‘S.W.A.T.’: Lina Esco on Her Hope for Chris & Street, Plus Reaching 100 Episodes

Lina Esco as Christina “Chris” Alonso in SWAT
Preview
Sonja Flemming/CBS

While some coworkers in law enforcement on TV have no qualms about getting involved, the same can’t be said for Christina “Chris” Alonso (Lina Esco) and Jim Street (Alex Russell) of S.W.A.T.

“You’re going to maybe seeing more conflicted situations with Street” coming up, Esco told TV Insider while discussing her TV directorial debut with the March 30 episode. “It’s definitely unrequited love and complicated. I’m a fan of what the fans are loving right now, which is this whole ‘Stris’ thing. They have this hashtag. I hope there’s a fix to that. But I’m a supporter of it.”

Lina Esco as Christina “Chris” Alonso and Alex Russell as Jim Street in SWAT

Bill Inoshita/CBS

What we do know is coming up is a milestone for the CBS drama: its 100th episode, airing April 10. “It’s obviously gonna be action packed and they’re gonna give the audience all the thrills they want,” Esco said. “The episode I directed was 99, so imagine, I came off of the emotionality of like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe my episode’s over. I had the best time.’ to like, ‘Oh, shoot. Now we’re in Episode 100 and I cannot believe we just hit this milestone.’ I still can’t believe that we’ve hit 100. I never thought that was gonna happen.”

As for what else is coming up for Chris this season, she’ll be dealing with “all her personal stuff” and “you’re gonna see a little bit more of Mama Pina [Terri Hoyos],” she previewed. “Chris has been very moved about what’s happening at the safe house that Mama Pina’s running and how women are being saved and helped to start their lives in a much less dangerous world. I love all that activism.”

S.W.A.T., Sundays, 10/9c, CBS