Hawaii Five-0 said goodbye to a fan-favorite member of the team on Friday night, and it appears the exit is for good. A longtime star has now confirmed he is leaving the CBS series just one episode into Season 10, with no sign of a return. Additionally, the series’ showrunner has also sounded off on the departure.
Spoilers ahead for Hawaii Five-0 Season 10, Episode 1.
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In the season premiere, Jorge Garcia, the actor behind Jerry Ortega, took his final bow. Jerry almost died as the result of a gunshot by Azra Hassan (Yasmin Dar), but did pull through. However, he has a new lease on life and decided to leave the team to work on a novel. His character is now officially written off the series after six seasons on Hawaii Five-0.
“I’m grateful for my time on Hawaii Five-0,” Garcia told TVLine. “I loved getting to return to the islands, and creating a character that connected with so many people. Playing Jerry was a blast, and I look forward to popping in again to play with my TV ohana.”
Peter M. Lenkov, the CBS drama’s showrunner, added, “Jorge was a breath of fresh air from the very moment he joined the cast, and fans immediately took to Jerry’s quirkiness as well as his kindness. There will always be a place for Jorge and Jerry on Hawaii Five-0, and while we obviously wish Jorge the very best, we will sincerely miss him very much.”
While it was an emotional moment for the cast and crew, fans were also distraught over Garcia’s departure. However, most seemed optimistic about what’s next for the series.
Jerry!!! 😭😭😭 We’re gonna miss you @jorgegarcia!!! I love your quirky humor. Hope to see you in a few more eps at least. #H50 #H50hana #Ohana
— H50hana (@H50hana) September 28, 2019
Wow…just tear up to see @jorgegarcia leaving this show. He is phenomenal, humorous, and sweet kind-hearted actor ever on Lost and now, this show. I wish him the best next adventure. Just hoping for him to appear into 2-3 episodes later this season. Hugs! See you around Oahu. pic.twitter.com/drH1KtJSyA
— Pray for Miracles (@Hawaii_Momi) September 28, 2019
okay so @jorgegarcia just left @HawaiiFive0CBS and I like cried, I’m gonnna miss Jerry so fucking much but at the same time I’m excited to seeing more of @katrinalaw. I loved her as Nyssa on @CW_Arrow so I’m pretty sure she’s not gonna disappoint as Quinn Liu
— 🏳️🌈Maxy D.🏳️🌈 (@maxy_ethot) September 28, 2019
Hawaii Five-0 airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
Photo Credit: CBS