Summary
The search for Hailey Upton’s replacement inChicago PDseason 12 gets some clarification from showrunner Gwen Sigan. Despite not being an original character,Tracy Spiridakos' Upton was a vital part of Hank Voight’s Intelligence. Technically a replacement character forSophia Bush’s Erin Lindsay, who left in Chicago PD season 4, Upton gradually carved her own legacy in One Chicago. In her later years, her role in the team grew as she also became closer to Voight.
Speaking withTV Insider, Sigan offers an update about their search for Upton’s replacement. Instead of bringingback an original character or promoting any of the existing team members, she hints that they will bedebuting a new player for the role of Voight’s right-hand person. Read his full quote below:
It’s going to be very fun to come up with some ideas and a new character and what a new character could add and how it would shift up the dynamics of the unit and new stories to tell. I think it will invigorate the show a lot to have somebody new come on.
Why Replacing Upton In Chicago PD Season 12 Is So Tricky
Upton was specifically great at pulling Voight back and making him understand that there’s another way to achieve their role without breaking the law.
Upton’s exit in theChicago PDseason 11 finalewas primarily motivated by her painful break-up with her husband, Jay Halstead. Despite initially promising to come back to her, Jesse Lee Soffer’s character failed to stay true to his word and opted to abandon his wife. Losing Upton is a massive blow to Intelligence. For years now, the team has been operating understaffed because of several big One Chicago departures. Luckily, it hasn’t impacted how effective they are in their jobs, butUpton’s exit makes it tricky to operate properly,especially since she was Voight’s deputy.
Aside from being Voight’s go-to at work, Upton has also become like a daughter to him. That was the crux of Intelligence’sChicago PDseason 11’s final case. These make it very difficult to find someone to replace Spiridakos' character moving forward.One Chicago will need able to go toe-to-toe with Voightwhen he’s teetering on the edge. It’s no secret that Intelligence’s leader has a penchant for crossing lines for justice. Upton was specifically great at pulling Voight back and making him understand that there’s another way to achieve their role without breaking the law.
Chicago PD Can No Longer Fix Its Worst Character Assassination After Upton’s Exit
After Hailey Upton’s exit, NBC and Wolf Entertainment can never fix Chicago PD’s worst character assassination for an Intelligence member.
While introducing a new character can invigorateChicago PDseason 12, the show should look into its already established crop of members to step up to the plate that Upton recently vacated. One Chicago has three existing candidates who can simply slide up —Kim Burgess, Adam Ruzek, and Kevin Atwater. In any case, all of them are already long due to be promoted, and this is the perfect time to do it.
Chicago P.D.
Cast
Chicago P.D.: This police drama, set in Chicago’s District 21, follows the distinct units within the Chicago Police Department—uniformed officers addressing street crimes and an Intelligence Unit tackling major offenses such as organized crime and drug trafficking, capturing the dedication of those who serve and protect their community.
