there was a line where someone like Deacon or Tan jokes "now you two don't need to hide things anymore" but it was cut for time.

16 hours ago, KeithJ said:

I'll put a spoiler tag on this just in case.  Hmm, we can't use spoiler tags anymore (at least I can't figure out how to put one it)?  Anyway, I renamed the link so don't hover over it if you don't want to know.

Spoiler

12 hours ago, milkyaqua said:

Decent wrap-up for the season.  Even though I had no interest in "stris" it made no sense to put the two together with Lina Esco leaving the show.  They had to have known she was leaving.  The fans of the couple will not/are not happy about it.

1 hour ago, Maverick said:

So will Chris still be dating Street next year, and mentioned but not seen?   Not sure how that will play out.   It's a little sitcomy with the oft mention but never revealed wife of a main character.

I knew about Lina Esco's statement the moment it came out. So I'm sure she won't be a regular next season. However, I do suspect she'll come back for an episode or two just to have a few scenes with Street, or maybe she'll be a key part in an episode as a "special guest star". I doubt this episode will be the last we'll see of Esco on S.W.A.T.

7 hours ago, SnazzyDaisy said:

Final wish prior to S6 - please let Nora Fowler into 20-squad, NOT Alexis Cabrera. Please‼️🙏🏻🤞🏻

Norah is my wish too. I was kind of surprised the episode didn't at least preview 20-squad working with a potential new character, but my guess is that the show is still undecided on how they will proceed following Christina Alonso's exit. I'm absolutely certain the show will not return without a female cast member among the main roles, because I doubt CBS will allow them to proceed with an all-male cast.

Speculating on Lina Esco's replacement seems to be a bit beyond the scope of this topic, by my reckoning. Should we start a new thread to discuss it?

[Snazzy Daisy]

1 hour ago, Danielg342 said:

Speculating on Lina Esco's replacement seems to be a bit beyond the scope of this topic, by my reckoning. Should we start a new thread to discuss it?

I already sent a tweet to SWAT Writers Room saying that Alexis Cabrera is 👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻 and has mentioned about one actress/martial artist that I like. Just a quick, random thought, nothing more. 😄

Edited May 24, 2022 by SnazzyDaisy

[WinJet0819]

13 hours ago, milkyaqua said:

Decent wrap-up for the season.  Even though I had no interest in "stris" it made no sense to put the two together with Lina Esco leaving the show.  They had to have known she was leaving.  The fans of the couple will not/are not happy about it.

And all that build up and forced drama wound up being a complete waste of screen time. I'm actually glad she chose to leave so we don't have to see their relationship forced into the show anymore. The hope is that whoever the new female addition is, they don't have her devolve into just being a love interest. Just let her be one of the team. Hell, have the new lady already be married or in a strong relationship.

[Danielg342]

OK, so I created a "speculation" topic where we can discuss, in more detail, the topic of who replaces Lina Esco as the show's female lead, as well as the show's many other unresolved storylines heading into S6. You can view the thread here:

The SWAT Speculation Thread - S.W.A.T. - PRIMETIMER

[JH Lipton]

On 5/23/2022 at 10:32 PM, Danielg342 said:

It could have been, you're right. Maybe they filmed it that way in case they didn't get a sixth season, and maybe they just liked the episode so much that they decided not to change it even after getting news of the renewal.

Not every show has to end on a cliff-hanger even if they know they're getting renewed.  I'm a little tired of them, myself.

On 5/22/2022 at 9:03 PM, Danielg342 said:

Farewell Christina Alonso...but, hopefully, as Hondo said, this isn't goodbye. We'll see what role- if any- she plays next season.

On 5/23/2022 at 10:32 PM, Danielg342 said:

I knew about Lina Esco's statement the moment it came out. So I'm sure she won't be a regular next season. However, I do suspect she'll come back for an episode or two just to have a few scenes with Street, or maybe she'll be a key part in an episode as a "special guest star". I doubt this episode will be the last we'll see of Esco on S.W.A.T.

I never thought that Lina Esco was all that great of an actress (and Chris was the only team-mate Hondo called by first name!), so I won't miss her much (and I certainly won't miss the ham-handed way they treated Erica).  I'm certainly not going out of my way to see what she's in next.  If she comes back for more cringey Striss cr*p, I'm fast-forwarding.

[Danielg342]

20 hours ago, JH Lipton said:

Not every show has to end on a cliff-hanger even if they know they're getting renewed.  I'm a little tired of them, myself.

I don't necessarily disagree. I too am tired of the traditional, "same Bat-time, same Bat-channel" style cliffhangers too, especially because in today's TV universe they're really not needed. I also think the episode doesn't necessarily need it, but if it had a small scene that gave a nod to an unresolved storyline, I would not have minded. It displays that the show is still aware of their unresolved stories and there's still a commitment to finishing them, instead of forgetting them and leaving us, the audience, to wonder what could have been.

[JH Lipton]

On 5/25/2022 at 10:16 PM, Danielg342 said:

I don't necessarily disagree. I too am tired of the traditional, "same Bat-time, same Bat-channel" style cliffhangers too, especially because in today's TV universe they're really not needed. I also think the episode doesn't necessarily need it, but if it had a small scene that gave a nod to an unresolved storyline, I would not have minded. It displays that the show is still aware of their unresolved stories and there's still a commitment to finishing them, instead of forgetting them and leaving us, the audience, to wonder what could have been.

Queens had a great cliff-hanger: The main characters are on stage and a special guest is announced.  Is it Jill or is it Lauren? Tune in next season to find out!!! (Except we won't since it was cancelled -- we can fantasize whichever one we want.)  No "Who will live and who will die????" nonsense like Our Kind of People.

[Raja]

The set up just drove me nuts, they have had FBI contacts before on the show. Even before Hondo and chris found a terrorist cell when the professor said nerve gas it was all hands on deck and your tactical teams need to be together not spilt up all over the state doing detective work.

[mojoween]

I’m getting tired of this show having the good characters (who I like) leave.  I’m still not over Jessica and now Chris.  (I mean Nichelle is positively lovely, but she is no Jessica.  And hey, they never replaced Jessica so I guess the LAPD didn’t even really need that position.)

If Lina is gone, and we don’t have to see Street mooning over Chris, and really Chris saying “he gets me” is gross, then fine.  Even if I would have also been fine with Street leaving after episode 2, never to be seen again.

I watched this two days ago so had a very visceral reaction to the student bringing the gun to the classroom.  

[nittany cougar]

10 hours ago, mojoween said:

I’m getting tired of this show having the good characters (who I like) leave.  I’m still not over Jessica and now Chris.  (I mean Nichelle is positively lovely, but she is no Jessica.  And hey, they never replaced Jessica so I guess the LAPD didn’t even really need that position.)

I feel like a show about law enforcement needs representation of the women in law enforcement. I guess Lina was that representation, but if they knew she was leaving, they should have added more development of the new SWAT members.  I feel like the writers' attitude is that, as long as there is a woman, it's all the same, but it's not to me.  Nichelle is a supporting character, so she cannot really fill the gap left by Chris.

I like Street and Luca the best of the remaining characters, but I will not watch just to see them.

One thing that bugged me about this episode was Luca's conversation with Chris.  He said she saw always at their house.  That is really interesting since it was never shown. It's like the writers just pull stuff out of their butts.

Edited June 3, 2022 by nittany cougar

[Danielg342]

I'm going to respond to the stuff about Lina Esco's replacement in the speculation thread since I think it belongs there.

12 hours ago, mojoween said:

I watched this two days ago so had a very visceral reaction to the student bringing the gun to the classroom.

Poor timing with recent events, I agree, though the episode aired before the tragedies happened. I wonder if, going forward, CBS will pull reruns of the episode for this summer.

2 hours ago, nittany cougar said:

One thing that bugged me about this episode was Luca's conversation with Chris.  He said she saw always at their house.  That is really interesting since it was never shown. It's like the writers just pull stuff out of their butts.

I suppose we could assume that Christina had been making frequent visits to the house because it wasn't like her and Street became close very recently. We have seen Street at Christina's apartment in S4, so it might not be a stretch that she's visited him a few times before then.