Kenny Johnson Previews ‘Beautiful Episode’ for His ‘S.W.A.T.’ Departure (Exclusive)

Johnson spoke to PopCulture.com about his final episode of ‘S.W.A.T.,’ airing tonight at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

April 5, 2024, 5:54pm

"Escape" – After a prison transport van overturns, Hondo and the team hunt down three female fugitives, including a serial killer on the verge of a rampage. Also, with Annie's return to work, Deacon struggles to maintain a work life balance, and Luca does his best to teach Kelly to drive, on S.W.A.T., Friday, March 15 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. Pictured (L-R): Kenneth "Kenny" Johnson as Dominique Luca. Photo: Jordin Althaus/CBS ©2024 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

On the heels of Alex Russell’s departure, Kenny Johnson is exiting S.W.A.T. in tonight’s new episode, and the actor spoke to PopCulture.com all about it. After Luca was shot in the final seconds of Season 7, Episode 6, “Escape,” S.W.A.T. is finally back following a three-week hiatus, and “Last Call” will see the aftermath of the shooting.

Since the previous episode ended right after Luca got shot, fans have no idea whether he made it or not. Johnson teases that while Luca looks like he’s dead and there was no way he lived through that, the episode is going to keep going in between, “Does he actually make it or not?” Meanwhile, “everybody sitting around on pins and needles going, ‘I don’t know if he’s going to make it,’” Johnson said. “The doctor, I don’t think, thought there was a good chance of it. So yeah, you’re going to find out if he comes out, how he comes out.”

Videos by PopCulture.com

As for 20-Squad, instead of just sitting around, Hondo and the team want to “go out and find these guys that shot one of their own,” Johnson shared. “And I know in real life when one of your own gets shot anywhere in the country, I think you hit deep with everybody. So tonight’s episode is all about that. And then whatever else, I mean, I’m not going to say. Can’t say.”

“Bunkies” – The team races to uncover the identities of kidnappers holding a prison guard’s family hostage before it’s too late. Also, Tan is faced with a difficult personal decision, on S.W.A.T., Friday, April 21 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.* Pictured: Kenneth “Kenny” Johnson as Dominique Luca. Photo: Bill Inoshita/CBS ©2023 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Tonight’s episode will mark Kenny Johnson’s last of S.W.A.T. after starring in the series since the very first episode in 2017. Ahead of Season 7, it was announced that he and Alex Russell were demoted to recurring. Despite appearing in only two of the final 13 episodes, Johnson says that Luca’s story will be properly wrapped up, and not just because his own daughter, Angelica Scarlet Johnson, was able to come back one last time as Kelly.

“I think they wrote a beautiful episode for the last one. I was glad that they circled around and brought Angelica,” Johnson explained. “She started when she was eight and now come full circle to where she’s at in that episode we just saw two weeks ago was pretty amazing. And then I think what happens in the way it happens is like a bittersweet ending. Again, I don’t want to give anything away, but is it a proper send-off yet? I think they did great. I think Ann Detman, the showrunner, did amazing, and Shawn Ryan, I mean, they really do it justice for Luca.”

However the episode goes down, it sounds like Luca will be getting the send-off he deserves, even if it is a bit premature. Hopefully, all is fine with him, but fans will want to tune in tonight, Apr. 5, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS to see how his story wraps up.