‘Chicago P.D.’ Speculation: Halstead and Upton Won’t Survive Their Separation
Chicago P.D. has been following the exploits of Sergeant Hank Voight and other members of the Chicago Police Department for nearly a decade. But one of the show’s latest developments could also be one of its most heartbreaking. More specifically, the exit of actor Jesse Lee Soffer’s Jay Halstead could doom his marriage to Tracy Spiridakos’ Hailey Upton.
Jesse Lee Soffer’s Jay Halstead returns to the Army in season 10
After nine years as one of the most prominent characters in Chicago P.D., Halstead chose to quit the Intelligence Unit so that he could return to the U.S. Army. In this new role, he’ll be hunting down drug cartels in Bolivia. But in some ways, his new post couldn’t have come at a worse time. After all, Halstead and Upton only just got married in Chicago P.D. Season 9.
The character’s love life has often been a major part of the show. He previously dated Detective Lindsay (Sophia Bush) from season two until season four, when she transferred to the FBI. So Halstead’s decision to leave his current relationship for a new job opportunity strangely feels like it’s bringing the character full circle in some regards. But what will the future hold for Halstead and Upton?
Halstead and Upton’s marriage is on shaky ground now
After everything he’s been through, Halstead reached a breaking point in season 10, episode three, “A Good Man.” He resigns from the Intelligence Unit, and in an emotional confrontation with Upton, Halstead reveals both news that he is leaving and his hopes that their love will endure.
“It’s black and white, it’s good and bad, it’s right and wrong, and it’s no more of this. I need that. I need that back. I fly out today. It’s not forever, it’s eight months, maybe a little longer. But I swear to you that we’re gonna get through this because you’re the love of my life, and if I’m yours, then you’ll know that you have to let me go.”
Of course, fans were already concerned about the characters’ marriage. So Halstead’s exit puts them in an even more precarious place, leaving it unclear how long Soffer will be absent from the show or if he’ll even return to Chicago P.D. at all.
Where does Halstead’s exit leave Upton going forward?
Of course, Upton will be one of the characters most acutely affected by Halstead’s absence. And showrunner Gwen Sigan teased just how Upton’s story will progress throughout the rest of season 10 and beyond, as Spiridakos remains in the cast without her on-screen husband. “Hailey’s really going to have to go through it this season,” Sigan told NBC Insider.
“She’s someone that doesn’t love dealing with emotion, doesn’t love confronting it head on. She’s naturally guarded, she wants to be strong, and she also wants to be strong for Jay too. He asked her for this, he said he needed it, and she loves him.”
Will Halstead and Upton reunite for their happily ever after, or is this the beginning of the end of their relationship? Only time will tell, but for the time being, fans shouldn’t expect Soffer or his Chicago P.D. counterpart to pop back up anytime soon.
Chicago P.D. Season 9 airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. EST on NBC.
