Season 7, Episode 6 of the CBS procedural SWAT ended with a major cliffhanger as Kenny Johnson's Dominique Luca suffered three gunshot wounds while interrupting a robbery, including one shot that appeared to go into his chest.

Luca appeared unresponsive and the snippet for Episode 7 showed many officers standing at attention, but his fate is currently unknown. It looked bad, but there are reasons for fans to be hopeful that the third-generation SWAT officer survived the shooting.

What happened at the end of Episode 6?

At the end of Episode 6, Luca was giving Kelly a driving lesson and taking her out to a diner when the two came across a robbery in progress. After telling Kelly to stay hidden, he drew his sidearm and engaged the robbers as they were making their getaway.

However, Luca didn't see a third gunman who appeared while he was engaged with the other two. The shooter came out aiming his weapon at Luca, who noticed him too late and attempted to engage.

Before he could fire a round, Luca was hit twice in the upper body and fell to the ground. At this point, he was still alive, and he was struggling to reach for his service weapon on the ground when the shooter walked up to him and delivered what appeared to be an execution-style shot. On a closer analysis, though, it appears that this bullet may have hit Luca's shoulder rather than his chest or any vital organs.

The episode concluded with Kelly running over to Luca and pleading for help while he appeared to be unresponsive.

Luca could still be alive

There is reason for SWAT fans to be optimistic, though. The officers standing at attention does not necessarily indicate a funeral. In real life, the Los Angeles Police Department has a variation of the purple heart. The officers standing at attention could easily end up being for an awards ceremony where Luca is honored with the Purple Heart and not a funeral.

Furthermore, eagle-eyed observers pointed out that the officers in the snippet were not wearing the black band across their badge, which signifies a department in mourning. This is a show that tries to stick with realism as much as possible and tries to be accurate in its portrayal of the LAPD, especially as it relates to their customs and traditions. That means there is a good chance Luca is still alive.

Could we see Street and Chris together again?

We've already been told that Episodes 5 and 6 would be the last we would see of Jim Street. But what if this was meant to be a diversion? What if we were meant to think Street was gone, only for him to appear together with Chris on screen once more at Luca's bedside? This would be a touching way to honor all three of those characters and the relationship and impact they had on each other while sneaking in one more appearance from Chris and giving viewers a chance to see her and Street together one last time.

How does this impact the rest of the series?

Regardless of whether Luca survives or not, it is unlikely to have a material impact on how the remainder of the series plays out. It was announced early on that Luca would only be appearing in two episodes, and Episode 6 was his first of the season. This means that Episode 7 will be Luca's final episode regardless of whether it is a funeral or he is recuperating and potentially earning a medal.

This is certainly going to be an emotional SWAT episode either way, but fans shouldn't write Luca off and assume that he is dead just yet. It could go either way, and if he is alive it certainly means the door is being left open for a potential return in the finale or a possible eighth season if the show were to miraculously get saved again.

Sometimes, we can tell by the title what is likely to happen. Unfortunately, that isn't the case here. “Last Call” is the name of this episode, but that could mean multiple different things. It could be a reference to Luca’s passing, but it could just as likely refer to his medical retirement due to injuries he sustained from the shooting.

Part of the goal in having a seventh season was to give each of the main characters a proper send-off. Street had his exit in Episode 5, as his career came full circle and he left 20-Squad to run the SWAT team down in Long Beach.

Now, Luca gets his chance to be the center of attention one last time before the show comes to its conclusion. While it seemed at first that Luca would have a tragic exit, this may not be the case. An episode featuring Luca’s recovery and how his perspective on life evolves after being shot would give Kenny Johnson a well-deserved opportunity to showcase his acting skills and versatility.

Although we will be disappointed to see Luca leave the show before its finale, an episode showcasing his recovery and transition into the next stage of his life would be the perfect conclusion to Luca's character arc. Let's hope he is indeed alive and has a chance to ride off into the sunset on his own terms.