‘Hawaii Five-0’ Star Confirms Season 10 Exit — Will He Be Back?

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the Season 10 premiere of Hawaii Five-0.]

It was a bittersweet celebration for Hawaii Five-0 fans on Friday night as the CBS series toasted to its 10th season while also bidding farewell to a longtime member of the team.

In the episode, “Ua ʻeha ka ʻili i ka maka o ka ihe,” Jerry Ortega (Jorge Garcia) announced that, while recovering from being shot, he’d started writing a book about the sinking of the Titanic and its alleged connection to the United States Federal Reserve. Ultimately, this new career path means he’ll be leaving the task force for a quieter life.

This spurred many viewers to wonder if this life change for the character meant the Lost alum was leaving the show, a fact confirmed by the actor after the episode aired.

“I’m grateful for my time on Hawaii Five-0,” Garcia tells 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.”

(CBS)

Showrunner Peter M. Lenkov also weighed in on the departure, saying, “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.”

As for the potential for Jerry to return to the series, Lenkov adds, “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.”

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Garcia has been a member of the Five-0 cast since Season 4 when he was introduced as conspiracy theorist Jerry, Chin Ho Kelly’s high school pal. He was then promoted to series regular in Season 6, and became a member of the task force in Season 7.

We’ll miss you, Jerry!

Hawaii Five-0, Fridays, 8/7c, CBS