The Rookie’s Season 8 finale may have ended on a major Chenford cliffhanger on the 2026 TV schedule, but there is still something to smile about. ABC has officially picked up its spinoff, The Rookie: North, to series, meaning the universe is expanding once again. This marks the second spinoff of The Rookie, following the short-lived The Rookie: Feds. So, Jenna Dewan and more stars are celebrating the pickup by reaching out to North's star, Jay Ellis.

Ellis is leading the new spinoff as Alex Holland, a rookie at the Pierce County Police Department. Not long after the announcement dropped about the pickup, he took to his Instagram to share the incredibly good news, and not surprisingly, he is as happy as ever:

As a longtime fan of The Rookie, I am so excited that another series is joining the franchise, especially since the cast is pretty great. Along with Ellis, Janet Montgomery, Karen Fukuhara, Chris Sullivan, Froy Gutierrez, Mya Lowe, and Malik Watson also star, and everyone seems to be pretty psyched. Dewan, Fukuhara, and stars from other shows, including some from The Rookie, took to the comments to celebrate, and I’m obsessed with all the love:

• Jenna Dewan: Congratulations!!!!! 👏👏👏
• Angel Parker: Oh it’s such GOOD NEWS
• Jesse Lee Soffer: 👏👏👏
• Karen Fukuhara: This is gonna be so fun!!!!!
• Mya Lowe: yessssssir!
• Brenda Song: Congrats, Jay!!!👏👏🙌❤️

News about The Rookie: North has been a long time coming. It was first announced in late 2024 that ABC was eyeing another spinoff, but it didn’t actually move forward until last fall. I had been waiting for an update, and creator Alexi Hawley revealed in April that the pilot was done filming and turned out pretty good. So I’m really glad that executives also thought the pilot was strong enough to order it.

It’s also great to see Dewan and some other Rookie stars sharing their support, especially since I'm hopeful that we'll get some fun crossovers between the two shows next year. It does suck that The Rookie: North and presumably The Rookie won’t be airing until early 2027, but the wait will definitely be worth it. Considering the two shows not only take place in different cities but are filmed in different cities, I’m definitely curious as to how the crossovers will work, but that’s what makes it so exciting.

The wait for The Rookie: North will be excruciating, but if Ellis and his co-stars continue to share posts on Instagram that include interactions with The Rookie cast, that will be enough to keep fans hyped. A premiere date likely won’t come until later this year, but at least there is something to look forward to. So, for now, fans will just have to wait by watching all seasons of The Rookie with a Hulu subscription.

Despite the three shows of NBC's One Chicago airing their last episodes for a full month this week, fans of the Windy City franchise have a lot to celebrate while the Winter Olympics take over Wednesdays in the 2026 TV schedule. A promo for the upcoming crossover event was released to tease a whole lot more than just the usual elevated crisis that needs the heroes of all three shows.

Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos are returning as Halstead and Upton years after leaving Chicago P.D., and it means fans could finally see a grave mistake undone… if only P.D. follows the example set by Chicago Med earlier this season

Jesse Lee Soffer And Tracy Spiridakos Are Coming Back

After the crossover promo confirmed that Halstead and Upton will be part of the three-hour event, the Chicago P.D. cast was celebrating on social media. A cute video was posted to show Marina Squerciati and LaRoyce Hawkins interrogating their former co-stars about coming back, with Soffer reposting it via an Instagram Story. Check it out:

Meanwhile, Marina Squerciati used her own Instagram account to post a “date night” photo with Soffer and Spiridakos with “Upsteadgess's BACK!” as her caption. Spiridakos went on to post it on her own Story, with Etta James’ “At Last” playing over it.

If only Patrick John Flueger appeared in any of the posts, it would have felt like the full Intelligence Unit under Voight was back together! He may not have returned from his leave of absence at the time that the crossover was being filmed, so I’m not counting on seeing Ruzek back with Upton and Halstead.

Why Are The Characters Coming Back?

While we may have to wait for the three-parter in March for many details about the returns of Upstead, there are some early answers available. The former spouses will both be back, but they’re not returning as a team. Halstead, who left Chicago in early Season 10 in 2022 to abruptly rejoin the army, turns up after being deeply undercover on a drug case.

Meanwhile, Upton’s open-ending in Season 11 led her to become an FBI agent working out of the Detroit field office, and she returns to Chicago as part of a drug enforcement task force. This will lead her to cross paths with her ex-husband, and based on the promo, she won’t exactly be jumping for joy. Take a look:

Once I got over the jolt of shock not only that Upton and Halstead were both returning in the same episode but also that One Chicago kept it a secret for so long, I remembered why I can’t blame for Upton looking less than thrilled to see Halstead again, and it goes back to what I see as one of P.D.’s worst missteps of the past five or so years.

Chicago P.D.’s Grave Mistake With Upstead

What I see as a major mistake from Chicago P.D. actually happened back in October 2022, with the reveal of what would take Halstead from the Intelligence Unit after the news of Jesse Lee Soffer’s exit. There wasn’t much build to Halstead’s decision to depart, so his choice to rejoin the army and abandon his wife felt painfully abrupt.

At the time, I tried to focus on just being happy that P.D. didn’t kill him off to explain the actor’s absence, but his final scene with Upton still stings to this day. It involved grand but tearful declarations that they were the loves of each other’s lives, and an emotional kiss goodbye to go along with his promise he’d come back to her.

That would have added some sweetness to the bitter of his exit… if only it wasn’t confirmed that Jesse Lee Soffer was leaving the series, so fans knew that Halstead wasn’t going to be keeping any promises to come back.

Leaving their relationship that way was so desperately sad in early Season 10 that it pretty much guaranteed that Upton’s ending would be sad in late Season 11, when Tracy Spiridakos left Chicago P.D. All of Upton's fears and insecurities came back after Halstead left, and then he proceeded to ghost her and extend his service without telling her.

It was impossible – for me, at least – to not be mad at Halstead in absentia while watching what she was going through, and she was still running herself ragged even after signing the divorce papers. Throw in the fact that Upton’s closest relationship in Intelligence became with Voight of all people, and how Halstead’s exit was written just continued to cause negative ripples as the seasons passed. Even Burzek getting married didn’t soothe the sting of how Upstead ended.

But now, One Chicago could fix it.

How To Make Amends, Chicago Med-Style

In case it seems like Upton and Halstead presumably returning just for the crossover doesn’t seem like enough time for them to come back together, I’ll just point you to Chicago Med reuniting Nick Gehlfuss and Torrey DeVitto for one episode back in Manstead’s old stomping grounds as an example of a happy ending being set up and then delivered within the course of an hour.

The episode, which is available streaming with a Peacock subscription now, started with Owen circling the drain after being shot and ended with Will happily agreeing to adopt Owen as his own while Natalie was heavily pregnant with their baby. Their ending was still nearly as open as when he made his first surprise visit to Seattle, but a happy kind of open.

And Jay Halstead would do well to follow his brother’s example! Considering that there’s a whole crisis to drive the crossover and the series regular casts of three shows to balance, I’m not really expecting Upton and Halstead to have all that much screentime until the Chicago P.D. hour of the three-parter, so there’s not going to be much time for them to hash out all of their issues stemming from how he left her back in 2022.

But I don’t need everything to happen on screen, as long as the crossover makes me let go of my grudge against Halstead for what he did in abandoning Upton and gives Upstead some kind of happy ending. Surely there’s no reason not to give them a happy ending now that they’re not series regulars anymore, right?

An open ending on good terms is all I’m asking for, and it could be enough to finally add some sweet to the bitterness of how the good ship Upstead floundered and sank. And if Chicago Med could deliver what Manstead fans were waiting for in just one episode, why can't P.D. do the same for Upstead fans and the crossover?

Whether you’re an Upstead fan or not, there are still several weeks to wait before finding out what One Chicago has in store for them as guest stars. The crossover event with Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos back in the mix will air on NBC after the end of the 2026 Winter Olympics, on Wednesday, March 4 at 8 p.m. ET. In the meantime, you can always revisit earlier episodes of the franchise streaming on Peacock.

One Chicago fans were in for some bad news by the end of the night on February 4, with Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med going on a mini hiatus for the rest of the month in the 2026 TV schedule. Then, the promo for the upcoming three-part crossover aired after the newest episode of the medical drama, and officially confirmed two former P.D. fan favorites who are coming back. Prepare to welcome Jay Halstead and Hailey Upton back to NBC's Windy City!

Yes, Jesse Lee Soffer is returning as Halstead for the first time since early Season 10 and Tracy Spiridakos will be back for the first time since Upton's exit at the end of Season 11. Check out the promo that already has fans talking:

I won't lie: after recently going on about how I was missing Halstead and Upton on Chicago P.D., I initially thought the promo had just cut in footage from old episodes, but I'm happy to be wrong! Kudos to the One Chicago team for keeping a lid on the news for this long; just as when Tracy Spiridakos' crossover to FBI wasn't announced way ahead of time, fans can enjoy the surprise while facing a mini hiatus.

The crossover kicks off when Chicago Fire's Firehouse 51 is called to an airfield after a passenger jet goes silent mid-air, and their discovery has consequences that could extend beyond the runway and put a lot of people in mortal danger.

The two former cops will come into the mix in a different way. Halstead left the Windy City back in the fall of 2022, abruptly rejoining the army to work a drug mission... in Bolivia. He then ghosted his wife despite their heartfelt farewell, and the closest he came to returning in the years since was Jesse Lee Soffer directing a few episodes.

As for Upton, she went through the emotional wringer from early Season 10 to the very end of Season 11, with showrunner Gwen Sigan telling CinemaBlend at the time why her exit came without hard answers about the former detective's future.

Well, now we have some answers! TVLine reports that Upton will appear in the three-part crossover as an FBI Special Agent working out of the Detroit field office, brought back to Chicago as part of a drug enforcement task force case. This will put her back in contact with Halstead, as her ex-husband has been deep undercover on a job that leads him to her drug case.

While it's much too soon to say how much screentime the duo will get and whether they'll appear in all three episodes of the crossover, fans in the Instagram comment section are buzzing about seeing Halstead and Upton again. Take a look at just a handful, including Chicago Fire series regular Jocelyn Hudon:

• @jocelynhudon: "👏👏👏👏👏👏👏"
• @eloquenceoffelicities: "Halstead and Upton return! I am seated!"
• @mr.tran_khuong: "Halstead and Upton are back and it feels so good"
• @kellbell315: "THE WAY I SCREAMED!!! IS IT MARCH 4TH YET?!"
• @ceverett1214: "Aaaaahhhhhhhhhh I spotted a Halstead brother!!!!!!!❤️"

Jesse Lee Soffer's return officially makes the second return of a Halstead brother in the 2025-2026 TV schedule, after Nick Gehlfuss reprised his role as Dr. Will Halstead early in Chicago Med's eleventh season. (You can see his arc streaming now with a Peacock subscription.) This is also his return to the small screen as an actor for the first time since the cancellation of FBI: International on CBS. As for Tracy Spiridakos, she evidently made the time for her guest appearance despite filming for her new USA series.

The crossover between Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and Chicago P.D. will hit the airwaves on Wednesday, March 4 starting at 8 p.m. ET with Fire at a special time. If all goes well, the event will be a particular treat for Upstead fans who are still bitter about how their relationship ended. In the meantime, you can revisit earlier episodes of all three shows streaming on Peacock.

CBS went on a renewal spree before the end of February in the 2025 TV schedule, dropping great news for some of its biggest dramas like Elsbeth and Tracker. Conspicuously missing from the list of shows getting an order for the 2025-2026 TV season was FBI: International, currently in its fourth season with the Fly Team. As a fan of the show who had been hoping for a renewal sooner rather than later, I'm going to focus on a fun story from Eva-Jane Willis that recalls Jesse Lee Soffer's One Chicago days rather than stressing over the wait for renewal news.

I spoke with Eva-Jane Willis, who has been playing Smitty as the Fly Team's Europol liaison since Season 2, about the big Season 4 episode that revisited Smity's past at a school that had kicked her out on trumped up charges years earlier. While the storyline was difficult for Smitty (other than the bright spot of getting to call on former series regular Christiane Paul's Katrin Jaeger for an assist) as a character, the actress only had good things to say about filming the episode, called "Veritas Fidelis" and available streaming now with a Paramount+ subscription.

The show was actually able to film on the campus of the real-life Cambridge University, which doubled as the fictional university that had kicked Smitty out, and she shared that it was "absolutely beautiful" and how one of the "major advantages of being on this show is that we get access to stuff that other people never get access to." Having watched the episode before speaking with her, I had a very specific question about their time filming there.

One of the Fly Team's raids was unexpectedly pretty when it began to snow, despite the rest of the episode being snow-free, so were there extra complications thanks to the weather? Willis responded:

The large, fluffy snowflakes that looked lovely to me watching from home weren't quite so lovely from a production standpoint for the actors filming on location in Cambridge. Jesse Lee Soffer, who joined FBI: International in Season 4 after ten seasons of Chicago P.D., took action. Per Eva-Jane Willis:

As a viewer of NBC's One Chicago series elsewhere in the nine-show Dick Wolf TV universe that also includes CBS' FBIs, I'd seen plenty of on-location episodes to prove that the Windy City of the U.S. also delivers plenty of crazy weather. When I noted to Eva-Jane Willis that I guessed Soffer might have thought he left the surprise snows behind in Chicago, she laughed and responded:

Even coming from the snow and cold of One Chicago to the world of FBI: International, Soffer doesn't get to film on a beach in Portugal for every episode! It's always fun to hear the actors of such serious shows laughing about behind-the-scenes mishaps, and I can only hope that FBI: International (as well as the currently unrenewed FBI: Most Wanted) gets good news about another season sooner rather than later.

The only one of the three FBI shows that is currently guaranteed a future on CBS is the original series, which was renewed for another three seasons last spring and set to air through the 2026-2027 TV season. I've been a bit nervous about International and Most Wanted since news broke about a potential FBI: CIA spinoff, which would be set in New York City and possibly cheaper to produce than either of the existing spinoffs. And Tuesday night only has so many time slots!

But why worry now when we can focus on much more fun moments out of the FBIs? If you want to rewatch the snowy scene that had Eva-Jane Willis reminiscing, you can do so on Paramount+ by streaming the "Veritas Fidelis" episode of Season 4, and new installments of International air on CBS Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET, between FBI and FBI: Most Wanted.

The first episode of FBI: International in the 2025 TV schedule picked up on the cliffhanger from back in the fall when Vo (Vinessa Vidotto) was shot and possibly on death's door, with Wes (Jesse Lee Soffer) not handling it well, to say the least. Following the winter premiere with the Fly Team's desperate efforts to get justice for Vo, Soffer posted some photos from the cast's real-life trip to film in Paris and made me think of what Vinessa Vidotto told CinemaBlend about Wes and Vo.

Most of the episode went down in Paris, with most of the Fly Team in pursuit of Csonka. They couldn't save Vo themselves, but they could get justice for her if they could catch the man responsible for her grievous injuries. Throw in Raines (Carter Redwood) being kidnapped in Paris and the team having no way of knowing if Vo would survive or not, and they did not have a good time in the City of Light. Based on photos from Jesse Lee Soffer on Instagram, the cast had a much better time in France than their characters did:

I'd say that real-life friendship between Soffer and Station 19 alum Jay Hayden is on display in some of those photos! Considering that Wes and Tyler didn't have much to smile about, goofy grins from stars are fun to see. And fortunately, Vo did survive her injuries, so the Fly Team won't be mourning in the time jump following the winter premiere, as previewed by Vinessa Vidotto.

The actress didn't appear in the winter premiere at all, though, and previously opened up about thinking she "might be dying" when she filmed the fall finale. (Both the fall finale and winter premiere are available streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.) She did confirm to CinemaBlend that she'll be back in Episode 10, however.

After seeing the Paris photos and remembering how the team went all-out while Vo may have been dying back in Budapest, I was reminded of when I asked Vinessa Vidotto: who on the Fly Team does Vo feel closest to? After all, she and Raines have had a bond over the years and she bonded with Tate in 2024, but Season 4 established the history with Wes. The actress settled the question, saying:

It should be interesting to see if Vo's relationships shift at all in the wake of being shot and nearly dying. While she will be back on the Fly Team, Vinessa Vidotto shared that she doesn't think they "dive too deep into the trauma and experience of it all," but instead, the "underlying thing is that she felt like she failed the team, or has to prove to Wes that she belongs still." I doubt that any other characters would have any doubts about Vo belonging, but it's nice to know with certainty that the character will be back in action on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

As always, FBI: International airs between FBI at 8 p.m. ET and FBI: Most Wanted at 10 p.m. ET. Neither of International's sister shows had quite as big of cliffhangers to resolve in their winter premieres, but Scola avoided disaster on the original show while Nina had to consider accountability on the spinoff.

CBS has a good thing going on Tuesday nights with the three FBI shows, and FBI: International ended the 2024 TV schedule on the most intense cliffhanger. The most immediate concern after the fall finale regards whether Vo will survive being shot into the 2025 TV schedule, but Wes and Tyler seemingly gearing up to avenge her doesn't bode well for them in the new year. While we can only speculate about what they'll actually do after their cliffhanger, new cast member Jay Hayden's deep dive on his longtime real-life friendship with Jesse Lee Soffer goes way back.

It was no secret ahead of Hayden's debut as Agent Tyler Booth that he and Soffer were friends well before he landed his role on FBI: International, not too long after Station 19 ended on ABC. The Chicago P.D. alum previewed "some baggage" between Tyler and Wes all the way back in an October interview with CinemaBlend, hyping getting to work with his real-life "really close friend."

Well, it remains to be seen just how close Wes and Tyler will be in the winter premiere and beyond, but when I spoke with Jay Hayden about his arrival in CBS' FBI world, I discovered that the friendship with Jesse Lee Soffer goes way further back than I knew. When I asked what it was like for him to work with somebody who was a friend before he was a co-star, Hayden replied:

Characters gazing into each other's eyes is a classic on the small screen, and both Jay Hayden and Jesse Lee Soffer did plenty of it in their respective Station 19 and Chicago P.D. days. Who knew that they'd be locking eyes shortly into their time together on FBI: International? After laughing about that interaction, Hayden went on:

It's not shocking to learn that Hayden and Soffer had some laughs behind the scenes after how the Fly Team newcomer recounted his surprisingly silly scene with Wes from his first episode. The two actors had to be pulled back after their golf scene "just turned into a party."

What was surprising – to me, at least – was hearing from Hayden that he and Soffer had known each other for nearly two decades. I'd imagined that they'd met more recently as the stars of two successful network TV shows. When I noted that their friendship went back to pre-Station 19 and pre-Chicago P.D. days, he recalled:

I don't want to say that future TV stars Jesse Lee Soffer and Jay Hayden practicing auditions together parallels how future movie stars Robert Pattinson, Eddie Redmayne, Andrew Garfield, Charlie Cox, and Jamie Dornan all lived together before making it big, but that's certainly where my mind went! Hayden and Soffer had no way of knowing 15 years ago that not only would they star in their own network TV hits, but would also join forces another another successful series.

Plus, Mob Doctor certainly is a deep cut, as Jesse Lee Soffer was part of the cast of that short-lived series from 2012-2013, and it's possible that he never would have joined One Chicago full time if that Fox drama had taken off. Chicago P.D. premiered in early 2014, after Soffer made some earlier appearances on Chicago Fire.

As for how long we can expect to see Wes and Tyler together on FBI: International, Hayden confirmed after his first episode that he'd be around for "a bunch of episodes" and "Maybe I'll swing back through." A series of photos that he posted to hype his arrival showcased some of that real-life friendship, as you can see below:

For better or worse, we'll learn the fallout of whatever Wes and Tyler decide following that fall finale cliffhanger when FBI: International returns in 2025 on Tuesday, January 27 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. If you'll need a refresher on how the show wrapped 2024, you can find the episode streaming with a Paramount+ subscription. As always, International airs between FBI (which lost a major cast member in 2024) at 8 p.m. ET and Most Wanted at 10 p.m. ET.

FBI: International is running out of episodes in the 2024 TV schedule, but CBS' hit drama has one coming up next that fans have had reason to look forward to for months: the arrival of Station 19 alum Jay Hayden. His casting for International was announced all the way back in September, and viewers won't have to wait until the 2025 TV schedule to see him in action. His debut airs on December 10, and Jesse Lee Soffer – a.k.a. ASA Wes Mitchell – hyped what to expect from his real-life "really close" friend on the series.

I spoke with the FBI: International star earlier in the fall ahead of his debut as the new Fly Team leader, about everything ranging from why Chicago P.D. fans should tune in to the particulars of Mitchell's relationship with Vo. After the Season 4 premiere, which was deliberately treated like a pilot, ended with some unanswered questions for Wes, Soffer previewed what was ahead to continue the story. Now, with the arrival of Jay Hayden as Agent Tyler Booth just days away, check out what the One Chicago alum said:

Hayden's character will be somebody who Mitchell knows well from before he joined the Fly Team, although the pair's partnership had already ended at some point before the series premiere. Will the "baggage" between them have anything to do with why Mitchell had a different partner when he was first introduced?

Only time will tell on that front, but Jesse Lee Soffer did preview the storyline that will involve Hayden's character, and it will tie back to the bad guy who Mitchell offended in the Season 4 premiere. (You can revisit the episode now with a Paramount+ subscription.) The actor shared:

Given that I got this scoop on Jay Hayden's role on FBI: International when I spoke with Jesse Lee Soffer back in October, more specifics are available with the episode – called "Keen as a Bean" – scheduled as the very next to air. According to the official description from CBS, here's what to expect:

The mention of the Fly Team chasing an American on the "Most Wanted" list of course makes me wonder if we'll get a cameo or two from the FBI: Most Wanted cast with some info to share from across the ocean. I could see Dylan McDermott appearing via video call as Remy Scott, or maybe FBI's Alana de la Garza as Isobel Castille.

What we can say is that Jesse Lee Soffer and Jay Hayden seemed to be having fun while working on International together, if the photo below is any indication:

Tune in to CBS on Tuesday, December 10 at 9 p.m. ET for the "Keen as a Bean" episode of FBI: International, between FBI in the wake of Maggie's difficult decision at 8 p.m. ET and FBI: Most Wanted with the task force at 10 p.m. ET. If you want to see Jay Hayden in action from his Station 19 days, you can find that show streaming with a Hulu subscription. As always, new International episodes are available streaming next day on Paramount+.

Spoilers ahead for Episode 5 of FBI: International Season 4, called "The Future's Looking Bright."

The action of FBI: International's latest episode in the 2024 TV schedule took the team to Poland, searching for a wealthy man who had been kidnapped when trying to connect with a beautiful young woman he'd met online. They managed to crack the case, catch the bad guys, and rescue the man... although not entirely unscathed. The element of the episode that has me already thinking ahead to the 2025 TV schedule was the storyline with Wes and Vo, however, and it reminded me of what new leading man Jesse Lee Soffer told CinemaBlend ahead of Season 4.

What Happened With Wes And Vo In Episode 5

Vo was of course the only member of the Fly Team who knew Wes before he came to Budapest in the pilot-like Season 4 premiere, but "The Future's Looking Bright" suggested a different kind of connection between the two agents. They matched on a dating site after Raines convinced him to join. Their interactions were actually pretty amusing when Vo mentioned it, with Wes calling himself out by saying "I need to adjust my age settings" and Vo clarifying that she just thought it was funny and suggested that he "tone down all the golf talk" on his profile.

That wasn't the end of the golf talk in the episode, though, as Vo brought him to a rented space held by a "blue chip CEO" who gave the Fly Team keys and only comes back a couple times per year. Inside the room? An elaborate virtual golf simulator setup, and Jesse Lee Soffer looked about as happy as Wes as he has all season... and really, happier than he did all of his final episodes on Chicago P.D. (You can stream this episode of International with a Paramount+ subscription.)

And I was surprised to see some sparks flying between Wes and Vo as Soffer and Vinesso Vidotto played their characters interacting off the clock! That's not to say that FBI: International intends to fan those sparks into flames, as previous attempts at inter-team romance didn't work out so well for Forrester and Kellett, and that just doesn't happen as frequently in the FBIs as over in Soffer's former home of One Chicago.

Plus, the boost in chemistry might just be attributable to two characters having something to smile about after a pretty intense episode. And who knows? Maybe Wes would have sparks with anybody who joined him at the golf simulator. It certainly seems to be his new favorite place in Budapest!

What Jesse Lee Soffer Said About Wes And Vo

When I had the opportunity to speak with Jesse Lee Soffer earlier in the fall about why Chicago P.D. fans should check out FBI: International and what he got himself into with joining the FBIs on CBS, I also asked what kind of a mentor or teacher Wes could be for Vo after how the Season 4 premiere ended. He shared:

The actor also clarified that he didn't "think it's going to be tricky" between Wes and Vo that she was once his trainee and is now closer to his peer as an agent to his SSA, and previewed that she "becomes his right hand in some ways." According to Soffer back in the very beginning of the season, Wes "says he trusts her, and he pays her that respect." All in all, International planted seeds at least for strong mutual trust that Wes doesn't necessarily have with all of the rest of the team.

So, whatever you read into the sparks that were flying between Wes and Vo in the latest episode, they may go no farther than him relying on her as his right hand agent and friend. Of course, I spoke with Soffer back in October, well before the latest episode aired, but I couldn't help but flash back after watching "The Future's Looking Bright."

And I also remembered a more lighthearted tangent that we took during the interview, after the Season 4 premiere ended with Wes playing the mini golf game in his new office. When I asked if Wes would be keeping the golf setup, Soffer responded:

If only I knew at the time that Wes would be getting access to an elaborate golf simulator elsewhere in Budapest! Whatever happens next, I'm enjoying continuing to get lighthearted moments between members of the Fly Team. Wes and Tate also had a sweet conversation in the previous episode, in which he made her an offer that actress Christina Wolfe believes she was tempted to take.

FBI: International will continue airing new episodes on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS, between FBI at 8 p.m. ET and FBI: Most Wanted at 10 p.m. ET. CBS has also confirmed when the FBIs will return in 2025, and fans won't have too painfully long to wait into the new year.

Spoilers ahead for Episode 3 of FBI: International Season 4 on CBS, called "Nothing Sudden About It."

The fourth season of FBI: International wasted no time in the fall 2024 TV schedule before adding Chicago P.D. alum Jesse Lee Soffer to the Fly Team as SSA Wes Mitchell. His first episode was designed to feel like a pilot and the character was a headache for his new coworkers to start, but the team seemed like a well-oiled machine on the case of a missing girl in Portugal by "Nothing Sudden About It."

After watching this episode and its reveal about Mitchell in the final moments, I flashed back to what Soffer told me about filming in Portugal. First things first, though!

An Emotional Reveal About Wes Mitchell

The earliest scene featuring Mitchell in this episode (which will be available streaming with a Paramount+ subscription) featured him at a tattoo parlor, charming the artist while lying about the job that brought him to Budapest. To be honest, my first thought was that Wes Mitchell was making some questionable decisions if he's getting permanent ink on his arm in Hungary before he even found an apartment, but his reasoning became clear by the end of the episode after Vo gave a nice speech encouraging him to open up to her and the rest of the Fly Team.

Back in the tattoo parlor, the episode gave a quick look at the numbers that Mitchell was having inked onto his arm, and he was more honest this time when the artist asked some questions. He explained that they're badge numbers of "fellow agents that [he] used to work with, friends of mine." The first was in honor of Alana Greggs from two years earlier, and the second was for Mike Brooks, who died in the Season 4 premiere.

I hadn't seen this episode when I spoke with Jesse Lee Soffer about why Chicago P.D. fans should watch FBI: International, so I couldn't ask at the time if he's now obligated to have fake tattoos on his arm every time he films in short sleeves from this point forward. He did drop some details that were clearly about "Nothing Sudden About It" now that I look back, though, and they're definitely easy to get.

What Jesse Lee Soffer Told Us

Coming to FBI: International after more than 200 episodes in NBC's One Chicago as Detective Jay Halstead was a bold move for Jesse Lee Soffer, and even he was asking what he was getting himself into. It involved moving to Budapest to film, so when I spoke with the actor, I asked about his experience with the relocation. He shared:

The actor didn't drop any of the curse words that he'd picked up since joining FBI: International, but apparently he's learning more Hungarian the longer that he stays in Budapest. While there are tricky elements to making the move to Europe, he cited a filming experience that I now know was a reference to Epsidoe 3. Soffer went on:

The characters didn't exactly get to fully appreciate that beach in Portugal while they were on the case of a missing teen girl on a trip from the United States, but that wasn't the case for FBI: International's newest leading man. Having now seen the episode, I totally get what Jesse Lee Soffer meant about marveling that visiting a gorgeous beach in Portugal was part of his job. Talk about a change from the chilly temps that he'd be experiencing filming Chicago P.D. this time of year if he was still in One Chicago!

See what's next for SSA Wes Mitchell with new episodes of FBI: International on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET, between FBI at 8 p.m. ET and FBI: Most Wanted at 10 p.m. ET on CBS. You can also watch episodes streaming next day with a subscription to Paramount+.

FBI: International returned for Season 4 in fall's 2024 TV schedule, but not to pick up precisely where last season left off like what happened previously when an explosion rocked the Fly Team HQ. In fact, the premiere was one big fresh start with the arrival of Chicago P.D. alum Jesse Lee Soffer as SSA Wes Mitchell. A fair amount of the premiere actually wasn't set in Europe at all, but in LA to set up Mitchell's arrival in Budapest. According to Soffer, the goal was to treat the episode "like a pilot," which makes me wonder: how much will Season 4 feel like a reboot?

A bit of a reset was inevitable after the departure of Luke Kleintank as SSA Scott Forrester, especially since he didn't get an on-screen sendoff. Still, I was so struck by how FBI: International's Season 4 premiere (which is available streaming now with a Paramount+ subscription) devoted so much time to what happened in LA to motivate Mitchell to join the Fly Team that I had to ask the new star about it.

After Jesse Lee Soffer confirmed that the Los Angeles sequences "cheated Budapest for LA" and commended "production design on a great job" of doubling the city in Hungary for California, he addressed the massive scale of the episode:

FBI: International said goodbye to cast members before without treating the following episode "like a pilot," but losing Heida Reid as Kellett and Christiane Paul as Jaeger isn't quite the same as losing the top-billed Luke Kleintank when there was no other SSA on the Fly Team who could step into his shoes.

Of course, Forrester had been setting Vo up to take on more of a leadership position last season, but she was not promoted over hiatus to Supervisory Special Agent status to take over the Fly Team. That tracks, as she is early in her career and Mitchell has been in the FBI for years even after a decade as a cop. (No, I'm not referring to his ten seasons of Chicago P.D.)

But since she has that history with Mitchell, will it be tricky at all for him to work with her as more of an equal than a trainee? Jesse Lee Soffer weighed in:

Whether he comes around and starts listening to Smitty's concerns as the team's Europol liaison is a different matter, based on what happened in Jesse Lee Soffer's first episode! So, with the show having a fresh start insofar as there's a new leading man this season, should fans expect International to delve into Mitchell's backstory? I asked the actor that very question, and he shared:

While it definitely would be a reboot of sorts if FBI: International changed into a fully serialized show with this "whole arc" unfolding week after week after week, there's no reason to expect that this arc will be handled any differently than how International approached Forrester's by just going back to it between batches of standalone episodes. In fact, Mitchell explains his approach to the job as boss in the below clip from the next episode:

Well, if any of the characters were on the fence about Mitchell more than they were admitting, Jesse Lee Soffer's character welcoming Tank back into the Fly Team seemed to earn him a lot of points! All in all, I expect that Season 4 will feel like a reboot in some ways with a new leading man who hadn't gotten a soft introduction or backdoor pilot in an earlier episode, but not a whole new show.

Most of the cast stuck around from the end of last season, and FBI: Most Wanted pulled it off when Dylan McDermott joined Season 3 after Julian McMahon's Jess LaCroix was killed off; why shouldn't FBI: International successfully do the same? See more of how Jesse Lee Soffer's SSA Wes Mitchell fits in (or doesn't) with the rest of the Fly Team with new episodes of FBI: International on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET, between FBI at 8 p.m. ET after losing a cast member and FBI: Most Wanted with some relationship updates at 10 p.m. ET, all on CBS.

Warning: spoilers are ahead for the Season 4 premiere of FBI: International, called "A Leader, Not a Tourist."

CBS brought the three FBI shows back to Tuesday nights in the fall 2024 TV schedule, and FBI: International all but hit the reset button in its fourth season premiere. Chicago P.D. alum Jesse Lee Soffer joined the cast as the new Fly Team leader to replace Luke Kleintank's SSA Scott Forrester, and it's clear enough after the first episode that SSA Wes Mitchell isn't Forrester 2.0 (or Halstead 2.0). Soffer spoke with CinemaBlend about his new role as Wes, including how he's going to cause some problems for the Fly Team and the impact of his ten years as a cop before joining the Bureau.

Wes Mitchell was an agent with the Los Angeles field office when International kicked off its fourth season, but he went overseas after his partner was shot by some men who fled back to Budapest. He didn't make the best impression on the Fly Team other than Vo, who he'd trained and knew at least some of what to expect from him. When he decided at the end of the episode to stick with the team rather than return to the U.S. to deal with a breakup and the loss of his partner, Vo cautioned him that working with the authorities of other countries requires some "finesse."

So, how much finesse does Wes Mitchell have that he just didn't show off in the Season 4 premiere? I asked Jesse Lee Soffer that very question after he weighed in on why Chicago P.D. fans should watch FBI: International, and he shared:

While the Fly Team welcomed him warmly enough at first in the Season 4 premiere (which you'll be able to streaming with a Paramount+ subscription), he wasn't exactly receptive to everybody trying to make him understand that what works to get info and access in the U.S. isn't going to fly in Budapest and elsewhere. When I noted that Smitty in particular seemed like she was preparing for a headache with Wes sticking around, Soffer confirmed:

It's not hard to see why the Europol liaison and the "bull in a china shop" FBI agent might not be each other's favorite person on FBI: International! She was of course sympathetic to Mike's death and is no stranger to personal feelings overlapping onto a case, but I can imagine she's missing Forrester's softer touch in early Season 4. That also might not change any time too soon, as Jesse Lee Soffer addressed whether there's anybody on the team Wes would actually listen to:

"He doesn't listen" seems to be a theme for Wes after just one episode, and what's entertaining to watch for viewers from home isn't necessarily fun for the characters who work with him! It certainly sounds like Smitty won't be the biggest fan of his approach, at least at first. Vo did establish that even Smitty was on board with Wes replacing their wine and cheese loving leader.

Part of what set Wes apart from the other agents as well as Smitty is that his background wasn't just at the FBI; he spent ten years as a cop. The nine-show Dick Wolf TV universe isn't so meta that FBI: International gave Jesse Lee Soffer's new character the background of ten years as a Chicago cop, but his background with the LAPD showed in his approach to the investigation in Budapest. Will that be a recurring element for Wes? Jesse Lee Soffer previewed:

Actions to cause Smitty some headaches aside, his dogged approach to the job is going to be key to Wes. After sharing how his new character "loves work" when he shared how he prepared to join FBI: International three full seasons in, Soffer said:

See more of Jesse Lee Soffer as SSA Wes Mitchell with new episodes of FBI: International on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET, between FBI in the wake of a departure at 8 p.m. ET and FBI: Most Wanted with its terrifying fugitives at 10 p.m. ET, all on CBS. If you want to revisit Soffer's first episode as Wes Mitchell, you'll be able to stream it via Paramount+.

FBI: International is returning to CBS in the 2024 TV schedule, and the fourth season will be the first without Scott Forrester as leader of the Fly Team following Luke Kleintank's departure. The drama brought in another star from the nine-show Dick Wolf TV universe as the new leading man, with Chicago P.D. alum Jesse Lee Soffer playing Supervisory Special Agent Wes Mitchell. Soffer spoke with CinemaBlend about joining a hit show already three full seasons in after a decade in One Chicago and more.

Soffer debuts as Wes Mitchell in the Season 4 premiere, called "A Leader, Not a Tourist," which will see the LA-based SSA chasing a case to Budapest after his partner is shot on the job, and it's a safe bet that the action will escalate. When I spoke with the actor, whose ten-season run on Chicago P.D. ended in late 2022, about how he prepared to step into the lead role of a show that's already ongoing, he shared:

Working with showrunner Matt Olmstead was actually a reunion for Jesse Lee Soffer, as Olmstead was a co-creator and showrunner of Chicago P.D. for the first four seasons. It takes more than just a behind-the-scenes reunion to prepare to star in an ongoing show, though, so did the actor go back and watch earlier episodes of International? I asked that very question, and he confirmed:

Fans may know a thing or two about binge-watching FBI: International, especially if they have a Paramount+ subscription. The question of what he was getting himself into was certainly a big one. After all, between Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D., he'd spent nearly a full decade playing the same character, and FBI: International is his first acting credit since leaving P.D. (He directed two episodes of his former show over the past couple of years.)

While Soffer has a message for Chicago P.D. fans who are on the fence about FBI: International, it's already clear enough that Wes Mitchell will be a new kind of character for him even though he's returning to the Dick Wolf TV universe. Wes also isn't going to be Scott Forrester 2.0. I asked Soffer how the two compare after he'd watched the earlier seasons, and he responded:

Considering that Jesse Lee Soffer is FBI: International's newest series regular and not a guest star like Chicago Med alum Colin Donnell was back in the spring, it's pretty safe to say that he'll be sticking with the Fly Team. The actor continued:

It should be interesting to see how that energy from Wes gels – or doesn't gel – with the rest of the Fly Team as Season 4 continues. Vo was stepping up as a leader with Forrester's encouragement in Season 3; now, somebody from the outside is coming in. There have certainly been cast changes on International before, but never the boss. For now, check out a sneak peek at what to expect from Jesse Lee Soffer as SSA Wes Mitchell:

The Season 4 premiere of FBI: International airs on Tuesday, October 15 at 9 p.m. ET, between FBI's Season 7 premiere at 8 p.m. ET and FBI: Most Wanted's Season 6 premiere at 10 p.m. ET, all on CBS. If you want to revisit how the third season ended to set up a major change for the Fly Team, you can find those episodes streaming on Paramount+.

Jesse Lee Soffer already has more TV experience than many actors ahead of his debut as star of CBS' FBI: International in the 2024 TV schedule, where he'll play the new Fly Team leader. Most of that small screen experience is courtesy of NBC's Chicago P.D., located elsewhere in the nine-show Dick Wolf TV universe. He had plenty of fans on the One Chicago cop drama, but why should they tune into International when Season 4 premieres on CBS and streams for viewers with a Paramount+ subscription? I asked the actor what message he'd pass on to fans who are undecided, and he made some great points.

After ten seasons playing Detective Jay Halstead on Chicago P.D. (available streaming with a Peacock subscription) and then returning to direct, FBI: International and the character of SSA Wes Mitchell will showcase a different side of Jesse Lee Soffer over on CBS. That doesn't mean that P.D. viewers don't have plenty to look forward to on his new show. When I asked what he would say to One Chicago fans if they were on the fence about checking out International on October 15, he responded:

Considering how the character exited, I would say that Chicago P.D.'s Halstead certainly wouldn't have been described as "lighthearted" or "carefree" by the end! As Supervisory Special Agent Wes Mitchell on FBI: International, Soffer won't have the same kinds of burdens to portray, but still plenty of action.

In fact, he went on to say that his action skills that he picked up in One Chicago "definitely" come in handy on International, explaining to CinemaBlend:

Chicago P.D. executive producer Brian Luce was a cop before coming to Dick Wolf's TV world, with real-life stories to impart on the cast members. Investigating crimes in Budapest and beyond for FBI: International is a long way from the Windy City, but a chase sequence is a chase sequence no matter which continent you're on!

FBI: International is Soffer's first acting credit since leaving One Chicago back in 2022, but he ventured into the world of directing episodes of his former show in the years since. When asked if stepping up as director changed his approach to acting, he shared:

Based on what Soffer has said and what CBS released so far ahead of the Season 4 premiere on October 15, he's going in a different direction than viewers may be used to for FBI: International, but in a way that should be entertaining to watch. Check out a preview below:

The Season 4 premiere – which Jesse Lee Soffer says they "kind of treated it like a pilot" – is called "A Leader, Not a Tourist." SSA Wes Mitchell will meet the Fly Team in Budapest when he travels overseas in pursuit of the suspects who shot his partner back in Los Angeles, and action will only escalate from there. The actor is on board FBI: International as a series regular, so it's a safe bet that whatever happens in the episode, Mitchell will be sticking around.

Tune in to CBS on Tuesday, October 15 at 9 p.m. ET for the Season 4 premiere of FBI: International with the introduction of Jesse Lee Soffer as the new Fly Team leader, and check back with CinemaBlend for more from the actor over the coming days. As always, International airs on Tuesdays between FBI at 8 p.m. ET and FBI: Most Wanted at 10 p.m. ET.

FBI: International is back on set for Season 4 and with some new cast members in the mix. It was previously announced that ten-year Chicago P.D. star Jesse Lee Soffer would be joining the CBS procedural as the Fly Team’s newest leader following the departure of Luke Kleintank. His new character, Special Agent Wes Mitchell, is different from his P.D. character, Detective Jay Halstead. With that, it seems that, for Soffer, Wes is like a breath of fresh air.

Jesse Lee Soffer played Jay Halstead on Chicago P.D. and other shows across the One Chicago franchise over nearly 200 episodes. Even though it’s hard to imagine him playing anyone other than Jay, as soon as he was confirmed to be joining International, the excitement definitely set in. Soffer spoke to Entertainment Weekly about what it’s been like portraying a different character. The star, who's been filming in Budapest, relishes Wes' wild tendencies:

Even though FBI: International and Chicago P.D. share continuity on some level, that clearly hasn't stopped Jesse Lee Soffer from taking on a new character -- and I'm glad! As a fan, I'm pleased to hear that the veteran actor is now able to sink his teeth into a role that's different for him. It sounds like Wes is just the kind of character Soffer wanted to play after Jay, and I can’t wait to see what he does with it!

Not only will the In Time alum have the chance to bring to life a new character, but Wes' inclusion will also add depth to the backstories of other character. Wes will have a history with Vinessa Vidotto’s Cameron Vo, which should create an interesting dynamic between the two. Of course, that's not the only drama at play, as fans will meet Wes after his partner is shot in Los Angeles and the suspects travel to Budapest, leading Wes to follow them.

Since Jesse Lee Soffer is now on FBI: International and filming across the globe, Chicago P.D. fans hoping that Jay will make a return to the Intelligence Unit may have to pump the brakes right now. Some people were wondering if Soffer would at least make an appearance amid Tracy Spiridakos’ exit last season, but that did not happen. As weird as it is to know that Soffer won't be playing Jay for the foreseeable future, fans should take comfort in knowing that the star is excited and committed to playing Wes now.

Fans who want to see the star's debut as Wes Mitchell should tune in when FBI: International returns for Season 4 on Tuesday, October 15 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS as part of the 2024 TV schedule. And, in the meantime, catch up on Season 3 episodes using a Paramount+ subscription.

Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos shared a lot of screentime over their mutual years on Chicago P.D., when their characters went from partners to friends to spouses. While the good ship Upstead didn't get a happy ending after Halstead's abrupt departure from the Windy City in Season 10 and showrunner Gwen Sigan's explanation for why he didn't return for Upton's exit at the close of Season 11, the two former co-stars recently shared some pics while hanging out together in Europe, which made me ask one question immediately: what about FBI: International?

The Chicago P.D. Co-Stars Reunite

Soffer – who returns to primetime in the 2024 TV schedule as star of CBS' FBI: International – has been overseas to film his new show, which is based out of Budapest. In the photos that he shared on Instagram, he visited Portugal and spent some time with Spiridakos. Take a look:

They're definitely not in Chicago anymore! Tracy Spiridakos also took to Instagram to document the trip to Lisbon, posting the same picture as her former on-screen P.D. partner as well as a series of different photos. Check them out:

Talk about a change from filming in Chicago summer heat at this time of year! There's no reason to believe that Tracy Spiridakos visited Portugal for any reason other than a vacation, but the upcoming premiere of FBI: International as Jesse Lee Soffer's first lead role since leaving Chicago P.D. makes me wonder what it would look like to have the co-stars back on screen together.

What About FBI: International?

If they did reunite on screen for FBI: International, it wouldn't be an Upstead reunion. Details are still relatively scarce about his new character at the time of writing, but Soffer will be playing a different character than Jay Halstead despite International and Chicago P.D. existing in the same nine-show Dick Wolf TV universe.

He's hardly alone in that, as FBI's Jeremy Sisto and Alana de la Garza as well as FBI: Most Wanted's Dylan McDermott all played characters in NBC's Law & Order franchise before moving over to CBS. It is funny to consider the idea of Spiridakos visiting FBI: International as Upton while Soffer is playing a new character, though!

After all, Hailey Upton is the sole connection between the FBIs on CBS and One Chicago/Law & Order on NBC after she partnered with OA on FBI back in Season 2. That crossover was actually intended to be the first of multiple episodes with Tracy Spiridakos on FBI before COVID-19 shutdowns changed that plan. Plus, Chicago P.D. didn't establish what Upton would be up to after leaving the Windy City. Perhaps joining the FBI?

Okay, probably not, but I do think it would be fun to see Spiridakos turn up on FBI: International now that Soffer is going to be part of the Fly Team. If Jeremy Sisto and Alana de la Garza could co-star on Law & Order together before co-starring on FBI in different roles, why not Soffer and Spiridakos on International after Chicago P.D.? All bets seem to be off in the Wolf Entertainment TV universe.

For now, viewers can officially count on see Jesse Lee Soffer's FBI: International debut after the show returns for its fourth season on Tuesday, October 15 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS, between FBI at 8 p.m. ET and FBI: Most Wanted at 10 p.m. ET. If you want to revisit Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos' Upstead days, you can find all of their mutual seasons of Chicago P.D. streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription.

After it was announced that Jesse Lee Soffer was exiting Chicago P.D., it was pure disappointment. Not only would the Intelligence Unit be losing Detective Jay Halstead, but fans wouldn’t be seeing Soffer on their screens every week. That will soon be changing, as the actor was cast in fellow Dick Wolf show FBI: International. Filming has kicked off on the FBI spinoff’s fourth season, and it’s wild to see Soffer on set.

Soffer’s new role on International won’t be a carbon copy of Jay, luckily. He is set to portray Supervisory Special Agent Wesley “Wes” Mitchell, the Fly Team’s newest leader following the departure of Luke Kleintank’s Scott Forrester. His “charming and rakish” behavior will be an interesting addition to the team, and fans are already seeing how he’s been doing on set. The official FBI Instagram account shared a fun video of the International cast ready as ever for Season 4, and seeing Soffer in the mix is pretty great:

Soffer was announced to join FBI: International two months ago, so it’s not like it’s a surprise seeing him on the Budapest set. However, the fact that filming has started and he is actually on set with the rest of the cast is making it all the more real. It will be weird to see him play a character that is not Jay, especially since Chicago P.D. and FBI: International are set in the same universe, it will still be great to see him on screen again.

Not much has been revealed about the plot of Season 4. Since CBS is delaying premieres until October, unlike most networks which are starting their premieres in September, it might still be a while until details are announced for the upcoming seasons. The Fly Team is going to have to get a new leader sooner or later, and it’s hard to tell how Jesse Lee Soffer’s Wes will be with them.

Soffer is the latest new addition to FBI: International. Christina Wolfe joined as intel analyst Amanda Tate in the Season 3 premiere and has proven herself to be a very valuable member of the Fly Team. She more or less replaced Heida Reed, who played Jamie Kellett up until the Season 3 premiere. Cast changes are not uncommon for International, but it’s always fun to see how the dynamic switches up with each new cast member.

Fans will soon be able to see Jesse Lee Soffer on FBI: International when Season 4 premieres on Tuesday, October 15 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS as part of the 2024 TV schedule. There is a lot to look forward to with this new season on top of Soffer’s highly-anticipated appearance, and you won’t want to miss a single second.

After FBI: International's Luke Kleintank exited the series, the creative team behind the CBS procedural got to work in order to find an actor who could play a new member of the Fly Team. It was recently announced that Wolf Entertainment vet Jesse Lee Soffer, best known for playing Detective Jay Halstead on fellow Dick Wolf-created series Chicago P.D. until he left during Season 10, would join International in an undisclosed role. Initially, not much was known about the role other than the fact that Soffer would not be reprising Jay. Now, details have finally been released, and I’m really glad this new character is not a straight-up carbon copy of the Chicago cop the actor previously played.

The FBI and One Chicago franchises take place in the same universe as established when Jesse Lee Soffer’s former co-star, Tracy Spiridakos, reprised her role as Hailey Upton on the former series. However, fans should be pleased that Soffer's Fly Team character is totally fresh. TVLine reports that the actor is set to play Supervisory Special Agent Wesley “Wes” Mitchell. Described “as charming and rakish,” Wes employs unusual methods but also had keen instincts. With all of that, he will apparently “stop at nothing to achieve justice.”

Jay was a bit cocky and a military veteran, he was known to be a bit more serious from time to time. He was also a by-the-book kind of guy, unless a situation called for him to bend the rules. Perhaps the only commonality between Jay and Wes is that they want nothing more than to seek out justice. It does sound like Wes will be bringing some new vibes to the Fly Team and, while he can’t fully replace Forrester in this fan's eyes, I'm very curious to see how this all plays out.

Even though it might be strange that Jesse Lee Soffer is playing a completely different character on FBI: International despite it existing in the same continuity as Chicago P.D., the actor isn’t the first person to make that switch. Fellow One Chicago star Colin Donnell went from playing cardio-thoracic fellow Dr. Connor Rhodes the first five seasons of Chicago Med to playing NSA agent Brian Lange on the final two episodes of International Season 3.

Without seeing Jesse Lee Soffer’s new character in action at this time, it’s hard to predict the actor's exact approach to the role, even with the newly released character description. I'm also eager to see Wes’ dynamic with the rest of the team, of course. I'll give Lee and the producers the benefit of the doubt, though, as the series does well when it comes to bold cast changes, So I'd imagine that Wes will fit in with the group as time goes on. Let's just hope that he also proves to be a stark departure from Jay Halstead as seemingly promised.

Luckily, it won’t be long until fans see Supervisory Special Agent Wesley Mitchell in make his debut. FBI: International Season 4 premieres on Tuesday, October 15 at 9 p.m. ET as part of the 2024 TV schedule on CBS. You can also stream Season 3 with a Paramount+ subscription or for free on Pluto TV.

Jesse Lee Soffer departed Chicago P.D. in Season 10 after playing Detective Jay Halstead since the beginning, and now the actor is set to return to the Dick Wolf Universe by joining FBI: International. His addition comes on the heels of Luke Kleintank’s surprise departure just before Season 3 ended, and while Soffer won’t be reprising his role as Jay, it is still pretty exciting. Many of Soffer’s Chicago P.D. and overall One Chicago pals shared the love.

Details on Soffer’s character on the CBS procedural are still under wraps, but he will be joining as a series regular in a brand new role, which will surely shake things up for the Fly Team. He took to his Instagram to share the news with his followers and his excitement for the role, which will mark his first project as an actor since P.D. And several One Chicago actors couldn’t be happier for him in the comments:

• Tracy Spiradakos (Chicago P.D.): "🥳🥳🥳"
• Nick Wechsler (Chicago P.D.): "Congrats, man!! Rad news."
• Laroyce Hawkins (Chicago P.D.): "😮👀🥸"
• Jen Landon (Chicago Med): "Heeeckkkk yaaaaaaa 😍😍😍😍"

Among the commenters were Soffer’s former on-screen wife and partner Tracy Spiridakos and fellow Intelligence Unit friend and colleague LaRoyce Hawkins. Season 4’s recurring star Nick Wechsler also made sure to congratulate him, as well as one-off Chicago Med guest star Jen Landon, among others. (Landon also joined the FBI universe for Most Wanted Seasons 2-3.) It’s clear that they and surely many others from One Chicago are happy for him.

Of course, plenty of fans were among the many commenters sharing their excitement. Regardless of the fact that he will not be playing P.D.'s Jay Halstead on International, knowing that he’s finally going to be returning to TV on-screen is great news, and many people are looking forward to the endless possibilities that will come with the role:

• neoknitter: "I’m so excited!! Missed seeing your on CPD. You’ll be a great addition to FBI."
• lessonslearned30: "You know I am glued to my couch for this. Your absence on our screens truly left a void. Welcome back!"
• leotxdana: "I love the FBI’s but wasn’t sure how Intl was going to move on from Forester! Now I know!!!"
• lashaundahood: "Welcome back. I can't wait to watch you on television again!❤️"

Even though FBI: International and the other FBI shows are not on NBC with One Chicago and Law & Order, they are set in the same world. Spiridakos’ Hailey Upton appeared in an episode of FBI in Season 2, working alongside the 26 Fed team. This wouldn’t be the first time an actor has appeared on more than one Dick Wolf show as a different character. Most recently, Chicago Med alum Colin Donnell appeared in the Season 3 finale of FBI: International as an NSA liaison.

With FBI: International Season 4 airing later this year on CBS on the 2024 TV schedule, more information on the season and Jesse Lee Soffer’s role will hopefully be revealed soon. It’s likely that he will be the Fly Team’s newest leader, meaning it should be interesting to see how he does with the team. It will take some time to get used to the show without Luke Kleintank, but Soffer will surely be a great addition to International and it’s clear that many people are excited to see what happens.

Network television's biggest scripted shows may be in the midst of their summer hiatuses, but FBI: International has some big casting news on the heels of former leading man Luke Kleintank's departure in late Season 3. Jesse Lee Soffer, best known for nearly ten years as Chicago P.D.'s Jay Halstead, is returning to the nine-show Dick Wolf TV universe... but not to play his familiar character. Read on for how he's coming to the FBIs and how Halstead actually already has a connection to the CBS branch of the Wolf world.

Jesse Lee Soffer Joins FBI: International

Despite FBI: International seemingly setting former Chicago Med star Colin Donnell up for a potential ongoing role, an alum from a different corner of the One Chicago world is on the way. Deadline reports that Jesse Lee Soffer has joined International as a series regular for the upcoming Season 4, set to arrive in the fall of the 2024 TV schedule.

He's set to fill the vacancy left by Luke Kleintank's Scott Forrester, which presumably means he'll be the new leader of the Fly Team, although his character has not been announced just yet. He officially will not be reprising his role as Jay Halstead, making Soffer the latest Wolf Entertainment alum to join the FBIs after previously starring in one of the NBC series.

In confirming the news on Instagram, Soffer didn't drop any details about his new character, but did share that he's "very excited to join the [FBI CBS] team!" In an interesting twist, joining International will reunite Soffer with Matt Olmstead, who co-created Chicago P.D. and previously served as showrunner. Olmstead joined International as showrunner ahead of Season 3.

How Halstead Already Exists In The FBI World

The nine shows of Dick Wolf's TV universe are the three of One Chicago on NBC, the three of Law & Order on NBC and Peacock, and the three FBIs on CBS. In an unlikely twist back in 2020, NBC and CBS officially connected their branches of the franchise when Chicago P.D.'s Tracy Spiridakos crossed over to FBI as Detective Hailey Upton for what was originally planned as a multi-episode arc prior to COVID shutdowns. (You can find the Season 2 finale of FBI featuring Spiridakos streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.)

Upton's arrival automatically meant that all the characters of One Chicago and all the characters of the Law & Order series officially exist in the world of the FBIs, albeit somewhat tangentially. Halstead's tie is a little closer than any of the other characters aside from Upton, however.

While Jesse Lee Soffer didn't appear in Tracy Spiridakos' episode of FBI, Upton did call up her partner from 26 Fed at the start of the next Chicago P.D. episode for a bit of Upstead banter about pizza. (Those were the days, right?) So, even though Halstead hasn't appeared on any of the FBIs, he was talking to Upton while she was working with Zeeko Zaki's OA and Co. in New York.

If you ask me, that's about as close as any One Chicago character other than Upton comes to playing a part in any of the FBI shows.

Why It's Not A Big Deal

While I wished as much as any other Upstead fan that Halstead had appeared in Chicago P.D.'s Season 11 finale for Upton's exit, showrunner Gwen Sigan's explanation for why he wasn't included makes sense to me, and Halstead hadn't been seen in One Chicago since fall of 2022.

Like many, my knee-jerk reaction to the news that Jesse Lee Soffer was joining FBI: International was that it would be bizarre to see him in the Wolf TV universe as anybody other than Jay after playing the detective for more than 200 episodes. When I thought about it a bit more, however, I realized that it's really not that big of a deal, because Soffer certainly isn't the first to make this jump.

Both Alana de la Garza and Jeremy Sisto were series regulars on Law & Order before later joining FBI, Dylan McDermott went from playing a villain on Law & Order: Organized Crime in March 2022 to debuting as an agent on FBI: Most Wanted in April 2022, Edwin Hodge recurred on Chicago Fire before landing Most Wanted, and even Luke Kleintank appeared on Law & Order: SVU before starring on International. Throw in Chicago Med's Colin Donnell to end International Season 3, and there's plenty of actor crossover without character crossover.

So, even if it'll take some suspension of disbelief, it's not a huge deal that Jesse Lee Soffer will play a second role in the Wolf TV universe. At the very least, more time will have passed since his P.D. exit as Halstead and his International arrival than how Dylan McDermott left Law & Order: OC as a villain and then debuted on Most Wanted as a hero with just over a month in between.

Jesse Lee Soffer is set to make his FBI: International debut when the hit CBS drama returns in the fall. In the meantime, you can revisit the most recent season of International streaming with a Paramount+ subscription and all of Soffer's seasons of Chicago P.D. with a Peacock Premium subscription.

Spoilers For Chicago P.D.’s finale episode “More“ are going to be in this article, so don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Last night, the 13th and final episode of Chicago P.D. Season 11 hit the 2024 TV schedule. It was an episode filled with plenty of twists and turns for the fans, as Upton was shot at one point and Voight was dealing with a serial killer. Ultimately, she left the P.D. unit to pursue other opportunities after her close call, which leaves the door open for Tracy Spiridakos to return to the show (possibly) at some point. Her co-stars will be missing her in the meantime, though. 

In fact, both former cast member Jesse Lee Soffer, LaRoyce Hawkins and more took to social to say their final goodbyes to the actress, who has played Hailey Upton on the series since she started as a recurring character in Season 4. Soffer was back on the set of Chicago P.D. recently to direct the penultimate Season 11 episode of the series; intriguingly, it was the one just before Upton’s farewell, and he took to Instagram to reveal he’d gotten to see the farewell episode early. (Lucky duck.) 

LaRyoce Hawkins also shared a special post with Spiridakos’ face front and center. It originally was from NBC’s popular One Chicago Instagram account, which shared a slew of Stories stuff about the episode airing on NBC and for those with a Peacock subscription. Hawkins called last night’s run of programs a “happy finale," but then had an emoii response to that, presumably based on his feelings regarding his co-star’s major One Chicago exit.

Cast member Marina Squerciati also shared a photo from set of herself and Tracy Spiridakos hugging, though one of them looked more excited about it than the other. Actually, she confirmed her co-star was more enthusiastic about the moment, but it was a cute sendoff post, regardless.

With Jesse Lee Soffer leaving the series during Season 10, and Upton and Hallstead splitting on the drama as part of that storyline, there was an easy out for the actress to get written out of the show. Showrunner Gwen Sigan told CinemaBlend it was a “very classy” thing for Spiridakos to do to commit to one full season to write off her character rather than just leaving the series when the show’s episode got cut down due to the various strikes. If things had gone differently, we might have had a totally different story arc in Season 11, but it sounds like it all worked out as it was meant to. 

Upton’s journey ultimately ended with a fresh start for Hailey Upton and some hope for her future. Hopefully that’s what this break will mean for Tracy Spiridakos, too. We'll be sure to keep you posted when she lands her next gig. 

Believe it or not, the spring season of One Chicago in the 2024 TV schedule is more than halfway done already. Fortunately, all three shows have been renewed for the 2024-2025 season, and now a former Chicago P.D. star has announced some exciting news. Jesse Lee Soffer, who starred as Detective Jay Halstead across ten seasons, is returning to his former show to direct an episode before the end of Season 11. The confirmation comes shortly after star Jason Beghe previewed to CinemaBlend what to expect from the last two episodes before hiatus begins.

Let's start with the return of the former series regular!

Jesse Lee Soffer Returns To Chicago P.D.

Jesse Lee Soffer announced that he would be directing on Chicago P.D. via Instagram Story (which has since expired), showing a sign with his name and "PREPPING DIRECTOR" printed on it. This will be his second time directing his former show, as his first return to P.D. after leaving as Jay Halstead was behind the camera. When that Season 10 episode aired in 2023, he shared with CinemaBlend that he'd felt "an itch" to try his hand as directing as far back as Season 4.

While fans may have been holding out hope for Soffer to reprise his role as Halstead in Tracy Spiridakos' final season as Hailey Upton, it's hard to imagine P.D. finding a director with more hands-on experience in the One Chicago world than the former star. Brian Luce, an executive producer and tech advisor for P.D., shared some photos of Soffer back on set to direct:

That sure beats just seeing Jesse Lee Soffer on set as a doll, courtesy of Tracy Spiridakos! In the comments of another Instagram post, Luce confirmed that the former Halstead actor is directing Episode 12 of Season 11, which is particularly interesting in light of the season running for just thirteen episodes. Assuming that the plan remains for thirteen, this means that Soffer is directing the penultimate episode of Season 11, and brings us to what Jason Beghe previewed!

What Jason Beghe Told Us

Jason Beghe's Hank Voight was at the center of Chicago P.D.'s most recent pair of episodes, which told a two-part story despite a break of a few weeks between them. After the character decided to bring a victim into his home and then joined forces with an SVU detective to try and close the case, the two-parter ended in tragedy and shone a light on what Beghe described as "the problem" with Voight.

So, the serial killer was still at large as of the end of the two-parter that wrapped on March 20, but that's not the end of the story in Season 11. When I noted to Beghe that Chicago P.D. doesn't do a lot of two-parters, he shared:

Season 11 ending on a two-parter presumably means Episodes 12 and 13 will be closely tied together. Jesse Lee Soffer will therefore direct the first half of the pair unless something has drastically changed to alter the episode count for the season. It also sounds like the serial killer might not be revisited in the episodes that are left before the final two, despite the fact that SVU Detective Josephine Petrovic will be back in the episode on March 27.

All in all, all signs point toward Soffer directing a pretty pivotal episode for his second turn behind the camera on Chicago P.D., and that's worth getting excited about! That's not to say that two-parters aren't a lot of work for everybody at the show. Jason Beghe went on:

Given that the next episode, called "On Paper," will be the eighth of Season 11, fans still have some time to wait before seeing Jesse Lee Soffer's second directed episode of Chicago P.D. For now, check out the promo for the March 27 installment:

Keep tuning in to NBC on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET for new episodes of Chicago P.D. The clock is ticking on Tracy Spiridakos' final season as Hailey Upton, and "On Paper" looks like it could be a juicy one for her. Fans who miss Halstead can always hold out hope that Jesse Lee Soffer's presence on set could mean a cameo in one of the last episodes of Season 11, but a surefire way to see him in action is the revisit the first ten seasons streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription.

TV can finally get started on what remains of the 2023-2024 TV season now that the SAG-AFTRA strike has ended, but the wait is still on for new episodes. That means NBC continuing to rotate through repeats of One Chicago on Wednesday nights as the 2023 TV schedule winds down, and the latest was the episode of Chicago P.D. that brought former series regular Jesse Lee Soffer back as a director. Soffer spoke with CinemaBlend about the episode back in March, and the rerun had me flashing back to his comments on directing Tracy Spiridakos and Jason Beghe. 

Jesse Lee Soffer left P.D. as Jay Halstead after the third episode of Season 10. He didn't stay away for long, though, as he was back on his old stomping grounds just months later to direct Episode 16 of Season 10, called "Deadlocked." The Intelligence Unit had to face a ticking clock and tricky legal situation when a juror was compromised, and Soffer had a lot to do in his directorial debut, although he did share that there were perks from years of playing Halstead. 

When I spoke with the actor-turned-director in March, I noted that his last two big scenes as Halstead on P.D. were with Tracy Spiridakos as Upton and Jason Beghe as Voight, and asked what it was like to work with them in particular in his role as a director. Soffer shared:

Soffer only had good things to say about working with his former co-stars in a whole new way for "Deadlocked." In fact, he went on to share that he was particularly excited about spending time with the P.D. family again when he came back to direct, saying: 

Jesse Lee Soffer also wasn't just missing from the Chicago P.D. set from his last day of filming to the first day of production on "Deadlocked." He shadowed directors on his old show, and was on set when the cast was filming the milestone 200th episode. NBC actually recently reaired the 200th episode, prompting me to revisit the Burzek comments from Marina Squerciati and Patrick John Flueger that still make me laugh. 

Soffer ultimately did not return in front of the camera as Jay Halstead in Season 10, although he shared that he understands when fans would ask if he'd come back. It remains to be seen if he appears in Season 11, particularly in light of Tracy Spiridakos' upcoming departure. While the good ship Upstead wasn't exactly sailing smoothly at the end of Season 10, I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd like to see Halstead again for Upton's farewell. 

While not much has been confirmed about One Chicago's return to television, it's expected that Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med will aim for a 13-episode TV season that kicks off in the early months of the new year. For now, though, CBS is the only broadcast network with a full lineup of official dates on the 2024 TV schedule. 

August is the time of year when One Chicago fans can usually start to get excited about the upcoming fall returns of Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med, but that's not the case in 2023 due to the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike for better terms with the AMPTP. Stars have taken to the picket lines to support the strike, and that recently involved two former Chicago P.D. costars joining forces. Tracy Spiridakos and Jesse Lee Soffer reunited to picket for SAG-AFTRA, and I'm officially missing Upstead all over again. 

Spiridakos stars on Chicago P.D. as Detective Hailey Upton, and her primary scene partner for most of her time on the hit drama was Jesse Lee Soffer as Detective Jay Halstead. Upton and Halstead's partnership turned romantic and then eventually into a happy marriage... until Halstead was written off to accommodate Soffer's desire to move on from P.D., and all of the most recent Upstead updates weren't exactly fun. So, seeing the actors back together is a treat, even if it is because of a strike! Take a look as Soffer's Instagram post:

In a fun twist, Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos aren't the only ones from One Chicago featured, as former Chicago Fire showrunner and Chicago P.D. executive producer Derek Haas joined them. Haas' sign of "The Slow & THE FURIOUS" is a nod to 2 Fast 2 Furious, which Haas wrote and even paid homage to in a Chicago Fire episode. From the poses, it looks like Spiridakos was the one who snapped the photos, and the actress actually posted one on her own Instagram account with the caption "Union strong." Fire actress Kara Killmer also chimed in the comments on Soffer's post with "That is too good, Derek."

While the two stars definitely weren't channeling their Chicago P.D. characters while picketing for SAG-AFTRA, the pictures still made me nostalgic for when the good ship Upstead was sailing strong on the NBC drama. If there has to be an upside to Halstead's departure to return to the army, then his absence did create a storyline that allowed Tracy Spiridakos to shine as Upton going through the heartache, but I know I'm not alone in at least wanting a little more Upstead closure on-screen. 

Jesse Lee Soffer did return to Chicago P.D. despite Halstead departing the Windy City after just a few episodes of Season 10, but it wasn't to reprise his role. He came back to his old stomping grounds to direct an episode, which he shared was made easier from years of starring in the show as Jay Halstead. Speaking with CinemaBlend, he shared his reaction to fans asking if he'll ever come back as Jay, and expressed how he's "very grateful that people love the Halstead character so much." I just miss when I was able to ask "What's up with Upstead?" on a regular basis!

Only time will tell if fans do ever get to see Upstead back on screen together; at this point, there's not even any guarantee of when Upton will be back, despite the renewal for Season 11. NBC finally tweaked the fall schedule to push back the expected premieres for the three One Chicago shows as well as most scripted series, with no news of when Chicago P.D. will return to resolve the frustrating Ruzek cliffhanger. For now as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes continue, you can always revisit the first ten seasons of the show streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription.

Updated with video.

Season 10 of Chicago P.D. has been a time of greater change than usual due to the departure of Jesse Lee Soffer as Jay Halstead after nine full seasons as a series regular. While the Intelligence Unit losing its most senior detective was bound to change how investigations went down, Hailey Upton also abruptly lost her husband. He was still alive when he left, but the news since hasn't exactly been good for fans of the character and the Upstead relationship. 

So, as the tenth season approaches the finale later in May, let's look at every key Jay Halstead and Upstead update since we last saw Jesse Lee Soffer on Chicago P.D. Given that Upton stayed behind, most of the Halstead updates involve her!

Halstead Leaves Chicago But Plans To Return

The Episode: Season 10, Episode 3 – "A Good Man"

What Happened: Halstead was already spiraling when "A Good Man" began as his final episode (available streaming via Peacock Premium subscription) before the actor left, when a case involving a veteran pushed him to the brink and he realized that he couldn't do his job anymore. He decided to resign from the CPD and return to the army, where he would run a unit doing drug interdiction in Bolivia... without telling his wife, let alone consulting her before deciding to take the job. Upton was blindsided when he told her he was leaving that very same day, but he tried to give a silver lining, saying:

Even though Upton was of course in tears (and eight months from "A Good Man" in early October could have more or less aligned with the season finale in May), Halstead left for the airport, where he said one more goodbye: to Voight, who acknowledged that the former detective is past the point of needing him. Halstead responded that he needs to leave because he wants to be Voight, but he's not and he shouldn't try to be. And with that, Halstead shook Voight's hand and left the Windy City. Whether or not his decision to rejoin the army made sense is up for debate. 

Upton Gets Sympathy... But Was Supposed To Bond With Torres

The Episode: Season 10, Episode 4 - "Donde Vives"

The first episode after Halstead's departure didn't actually dwell much on him leaving, aside from some sympathetic looks toward Upton, Burgess saying "I think so" when asked if he's really gone, and Ruzek telling Torres that "It's gonna be real strange around here for a while without Jay," with Torres himself losing his first mentor from Intelligence. That said, according to actor Benjamin Levy Aguilar, there were some "beautiful moments" between Torres and Upton "because there's a commonality there" about missing Halstead, but they were cut from "Donde Vives" for time.

Upton Doesn't Want To Go Home

The Episodes: Season 10, Episode 5 – "Pink Cloud" and Season 10, Episode 7 – "Into The Deep"

"Pink Cloud" showed Upton turn down an invite from Atwater to join him and Jordan for dinner, preferring to work herself to the bone with overtime to avoid going home to an empty apartment. She initially denied to Platt that she was trying to distract herself from her husband's absence, and the horrifying Sean O'Neal case gave her something to obsess over. By "Into The Deep" a couple weeks later with Intelligence running out of time, she was worn down enough to admit to Burgess that she hasn't wanted to go home, and Voight called her out for wanting to "save something too badly," with the obvious implication that it was because of Halstead leaving. 

Halstead Isn't Answering The Phone... And Isn't Coming Home

The Episode: Season 10, Episode 12 – "I Can Let You Go"

Upton was finally going home by "I Can Let You Go," but still haunted by the Sean O'Neal case as he kept trying to get her to visit him. Early in the episode, Chicago P.D. showed that she's been trying to get through to Halstead, even though she wasn't sure if he was getting her messages. She wanted to know if he'd gotten a date yet for his return, and dropped an "I love you" after asking him via voicemail to call her when he could. That made it hit all the harder when she finally called his superior officer to get some answers, and found out from him that while Halstead was okay, he requested an extension... again, without talking to his wife about it. 

Upton was sobbing by the end of the call (and episode director Gia-Rayne Harris opened up about Tracy Spiridakos' performance). Her final scene with Sean, which involved her shutting down his attempt to form an ongoing informant relationship with her, involved Upton saying that she's "done" because "it's not right" and "not for me," and Sean responded by saying that she was giving her speech "to the wrong person." Once again, an implication that she wasn't handling Halstead's absence well, and a seed of doubt may have been planted.

Upton Takes Off Her Ring

The Episode: Season 10, Episode 20 – "Fight"

Chicago P.D. took a break from updates on what's up with Upstead and Halstead for several episodes, hitting the 200th episode milestone, focusing on Burzek (including some clues for the finale), and giving Atwater an episode that left LaRoyce Hawkins "optimistic" for the rest of the season. The new episode put the spotlight back on Upton, revealing that she's actually been able to speak with Halstead, but he's still not saying when he'll come home. 

It was clearly wearing on his wife even as she tried to be supportive, but after going through hell and back over the course of the episode and a talk from Voight, Upton decided to take care of herself for once, and she tearfully removed her wedding ring.  She clearly still loves Halstead, so the Upstead story isn't necessarily over, but she finally did what she needed to for herself in "Fight."

Bonus: Jesse Lee Soffer Weighs In

While Halstead hasn't been seen or heard on Chicago P.D. since the third episode of Season 10, Jesse Lee Soffer returned to his old stomping grounds behind the scenes to shadow and direct. He shared with CinemaBlend that there were perks from playing Halstead in his directing debut, and said this when asked how he feels when he's asked if he'll reprise the role: 

Now, Soffer said that "it's not on the board right now" in an interview that happened in mid-March, so that doesn't definitively mean that he won't be seen or heard as Halstead before the end of Season 10, or even in Season 11. Chicago P.D. (as well as Chicago Med and Chicago Fire) was renewed for the 2023-2024 TV season. There's certainly no guarantee that fans can look forward to anything more than mentions of the character from time to time, particularly in light of reports that even series regulars will appear less next season.

For now, keep tuning in to NBC on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET for new episodes of Chicago P.D., with the Season 10 finale airing on My 24. 

Chicago P.D. hit a milestone that few shows last long enough to reach earlier in Season 10, with the 200th episode that put Burgess in particular through the wringer. The show made it to 200 episodes in a season that had already seen a lot of change thanks to the departure of Jay Halstead when he decided to return to the military, to the dismay of (and without consulting) his wife. The crime drama has continued without Jesse Lee Soffer on screen as the character, but he returned to direct a recent episode. Speaking with CinemaBlend, he reflected on his longtime show reaching that milestone!

Although Halstead left Upton and Chicago behind just a few episodes into Season 10, Soffer wasn’t gone from Chicago P.D. for long before he was back to start shadowing to prepare for his directing debut, and there were some perks from spending so much time as the character. Spending time on P.D. behind the scenes meant that he was on set for the 200th episode even though Halstead didn’t make an appearance, and he shared what it was like to be present for the filming of the milestone:

It’s a rare show that lasts long enough for ten seasons (and counting) and 200+ episodes, let alone with the COVID production shutdowns that cut the seventh season short and turned what was supposed to be a normal episode into the season finale. Jesse Lee Soffer would know better than most about the hard work that has gone into making Chicago P.D. for so many years, and the recent renewal (celebrated by P.D.’s LaRoyce Hawkins) means that the action will keep going into the 2023-2024 TV season.

Whether or not Halstead will appear as part of Season 11 in the 2023-2024 TV season is an entirely different question, and one not entirely answered by how P.D. said goodbye to the character in the first half of the season. At the time, he fully intended to come home to Upton at some point, but a more recent episode revealed that he prolonged his stint in the army without telling her, let alone asking her. 

Jesse Lee Soffer opened up about how he feels about being asked if he’ll return as Jay Halstead, but only time will tell if P.D. fans see him again. Even after the renewals for all three One Chicago shows (as well for the three FBI and three Law & Order series), there are some big questions about the future of the Wolf Entertainment TV universe, with comments from some stars potentially shedding light on answers. As for the actor-turned-director being present behind the scenes for the 200th episode, former co-star Marina Squerciati shared a look on Instagram:

For now, Chicago P.D. is on a brief break before returning with its next new episode of Season 10 on Wednesday, May 3 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, following Chicago Fire (which just brought back Jesse Spencer and may be setting one character up for a major crisis) at 9 p.m. and Chicago Med (which is digging deep into Hannah’s backstory) at 8 p.m. If you want to revisit Jesse Lee Soffer’s episode of P.D. as a director, called “Deadlocked,” you can find it streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription. 

The Dick Wolf TV universe is comprised of an unprecedented nine shows spread across two networks, and the future looks bright. After FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, and FBI: International got a double renewal from CBS back in 2022, NBC finally announced renewals for Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Organized Crime, Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med. While it’s a mouthful to say them all in one sentence (and type them), a nine-show TV universe is more than a little impressive. With all of the renewals for the 2023-2024 TV season, it’s time to start looking ahead.

Members of the Law & Order and One Chicago corners of the franchise celebrated the renewals after the good news broke, nearly a year after the FBI renewals. Now, in light of what we know, what we don’t, and what stars have said to CinemaBlend over the course of the 2022-2023 TV season, we can ponder some big questions and start speculating. I'll get into all nine shows, but with the Law & Orders lasting the longest, let’s start there! 

Why Are Law & Order And SVU Getting More Episodes Than Organized Crime?

While all three of the Law & Order shows were renewed, Variety reports that Organized Crime will only run for 13 episodes while L&O and SVU both received orders for 22. The same report states that all three will air in the fall, which would presumably mean OC ending its season much earlier than its sister series in 2024, and/or going on longer hiatuses. There’s no confirmation at the time of writing which cast members are expected to return to OC, although Chris Meloni seems like a very safe bet. 

A Possible Explanation:

This isn’t the first time that Organized Crime received an order for a shorter season than the usual 20+ for the Wolf Entertainment franchise, as the first ran for only eight in 2021. It’s also worth noting that the third strayed away from doing just a couple of major arcs per season and became more procedural. With several changes of showrunner, I can imagine that OC might just be returning to its serialized roots and focusing on one or two arcs over the course of one shorter season. 

What Does OC’s Shortened Season Mean For Stabler On SVU?

While Organized Crime and SVU both tell compelling stories on their own, is there any denying that a healthy portion of both fandoms are invested in the Benson/Stabler relationship, in some form or other? Even mini crossovers between Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni have been few and far between in the current Season 24 of SVU and Season 3 of OC, with one extremely notable exception. Which the actors nailed, even if it wasn’t everything that some Benson/Stabler fans were hoping for! So what does OC’s 13-episode Season 4 mean for SVU?

How Stabler Could Have An SVU Presence:

A lot likely depends on how much the production schedules on SVU and OC overlap, as it’s undoubtedly easier to send Chris Meloni over to his old stomping grounds if he’s filming his own spinoff not too far away. It’s worth noting that SVU showrunner David Graziano was also recruited to serve as OC showrunner for the final three episodes of the season, which I speculated at the time could mean closer ties between the two shows. At this point, we can only wonder and hope! After a season of Benson and Stabler rarely sharing scenes, I’d be happy with just some mentions at this point.

Can More Crossovers Happen Between The Nine Wolf Shows?

The 2022-2023 TV season has delivered two mega crossovers within the Wolf Entertainment franchise, with the Law & Order shows starting the season in the fall with a three-parter and the three FBIs recently teaming up for a case that pushed some limits and involved what one star considers an “unforgivable breach” of trust. One Chicago hasn’t delivered a three-parter since 2019 (prior to COVID shutdowns), although Chicago P.D. is responsible for the very first connection between One Chicago and the FBIs. Creating a cinematic TV event is no small endeavor.

What Cast Members Have Said About Crossovers:

In honor of the global crossover event between the FBIs, CinemaBlend spoke to actors Jeremy Sisto (Jubal Valentine) and John Boyd (Stuart Scola), and both addressed the challenges of making the three-parter that involved sending FBI’s Sisto to Italy for FBI: International. Sisto weighed in on the process of creating an event:

The actor (who is actually a Law & Order alum) went on to say that he thought that watching the three-parter would carry over into fans enjoying the shows even more in the future. John Boyd also was full of compliments for how the finished product “felt like one big movie” and was “so seamless,” but it wasn’t without complications. He said:

Over on the Law & Order side of the nine-show TV universe, two of the three shows that crossed over in the fall were more than twenty years into their runs. When I spoke with Hugh Dancy about the “terrible thing” that his character did in the latest episode of L&O, he shared his thoughts on the premiere crossover:

With the level of work that goes into any crossover, fans shouldn’t rule out any further events, but also not count on them happening on a regular basis. We should probably rule out any kind of nine-part event between all the shows unless the ties would be extremely tangential, though! 

Will Any Stars Leave The Franchise?

Although the Law & Order and One Chicago shows have held on to stars for 10+ years and counting, there’s no guarantee that everybody will stick around. Chicago Med has lost and gained a number of characters over the past couple of seasons, while Chicago P.D. lost Jesse Lee Soffer back in the fall after Chicago Fire lost Jesse Spencer earlier in the year. (Taylor Kinney’s current leave of absence is expected to be temporary.) And that's not to mention SVU saying goodbye to Kelli Giddish’s Amanda Rollins! So, are all the departures from the past couple years going to be followed by more? 

The Stars Share Why There’s No Guarantee Despite Renewal:

While early renewals are great news for fans, the guarantee that a show will be back doesn’t mean a guarantee that the whole cast will be back. With shows that regularly have life-or-death stakes and sometimes kill off characters, there are still reasons to be worried in finale season, and I'm more concerned about some potential departures than others. FBI’s John Boyd shared his perspective on getting a double-season renewal: 

Jeremy Sisto echoed his co-star’s thoughts on not necessarily have job security as an actor even when the show is going to continue. He shared:

On the whole, there’s no way to say with certainty at this point if any stars are leaving. If anybody is killed off, it will presumably happen or at least be set up in the finales in May. Then again, Jesse Lee Soffer’s departure from P.D. was announced during summer hiatus, so we won’t know for sure until the fall. 

Are Any Former Stars Returning?

The good news for the Wolf Entertainment farewells over the past couple years is that only one of them involved a character being killed off. (Rest in peace, Chief Hawkins!) Jesse Lee Soffer’s Halstead did get a pretty definitive split from working as a CPD detective on P.D., and Kelli Giddish’s Rollins seemed happy to step away from her role as a cop on SVU, but the door is mostly open. Christiane Paul even already returned to FBI: International as a guest star. Plus, Jesse Spencer’s Casey originally left Chicago with the intention of returning in three years, and the clock is ticking on that after his recent return!

Why It’s Too Soon To Say:

At this point, we don’t even know if all the current Wolf Entertainment stars will return, let alone if any will be back! Jesse Spencer did say “I don’t think so” to the idea of a “long-term” return to Fire in a recent interview with TVLine, and Jesse Lee Soffer told CinemaBlend in March that a return as Jay Halstead is “not on the board right now.” 

He didn’t rule out returning in a different way, though! When asked about interest in potentially directing Chicago Med as the 8 p.m. show after spending so much time on P.D. at 10 p.m. (and then directing his old series), Soffer shared:

Brian Tee also returned to Chicago Med to direct an episode of his former show earlier this season, so there are ways for departed cast members to work again in Wolf Entertainment without necessarily reprising their roles. It’s just a matter of time to see if any will be back, in front of or behind the camera!

Will The Nine Shows Celebrate Any Milestones?

With shows as long-running as those in the Law & Order, FBI, and One Chicago franchise, milestones tend to be inevitable. Depending on the new seasons' episode counts, the renewals should mean that SVU Season 25 will hit 550 episodes, Law & Order Season 23 will hit 500, Chicago Fire Season 12 will reach 250, and FBI: International Season 3 will reach 50. Organized Crime is approaching 50 as well, and FBI will hit 100 with its upcoming Season 5 finale. While these are all impressive totals to reach, will they actually be celebrated?

What Precedent Tells Us:

It seems safe to say that NBC will celebrate Law & Order reaching 500 episodes, after all the promotion for SVU reaching that same milestone, but I’m not quite so sure about the milestones ending in 50. Plus, Chicago P.D. hit 200 episodes earlier this year without too much fanfare. I wouldn’t be shocked if Fire reaching 250 is noted, but on the whole, my best best for a milestone that will be celebrated is L&O #500. 

Is Wolf Entertainment Finished With Spinoffs?

The newest spinoff is FBI: International after its debut in fall 2021 (although L&O’s revival return happened later), and there’s no sign at this point that another entry in the franchise is on the way. NBC and CBS have a good thing going with these series, and NBC already has two full nights of Wolf Entertainment action. 

Why Nine Might Be The Lucky Number:

With the three sections of the Wolf Entertainment universe doing as well as they are, the franchise may not need to expand any further. It’s worth noting that the last time there was an attempt at adding a fourth show on another night of primetime was Chicago Justice, which lasted just one season in 2017. 

For now, you can revisit past episodes of all nine shows streaming via a Paramount+ subscription and/or a Peacock Premium subscription, as well as catch new episodes with the FBIs airing on CBS Tuesdays starting at 8 p.m. ET, One Chicago airing on NBC Wednesdays starting at 8 p.m. ET, and the Law & Orders on NBC Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET. 

Chicago P.D. went through a massive change early on in Season 10 with the resignation and then departure of Jay Halstead in an episode that turned out to be Jesse Lee Soffer’s last as his longtime character… so far. The actor returned to his old One Chicago stomping grounds to direct an episode, despite dealing with a “tricky” situation. Whether or not Soffer ever returns in front of the camera remains to be seen, but he spoke with CinemaBlend about being asked to come back as Halstead. 

Jesse Lee Soffer spoke with CinemaBlend about his directing debut, which came with some perks from playing Halstead for so long. His character has still been important to the show since he left the Windy City early in Season 10, as Upton has had to deal with her husband’s absence (complete with some heartbreaking performances from Tracy Spiridakos). Naturally, the question on a lot of minds has been whether or not he could reprise his role later in Season 10 or beyond, assuming that P.D. is renewed. 

When I spoke with the actor-turned-director, I asked for his thoughts on being frequently asked whether or not he’d come back as Jay Halstead, and Jesse Lee Soffer shared: 

After sharing lots of love with fans immediately following his final episode, Jesse Lee Soffer expressed his gratitude that fans would like to see Halstead return to Chicago P.D., which tracks after he spent a decade and more than 200 episodes in front of the camera across One Chicago (including Chicago Fire and Chicago Med as well as P.D.). Unfortunately, a return as “not on the board right now,” but fans can take solace in seeing that he only has good things to say about viewers wanting to see more of Halstead. And it’s still not impossible! 

Of course, fans have had to adjust their feelings about Halstead in light of how the character decided to continue his stint in the army without so much as telling Upton, let alone asking her! Without Soffer on screen, fans can only gauge what’s up with Upstead based on Tracy Spiridakos’ performances. And who couldn’t possibly sympathize with Upton based on what she has gone through since Halstead left? 

Jesse Lee Soffer also took the opportunity to weigh in on how Halstead’s absence is being handled in Season 10 and fans potentially feeling conflicted about it. He said:

While it may be hard to watch Upton go through the loss of her husband (not helped by her getting information from his commanding officer rather than Halstead himself), Chicago P.D. has to write towards her storyline rather than his, with Tracy Spiridakos remaining a series regular. Plus, as I argued in the aftermath of Halstead’s farewell episode, there wasn’t really a good scenario for how P.D. could say goodbye to him. 

With so many ties to characters across One Chicago (and if P.D. wasn’t going to go the SVU route of simply keeping Rollins off screen despite losing the star), Halstead was going to have to leave the Windy City if he wasn’t going to be killed off. “Dark and gritty” were the most obvious options for Chicago P.D… unfortunately for poor Upton (and fans)! 

See if Chicago P.D. has more updates on what Halstead is up to off screen with new episodes on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, and revisit earlier episodes of the series streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription.

Spoilers ahead for Episode 16 of Chicago P.D. Season 10, called "Deadlocked."

Jesse Lee Soffer made his triumphant return to Chicago P.D. with the latest episode on March 22, although not in the role that longtime viewers are used to. Instead of reprising his role as Jay Halstead, Soffer stepped behind the camera to make his directing debut for an intense and action-packed hour of television. The episode came to about as happy an ending as could be hoped for when it came to the case of the week, and the actor-turned-director spoke with CinemaBlend about the change to how the case ended in the original script, and how playing Halstead “for so long” has paid off. 

Voight took the stand in “Deadlocked” with ASA Chapman trying to put drug kingpin Arturo Morales behind bars despite all of his connections to criminals on the outside. Unfortunately, Morales’ people got to one of the jurors by attacking and kidnapping his wife, promising to kill her unless Christopher voted to acquit. The complication for Intelligence? As a witness in the trial, Voight wasn’t allowed to lead the Intelligence Unit into an official investigation. 

The unit did ultimately save Christopher's wife with enough time to spare for him to vote to convict, but ASA Chapman found out about Voight’s secret interference, and was not happy that he went rogue to make the conviction happen. The verdict was read in a scene that played music over the dialogue rather than any words spoken between the characters. Speaking with Jesse Lee Soffer about “Deadlocked,” he shared how the ending of the case changed from the original script: 

The verdict scene could have come across very differently if Soffer and editor Terry Blythe hadn’t settled on a finished version with music rather than dialogue. It’s just one example of the kinds of decisions that Soffer was responsible for as a director, and he previously explained what was “tricky” about returning in this new role. So, how many times did Soffer watch the episode to make adjustments? The actor/director said:

Of course, a lot happened in “Deadlocked” leading up to the dialogue-free verdict scene, including sequences that surely would have showcased Halstead once upon a time: Intelligence in action to chase down a suspect with time short, and Voight fighting his way through bad guys to get to a victim. Back when he was a series regular, Jesse Lee Soffer was often the one hopping fences, jumping from roofs, and going after the bad guys. This time, he directed his co-stars in doing it. 

In light of Jesse Lee Soffer coming into a directing gig with much more experience in performing stunt and action sequences than the average director, I asked what it was like for him to approach that kind of scene from the other side of the camera this time. He shared that it was “really fun” and explained what he jokes about in hindsight:

If any One Chicago alum knows about rolling around in the mud to try and take down an actor playing a criminal, it would be Jesse Lee Soffer! He could enjoy a more comfortable approach to action scenes for this episode, complete with directing his co-stars and enjoying a bit more warmth than if he was in the middle of a stunt sequence during a night shoot during a Chicago winter. 

Jesse Lee Soffer did make sure to compliment Jason Beghe for his work! The “Deadlocked” director confirmed that he was indeed dealing with the challenges of a Chicago winter, saying: 

TV magic may be able to make some scenes filmed indoors look like they were produced outside, but that’s not always the case when it comes to One Chicago on location! Like when Tracy Spiridakos’ stunt double had to go into the Chicago River for the big Upton episode that filmed in January last year, sometimes the P.D. team just has to brave the cold to pull off the best shots. Plus, Marina Squerciati was truly in some very cramped quarters in the 200th episode, even if she wasn’t actually trapped down a well in the forest like Burgess. As Jesse Lee Soffer says: holy crap! 

Soffer also shared that he’s “definitely open to the experience” of directing again in the Dick Wolf universe, saying that he thinks “doing this can also make you a better actor” and it’s “all about storytelling.” Only time will tell if and when he steps behind the camera again (or in front of it to reprise his role as Halstead, if fans are lucky), but for now, viewers will be able to revisit “Deadlocked” streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription. 

You can also look forward to new episodes of Chicago P.D. on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, following Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. and Chicago Med at 8 p.m. The three One Chicago shows have not yet been renewed for the 2023-2024 TV season (and have not delivered a good old-fashioned three-show crossover in some time), but the future seems bright for them as some of the network’s biggest hits. 

Jesse Lee Soffer left Chicago P.D. as a series regular after more than 200 episodes of One Chicago action (including Fire and Med), and Season 10 has had to move on without Jay Halstead in the mix. The actor didn’t stay gone from the show for long, however, as Soffer stepped behind the camera to direct the next episode of NBC’s hit drama. Called “Deadlocked,” the episode will put a dangerous spin on a murder trial for Voight and Intelligence, and Soffer spoke with CinemaBlend about returning to direct, including what was “tricky” about it.

“Deadlocked” will be Jesse Lee Soffer’s directing debut, which was announced just a couple of weeks after Chicago P.D. said goodbye to Jay Halstead. Soffer was certainly familiar with the show beforehand thanks to nine full seasons as a star under his belt, along with the first three installments of Season 10. When he spoke with CinemaBlend, he opened up about the origin of his desire to direct. According to Soffer, he’s been wanting to pursue directing for much longer than fans might have guessed, as he said: 

Directing wasn’t a dream of Soffer’s that he just came up with as recently as the end of Season 9, but something that had been "growing" for several years. Him returning as a director simply wasn’t announced until after he was already gone from P.D. as an actor. After getting some unofficial experience with directing thanks to his role, he was able to return to his old Windy City stomping grounds and work with his former co-stars in a new way. The actor-turned-director continued:

Asking to direct certainly paid off! Soffer was quickly back on the show's set after finishing Halstead’s story so that he could shadow director Bethany Rooney, who is credited with directing the sixth episode of Season 10 that focused on Atwater. All signs point toward Soffer in his element once he took the reins of his own episode.

Soffer also couldn’t have hoped to make his directing debut on a show on which he had more experience than Chicago P.D., after ten seasons and just shy of 200 episodes. (P.D. hit the 200-episode milestone with a big Burgess episode back in February.) So, did coming back to shadow as a director not too long after finishing as an actor affect Soffer? He explained what got tricky: 

Expressing opinions as an actor is apparently very different from expressing opinions when shadowing a director, and Jesse Lee Soffer didn’t spend much time away from the show between saying goodbye to Halstead and preparing to direct. Fans will soon get to see all the decisions he made for the next chapter of the Intelligence Unit’s story once he was able to graduate from shadowing to directing. Soffer shared what it was like to direct his former co-stars:

While Chicago P.D. fans will have to wait until the episode airs on March 22 to see what exactly Jesse Lee Soffer brought to the show as a director, his former co-stars were hyping him while he was back on set. He shared a set of photos, including one of Tracy Spiridakos looking a lot happier than the last time that Upton and Halstead shared a scene (or the upsetting Upstead development earlier this year). Take a look:

Tune in to NBC on Wednesday, March 22 at 10 p.m. ET for the next new episode of Chicago P.D., also available streaming next day with a Peacock Premium subscription. "Deadlocked" will see Voight taking the stand in a murder trial, but Intelligence will have to step up when a juror is compromised. Be sure to check back with CinemaBlend after the episode for more from Jesse Lee Soffer!

Chicago P.D. continues to close out a full night of One Chicago action, following Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. and Chicago Med at 8 p.m. on NBC. For some more viewing options in the not-too-distant future, check out our 2023 TV premiere schedule.

Jay Halstead departed the Windy City in Season 10 of Chicago P.D., which has not been good for his marriage, to say the very least. Actor Jesse Lee Soffer’s departure as the character marked a major shift in the long-running show. Now, he has returned to the P.D. set, but not to reprise his role as Halstead. Soffer went back to his old stomping grounds to direct an episode, and some fun behind-the-scenes photos give a sneak peek at him in his directing debut. While fans will have to wait to see the episode, his former P.D. co-stars are already hyping him!

News broke that Jesse Lee Soffer was coming back to P.D. to direct an episode just a couple of weeks after he bowed out of the NBC drama as Jay Halstead. At the time, Halstead going back to the army and leaving a tearful Upton behind was still fresh. Fortunately, in some photos that the actor-turned-director shared on Instagram, Tracy Spiridakos definitely isn’t crying! Take a look at Soffer back on set with Spiridakos and more of his former co-stars:

I can’t speak for anybody else, but seeing Tracy Spiridakos smiling in a photo with Jesse Lee Soffer is pretty nice after the most recent episode involved Upton all but breaking down after getting some bad news about Halstead's odds of choosing to come home. Another photo shows Soffer on the streets of Chicago to direct LaRoyce Hawkins (whose Atwater may be the next officer to become a detective after Halstead left) and Jason Beghe, and then back in Intelligence with what looks like most of the series regulars. 

There’s only so much that fans can glean from a few photos, but luckily, a couple of his P.D. pals hit up the comment section to hype Soffer’s work as a director. Marina Squerciati, whose Burgess has been through the wringer and back again over the past few seasons, posted:

Marina Squerciati worked with Jesse Lee Soffer all the way back to Season 1, so I think we can take her word that he’s pretty great as a director! It would certainly be hard for the show to find somebody with more Chicago P.D. experience to step behind the camera to helm an episode. Tracy Spiridakos echoed Squerciati’s sentiment, and added a couple emojis for good measure:

Spiridakos and Soffer spent much of their screentime over his last few seasons together, and she’s showing her support for him in his new endeavor. In a fun twist, a star from elsewhere in the nine-show Wolf Entertainment TV universe also hit up the comment section to support Soffer. Chicago Fire’s Daniel Kyri (a.k.a. Engine firefighter Ritter) commented:

Jaina Lee Ortiz – who stars in a different primetime hit as leading lady of ABC’s Station 19 – popped in to Jesse Lee Soffer’s comments to say “Go Jesse, GO!” with some fire emojis, which honestly just makes me wonder what network television would look like if Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19 somehow shared a universe with One Chicago, the Law & Orders, and the FBIs. 

Jesse Lee Soffer went on to post a couple more photos, first posing with producer Brian Luce and then revealing what the producer hilariously has hanging on his office wall: 

Has the large framed print of Jay Halstead been up on that wall all along, or was it a special addition for Jesse Lee Soffer’s directing debut? That answer may never come, but there’s a bit of nostalgia to go along with the fun (and “FUCKING FANTASTIC” mug) with an image of the late Alvin Olinsky, who was killed off back in Season 5.

At the time of writing, NBC hasn’t announced when Jesse Lee Soffer’s episode of Chicago P.D. will air, although it’s likely to debut in March. The show will return from its mini hiatus with the thirteenth episode of Season 10 on February 15, followed by the milestone 200th episode on February 22. Early reports stated that Soffer’s episode would be the sixteenth of the season; if that’s the case, and if P.D. doesn’t go on any more multi-week breaks, then his episode should air sometime in early-to-mid March. 

For now, fans can just look forward to Chicago P.D. returning after what may have been Upton’s last episode of torment from Jefferson White’s Sean O’Neal. Starting on February 15, P.D. will be back in its usual 10 p.m. ET time slot on Wednesdays on NBC. You can also revisit some past episodes streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription! The show hasn’t yet been renewed for a Season 11, but news on its future will hopefully come sooner rather than later. 

Chicago P.D. said goodbye to Jay Halstead in an emotional episode early in the current Season 10, and the hit drama has been continuing without star Jesse Lee Soffer for the first time in its long run. While the characters (including wife Upton and former mentee Torres) still deal with Halstead's decision to return to the army, the actors will soon be working with Soffer again. He's not back as the fan-favorite detective, but with a role behind-the-scenes!

Jesse Lee Soffer is returning to Chicago P.D. in 2023 to direct the sixteenth episode of Season 10, according to Variety. There are no details just yet about when in the new year Episode 16 would air on NBC, but if Season 10 follows the schedule of previous recent seasons (with the exception of the eighth, which was shortened due to COVID production challenges), then Soffer's episode will likely debut in March. 

So, even though Halstead won't be back and fans of the Upton/Halstead relationship won't see what's up with Upstead with the two back on screen together, Jesse Lee Soffer is returning to his longtime home on NBC. It would certainly be fun if the actor-turned-director made a cameo while he's on set – or at least follow Jesse Spencer's example from Chicago Fire when the Casey actor made a voice cameo for a phone call scene after departing – but fans should only count on his influence behind the camera at this point. 

Although Soffer has been active in showbiz going back to the 1993 film Matinee (which ranks as a John Goodman movie that doesn't get talked about enough) and has been part of One Chicago since the first season of Chicago Fire (before P.D. even spun off), he's not currently credited with any directing gigs. With nearly 200 episodes of experience on P.D., what better show for him to debut behind the camera?

With him returning for Episode 16, it's hard to predict what the story might involve. The latest on October 19 (available streaming now with a Peacock subscription) introduced a horrifying new storyline that will continue for multiple episodes, according to showrunner Gwen Sigan, but is expected to wrap by the end of the first nine of Season 10. It should be interesting to see Soffer's take on bringing a script to screen given his many years within the One Chicago universe. 

Meanwhile, Chicago P.D. has had to find ways to move on without Halstead. Benjamin Levy Aguilar opened up about how Atwater is a different kind of mentor than Halstead, and Upton has been quietly mourning her loss (even though her husband left alive and well-ish) rather than wailing and gnashing her teeth, which is definitely in-character for her after we've seen her bury herself in work as a distraction in seasons past. 

Fans still have months to wait before seeing Jesse Lee Soffer's episode of Chicago P.D. as his directorial debut, but you can find new episodes of the long-running drama on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC. All three One Chicago shows are still going strong, with Fire embracing the Halloween spirit and Med revealing some fallout for Will and Vanessa.

Spoilers ahead for Season 10, Episode 3 of Chicago P.D., “A Good Man.”

The day that One Chicago fans have been dreading for what seems like forever has come and gone, leaving Chicago P.D. one man short. After portraying Detective Jay Halstead on the procedural since the early days of Chicago Fire in a recurring role and since the beginning of Chicago P.D., Jesse Lee Soffer has officially left the NBC series. Now the actor is sharing all the love his fans shared with him.

The start of Chicago P.D.’s tenth season saw some change with Jay Halstead, as he wasn’t around as much, and he wasn’t communicating as well with his wife and partner, Detective Hailey Upton. This made things messy with the duo and Intelligence. It also played a part in building up to Halstead’s exit. Not wanting to turn into his off-the-books boss, Sergeant Hank Voight, Jay opted to come clean about what had happened during a case, and he left to help out with the Army. He didn't exactly re-enlist, but it required him to move to Bolivia, of all places, to run a unit. 

The emotional goodbye between longtime fan-favorite couple Upstead definitely left some wounds and heartbreak, and it didn’t stop there. Following the episode, Jesse Lee Soffer took to Twitter to thank the fans that have loved Halstead and have gone on this journey with him since 2013:

The love didn’t stop there. Since Jesse Lee Soffer’s exit was announced in August, fans have been adamant about showing their love to the actor and even trying to get him to stay. Soffer has frequently liked fan tweets and made sure to tell them that while he can’t like every single tweet, he does see the love they all have:

Having only been an avid Chicago watcher since this year, it’s definitely a disappointment that Jay Halstead is no longer on the Intelligence team. However, seeing the love that Soffer has for the show and fans makes it clear that this is one chapter that will never fully be closed for him. And they aren’t the only ones that will miss Jay and Soffer.

Jesse Lee Soffer’s Chicago P.D. co-star Marina Squerciati opened up about how she handled his exit on Twitter, and like many, she shed more than a tear:

Meanwhile, Wolf Entertainment, who is behind One Chicago, gave a simple yet sweet message to thank Soffer for his decade-long performance as Jay Halstead:

The series definitely will not be the same without Jay Halstead. But, since he did tell Hailey he was only going to be gone for eight months, maybe a little more, it’s still possible we will see him again, but only time will tell. It will be interesting to see the aftermath of his departure, though, and how it affects not only Hailey but his brother Will on Chicago Med since the brothers only had each other for family.

Fingers crossed, this won’t be the end of Jay Halstead, but considering we got an open-ended exit and not one that was more fatal even following the fallout of the Season 9 finale, things are already looking up. New episodes of Chicago P.D. air on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, part of the 2022 TV schedule!

Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD for Episode 3 of Chicago P.D. Season 10, called “A Good Man.”

Chicago P.D. has officially said goodbye to Jesse Lee Soffer as Detective Jay Halstead in an episode that fans knew was coming but were probably dreading all the same. The news broke over the summer that the actor was leaving in Season 10, and fans were left to wonder about how. Would he be killed off? Would he be promoted and just work off-screen somewhere else in the Windy City? Or would he go to prison for confessing to a crime? Well, “A Good Man” revealed his fate, so let’s break down how much sense it made (or didn't make) for his character. 

The good news is that Chicago P.D. didn’t do the unthinkable and kill off Halstead, so on that cheery note, let’s start with what happened!

How “A Good Man” Set Up Halstead’s Departure

Halstead was already in a bad emotional place to start out the episode due to his part in Voight’s mess this season, and Upton was concerned. He wasn’t coming home, communicating, or even acting like the man she knew. The situation just became more complicated when the case of the week involved a veteran, as Halstead can have a bit of a blind spot when it comes to veterans. 

He pulled some very Voight-esque moves throughout the investigation, and Upton was extremely reluctant to give him much leeway to try save the vet’s reputation even after it became clear that he was involved in a robbery/homicide. After going rogue, Halstead only survived a sudden assault by pulling a knife and stabbing his attacker. (Stabbing him many, many times.)

He was in no shape to do much of anything when Upton and Voight found him covered in blood by the body, even when they started getting their stories straight to bury the truth. It was too much for Halstead as he realized that the three of them were making all the same mistakes all over again.

Halstead seemed ready to confess to Chief O’Neal but was ultimately satisfied enough by the story that Voight spun to keep the vet’s name clean. Still, he couldn’t just shake it off this time and decided to resign, without telling Upton beforehand. 

He did ultimately tell her that he was rejoining the army to run a unit doing drug interdiction… in Bolivia for at least eight months, and he was leaving that very day. After a goodbye to Voight that involved admitting that he can’t be him even if he wants to, Halstead walked into the airport and out of Chicago P.D. as a series regular. 

Did Halstead’s Handling Of The Case Make Sense?

To look at whether Jesse Lee Soffer’s final episode tracked with how Jay Halstead had developed over ten seasons, I find it easiest to split it into two parts: 1) what happened in the case and 2) how Halstead left Chicago. Whether or not the case worked depends on whether or not you were convinced by how much Halstead changed to resemble Voight over the two-week time jump between the end of Season 9 and premiere of Season 10. 

This Halstead was not the same man who punched Voight in the face almost exactly one year prior for his behavior toward Upton and covering up a murder. Halstead crossing as many lines as he did in “A Good Man” might have felt more natural if there had been more build to the goodbye. He has often been more of a loose cannon when it comes to cases involving veterans, so that tracked, but it was a big leap to go from the Season 9 Halstead who wanted to help temper Voight's worst impulses to the Season 10 Halstead who was repeatedly stabbing a guy to death in a drug warehouse. 

So for me, the case didn’t actually make the most sense for his character because there wasn’t enough of a build in Season 10 to Halstead actually making the kinds of decisions that he made. The episode told us why, but the series didn’t really show us why, so “A Good Man” isn’t going down as my favorite Chicago P.D. case. 

Did Halstead’s Decision To Leave Make Sense?

While “A Good Man” isn’t going to be a Chicago P.D. favorite and I wish that the episode had spent more time on the goodbyes and less time on the case, there are three reasons why I think that Halstead deciding to quit CPD and rejoin the army was the best possible explanation for Jesse Lee Soffer’s departure. (And not just because I called it.)

First, the show had to say goodbye to Halstead somehow. Sure, Chicago P.D. could have transferred him to another unit and tried to sell that he was just too busy to ever drop by Intelligence, but Jay Halstead is too big of a character to just be around and not on screen. The actor was leaving and the people Halstead loves were staying, so heartbreak was unavoidable even in the best-case scenario. 

Second, Chicago P.D. had to set up what comes next while also saying goodbye, and the show could be planning to use Halstead making his decision without telling his wife beforehand as the starting point for an Upton storyline. Honestly, I hope there’s a larger narrative purpose, because she deserves some screentime to be upset about that. It didn't 100% track with Jay Halstead and I definitely didn't love it for her, but P.D. had to set up a future without him.

And third, Halstead didn’t die. My worst-case scenario was always Halstead being killed off, so I’m just relieved that he's still alive. His army past meant that there was a foundation there as a place where he’d go to try and get his head on straight while also still fighting the good fight. 

The Verdict

At the end of the day, there was never going to be a happy ending to this episode, because Halstead would be gone no matter what. Still, he plans to come home. He didn’t die, he didn’t go to prison, and he reaffirmed to Upton that she’s the love of his life. There are far worse scenarios that could have happened in the final minutes after how the whole case went down, and this goodbye left with a sense of some hope.

What’s up with Upstead in the future is uncertain, but they clearly still love each other and did not consider their parting to be a breakup. While I firmly believed that Casey and Brett were doomed on Chicago Fire as soon as he left Chicago, I don’t see that as the case for Upton and Halstead with P.D. as far more of a procedural show that doesn’t put as much emphasis on relationships.

Find out what the future of Chicago P.D. looks like without Jay Halstead with new episodes on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET following Chicago Fire (which just delivered a huge tragedy) at 9 p.m. and Chicago Med (which has one thing that will never happen for Will Halstead) on NBC, or streaming on Thursdays with a Peacock subscription. If you’re still sad about losing Halstead, check out my picks for some of Chicago P.D.’s best Upstead moments!

Chicago P.D. is gearing up to make one of the biggest changes in its ten-season history by saying goodbye to Jesse Lee Soffer as Detective Jay Halstead. He has been part of the One Chicago universe for more than 200 episodes between the three shows, and even appeared on Chicago Fire before P.D. even premiered. While there are too many standout moments for him as a character to count and list, his relationship with Hailey Upton has created some of the most emotionally poignant stories in this procedural TV show over the last several years.

So, in light of his exit in Season 10, I was ready to look back at my favorite Upstead moments that are already making me miss Jesse Lee Soffer and what he brought to the show. Let’s start with a blast to the past, of Tracy Spiridakos’ first full season as a series regular playing Halstead’s partner!

Halstead Invites Himself In – Season 5 - “Ghosts”

While “Ghosts” was primarily an Upton episode, it was also an episode that bonded them as friends and partners beyond their work in the Intelligence Unit. She went rogue, he pushed back to try and help her, and the episode ended with him deciding to crash her evening so she wouldn’t be alone with her ghosts after physically and emotionally going through the wringer. He got her to open up for one of the first times on Chicago P.D. He knew she wasn’t fine, so he stayed. 

Nothing Good Comes Of A Workplace Romance - Season 6's "True or False"

The era of Upton and Ruzek’s secret relationship actually was pretty solid for Upstead as a duo, including when Halstead came over to Upton’s for a drink and a heart-to-heart during a rough case. Ruzek made things awkward when he showed up and then promptly left, leading Halstead to wonder if Ruzek got the wrong impression. She responded that she doesn’t date people she works with, which Halstead deemed a “good policy” because “nothing good comes out of a workplace romance.” And surprisingly, neither of their pants caught on fire from how much they were lying!

The Thing That Works - Season 6's "Trigger"

Halstead’s continued struggles with PTSD resurfaced in “Triggers” after a series of bombings, not helped by the reveal that it was another veteran who was ultimately responsible. He wasn’t exactly feeling his best and tried to tell Upton that he wanted to be alone, leading her to explain the “thing that works” between them: even when one doesn’t want the other around, the other stays anyway, they talk, and they feel better. The pep talk worked – he opened up, she listened, and he felt better. 

Upton Would Follow Him Blind - Season 6's "Good Men"

In the Chicago P.D. half of a Season 6 crossover with Chicago Fire, Halstead made a judgment call that seemed like a pretty terrible idea, but Upton followed his lead after he looked at her and she “got it.” She told him that she trusted him from the day they met, and if she was going to follow someone blind, it would be him. He returned the sentiment in Season 7, telling her that he’d follow her anywhere. Who doesn’t love a good parallel in a mostly procedural TV show?

Reunited, And It Felt So Good - Season 7's "Intimate Violence"

Upton and Halstead were actually split as partners for a lot of Season 7, but were officially put back together in “Intimate Violence.” Both clearly felt good to be partnered up again. There was a lighthearted moment – yes, in Chicago P.D.! – in the middle when he ended up having to buy a bouquet of roses to protect his cover and gave them to his partner, and then a much more serious moment when they did their “thing that works” after he attacked a domestic abuser and she opened up more about her past.

Absence Makes The Flirting Go Harder - Season 7's "Silence of the Night"

Toward the end of Season 7, Upton was sent off to FBI for a crossover. Unlike the last time Halstead had a partner leave to work with the feds in New York, Upton kept in close contact with him, and was evidently homesick enough to open up about missing pizza, the wind, and him. This gets a spot on this list just because I love the idea that they were only comfortable actually flirting when it was over the phone with several hundred miles between them. Running into gunfire? Sure. Light flirtation? Save it for the safety of a phone call!

They Pass The Point Of No Return - Season 8's "Tender Age"

“Tender Age” delivered the game-changer that featured Upton confessing her feelings and Halstead kissing her. While I give the episode credit for shocking the hell out of me when he went for a kiss instead of a hug, my favorite part was actually Halstead trying and failing to seem happy about her FBI offer throughout the episode. It’s worth a laugh looking back, but he was still supportive of her if she wanted to take the job in New York, which just proved why he was the kind of partner she wouldn’t want to leave. Plus, they kissed! (And I can’t emphasize enough that I 100% thought he was going for a hug.)

The Morning (And Day) After - Season 8's "Unforgiven"

As “Unforgiven” proved when it picked up the morning after Upton’s confession, Halstead definitely wasn’t just going for a hug after the previous episode’s cut to black! While it’s not exactly a fun or lighthearted episode other than the opening moments of the two in bed, I get a laugh in hindsight out of how Halstead immediately went into serious relationship mode after they spent one night together, expecting to go meet her family in the hospital as soon as she got bad news about her dad. With Chicago P.D., get your laughs and enjoy heartwarming moments where you can!

The First "I Love You" - Season 8's "Signs of Violence"

“Signs of Violence” in Season 8 got off to such a happy and romantic note that fans probably should have realized immediately that something would spoil it. Halstead accidentally spooked Upton by triggering some of her childhood trauma when he told her he loved her, and the case of the week was an ugly one as she spiraled. But he came over when she asked him to and promised that he wasn’t going anywhere, and she was able to say it back. 

Halstead Proposes - Season 9's "Closure"

I wasn’t a fan of Upton’s proposal to Halstead in the Season 8 finale since it was more or less a product of her panic after shooting Roy, and it was very fast after less than a full season of dating with no sign that they’d discussed marriage. Halstead fixed the situation for me by the end of the Season 9 premiere, when he needed to know if she only wanted to get married as a reaction to what happened to Burgess. Once she clarified, they were on the same page. He had a little speech of his own and dropped down on one knee to propose. Romance: Chicago P.D.-style!

Halstead Figures Out Why Upton Is Spiraling - Season 9's

I’ll be honest: even though it’s not the most romantic, “In the Dark” in Season 8 is my favorite Upstead episode, partly because Jay finally got to be proactive instead of just concerned. He clocked that something was very wrong with Upton when she was scratching herself bloody and unable to sleep from guilt, and she seemed on the verge of finally ‘fessing up about killing Roy. Tracy Spiridakos and Jesse Lee Soffer were at their best as Halstead helped Upton through her panic attack, and then brushed off his detective skills when he saw Voight stare her down until she forced herself to calm down.  

And he figured it out and forced a confrontation with Voight! Even when Voight revealed that Upton was the one who pulled the trigger, Halstead maintained the responsibility was solely Voight’s because of what he'd done to her. The sergeant – in a spectacular failure to read the detective’s mood – said he didn’t think Halstead knew who he was sleeping next to, and Halstead punched him in the face. He was justifiably upset about the secret, but he went to bat for her 100%. I’d un-watch and rewatch this episode again for the first time if I could!

The Courthouse Wedding - Season 9's "A Way Out"

After taking some time, Halstead decided that he was still all-in on their relationship, even telling her that he didn't want her to turn herself in for killing Roy because he’d rather not start their marriage with the woman he loves in prison. So, after he managed to bring the FBI investigation to an end in the midseason finale, Halstead decided that he wanted to marry her ASAP. In a very smart decision considering what has happened to weddings on both Chicago Med and Chicago Fire, they eloped at the courthouse in a wedding scene intercut with their much less restrained wedding night. All in all, it was a cathartic way to head into hiatus. 

They Avoid A Fight - Season 10's "Let It Bleed"

Season 10 hasn’t exactly delivered an abundance of Upstead moments, but one that stood out to me in the Season 10 premiere was when Upton was trying to bring Halstead around to the idea that it’s not his job to help Voight through his messy situation. He responded “I know,” not altogether convincingly, so she tried to make the point again. Instead of snapping, he just responded with “I said I know.” It could have become a fight, they remained on the same page. And it was better than the tension and secrets in the next episode!

Just as there are too many impactful Halstead moments to count, there were too many memorable Upstead moments to list here, but these are the ones that stand out to me at the end of an era. No matter how Chicago P.D. ultimately says goodbye to Jesse Lee Soffer’s character after ten seasons, fans can always reflect on (and rewatch streaming with a Peacock subscription) their favorite parts of Halstead’s long story. New episodes of Chicago P.D. will continue airing on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC even after Halstead is gone.

Although all three shows of NBC’s One Chicago had cliffhangers to resolve and questions to answer with their premieres on September 21, the biggest news of the franchise over hiatus was that Jesse Lee Soffer would be departing Chicago P.D. after ten seasons. Official details are scarce about the when, why, and how of Halstead leaving, but CinemaBlend spoke to P.D. showrunner Gwen Sigan about whether or not the cop drama will actually build to his exit. 

Gwen SIgan spoke with CinemaBlend about the new season, including how “messy” the dynamic would be between Voight, Upton, and Halstead as well as what the new theme of Season 10 means for the various characters of Intelligence. In light of Soffer’s upcoming departure, I asked the P.D. showrunner if Halstead’s exit will be built to over multiple episodes or more contained to one. She shared:

Chicago P.D. is less serialized than Chicago Fire and Chicago Med, so there was no guarantee that Season 10 would build to however Halstead leaves. While the show set the stage for exits like Lindsay’s and Antonio’s in earlier seasons, that wasn’t the case for Rojas between the end of Season 7 and beginning of Season 8. However P.D. says goodbye to Halstead, it won’t come out of nowhere. 

It should be interesting to compare how Chicago P.D. Season 10 says goodbye to Jesse Lee Soffer as Halstead to how Chicago Fire said goodbye to Jesse Spencer as Casey in early Season 10 last year. Their tenures in One Chicago will be approximately the same length, especially in light of Soffer debuting on Fire before P.D. had even premiered. Fire spent several episodes on Casey’s final storyline before he bowed out; what will P.D.’s build to Halstead’s swan song look like? 

Of course, the more pressing question on many fans’ minds might be how exactly Halstead bows out, as some possibilities are more tragic than others. It’s not unprecedented for Chicago P.D. to kill off even longtime series regulars, as viewers saw with Olinsky’s death at the end of Season 5. Halstead has such strong ties to Upton on P.D. and even his brother over on Chicago Med that it’s hard to imagine reasons why he would leave them without being killed off. 

“Hard to imagine” isn’t "impossible to imagine," however! It’s possible that Halstead would just transfer out of Intelligence and keep on working as a CPD cop off-screen, although that’s not my top bet. My pet theory is that he returns to the Army for some kind of mission that takes him off screen, which could explain why he’d leave his wife and brother without killing him off. 

Since the Season 10 premiere set up the discontent and upcoming “fallout” within Intelligence involving Halstead, Upton, and Voight, the coming weeks will presumably go on to set up far more of why he will leave. We can only speculate for now, and fans can hope for the best for the character. Gwen Sigan has faith that fans will understand, after all! 

Tune in the NBC on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET for new episodes of Chicago P.D. Season 10, following Chicago Fire (which featured Upton for a key reason in its season premiere) at 9 p.m. and Chicago Med (which set up a major Crockett storyline with a big cast departure) at 8 p.m. ET in the 2022 TV premiere schedule.

Chicago P.D. Season 10 has already shaken up the Intelligence Unit, and the fall TV premiere season hasn’t even started yet. With a few weeks still to go before the three shows of One Chicago return to NBC, news broke that Jesse Lee Soffer will leave the show in the first half of the tenth season. He was not only a series regular from the very beginning, but also appeared as his character Jay Halstead on Chicago Fire back before P.D. had even premiered as a spinoff. 

The news of Soffer's departure came as a shock. Halstead has strong roots in Chicago and has kept evolving, even marrying Upton. Honestly, if I would have had to guess at a major character who would most easily lift out of the narrative at this point, I would have named Voight. Halstead has ties throughout One Chicago; Voight seemed to be tying off his own loose ends in the ninth season by agreeing to work more closely with Halstead, and the whole mess with Anna that ended in tragedy seemed like it could have resulted in Voight heading for the bench. Compared to Halstead, anyway! 

So, in light of all of the character's professional, personal, and romantic ties throughout the three Chicago shows, let’s look at what losing Jesse Lee Soffer as Jay Halstead means for Season 10. We can’t say too much with certainty without knowing how P.D. is writing him out, though, so let’s start with what is pretty much guaranteed.

Intelligence Won’t Have An Even Number Of Cops

I was pretty excited about the news that Chicago P.D. was bringing back Benjamin Levy Aguilar after his guest appearance in a big Halstead episode of Season 9. Since there was no sign at the time that Halstead would be gone, Aguilar’s Officer Torres arriving seemed like it would mean an even number of cops working under Voight again, which could have meant three sets of partners instead of an odd man out. Now, it appears that Intelligence will be down to five: Upton, Atwater, Burgess, Ruzek, and Torres. R.I.P. to my dream of three sets of partners! And apparently Upton will need a new one.

Jesse Lee Soffer Won't Hit The 200-Episode Milestone

Although neither NBC nor Soffer has officially confirmed just yet when his final episode will air, it will reportedly be in the first half of Season 10. With the episode count as of the end of Season 9 at 186, some basic math tells us that Chicago P.D. will hit 200 episodes in 2023, when Halstead will presumably already be long gone (however he’s written out). On the plus side, Soffer has easily hit 200 episodes between the One Chicago shows, as his appearances on both Chicago Fire and Chicago Med number in the double digits, but all signs point toward him missing the big milestone on P.D.

Intelligence Loses Its Second-In-Command

Although Halstead wasn’t officially second-in-command to Voight and actually holds the same rank of detective as Upton, it’s pretty clear who held the unofficial title. Even Voight himself envisioned Halstead taking over one day just a few seasons ago. Upton is the logical one to step up next, since she also holds the rank of detective and was part of the new status quo with him and Halstead after the Roy mess.

It would be nice to finally see Atwater (or any of the others) promoted to detective, but there could be a leadership void under Voight. Depending on how her husband exits, Upton may not be in the best emotional place to pick up extra responsibilities. Who would be, if the worst should happen? 

Now, let’s move into some of what can only be guessed until we know how exactly Chicago P.D. is explaining Halstead’s absence despite all of his One Chicago roots.

Halstead And Upton Will Be Separate

Even if we assume the absolute best-case scenario for what’s up with Upstead and imagine that Halstead is just hanging out and fighting crime off-screen, the two will certainly be more separate than ever before. Even when she was partnered with Rojas, they still worked out of the same unit… and pretty much still worked as partners a lot of the time. And even when she was sent to New York for the FBI crossover, she and Halstead kept in contact over the phone.

Plus, if we assume a less-than-best-case scenario, then Upton is almost certainly in for some heartache. Killing Halstead off would make her a widow less than a year after getting married and finally finding joy, but I’m hoping that P.D. finds a less permanent way to say goodbye to him. After all, Chicago P.D. is already the darkest and heaviest of the three One Chicago shows, and the last thing that it needs is to get even darker by killing off Jay Halstead and definitively ending what grew into the biggest relationship of the show with no chance of reunion.

Chicago P.D. Historically Lets Major Characters Live

Let's look back in time for some hope! With Olinsky as a notable exception, P.D. does tend to write out major characters without killing them off. Sure, Rojas being written off between seasons still has me asking questions, and I was actually joking about Antonio’s absence being explained by sending him off to Puerto Rico to be with his sister before that was confirmed in Season 7, but they both lived, as did Erin Lindsay. Since Halstead dying would also affect Chicago Med, I’m going to cross my fingers that there’s another way of writing him out. 

There is still the problem of finding a reason why he would suddenly be absent despite his close ties to Upton and his brother over on Med. My ideal is that he returns to the Army for some kind of overseas mission that he alone can complete. Does that make sense as something that could actually happen in real life, or even with the generous rules of TV land? I have no idea, but it could explain his absence without killing him off or forcing him to abandon his loved ones. This show will never be as comparatively light as Fire or Med, but it doesn’t need to get any darker!

Bonus: Will Halstead Will Be Missing His Brother

Even though Will Halstead is a series regular over on Chicago Med and the Halstead brothers haven’t interacted on screen as much over the past couple of seasons, Jay is his only close family member in the city. Whether Jay is killed off or walks out or goes back to the Army for some unforeseen reason, Will presumably won't have his brother around. That won’t change P.D., but could make a difference for Med.

So, what will Chicago P.D. look like without Jesse Lee Soffer? Find out when Season 10 returns, with the premiere on Wednesday, September 21 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, although Halstead will still be around for some episodes. If you want to revisit earlier days of One Chicago, you can find the shows streaming with a Peacock subscription.

Chicago P.D. is still a few weeks away from revealing what happens after the tense Season 9 finale, but the show already has a shocker for fans: Jesse Lee Soffer, who has played Detective Jay Halstead going all the way back to the early Chicago Fire days when P.D. hadn’t even premiered yet, is leaving in Season 10. The news is especially surprising in light of Halstead setting down firmer roots than ever last season, with his marriage to Upton and new status quo with Voight. Now, Tracy Spiridakos, who plays his on-screen wife, has shared a sweet message for her co-star. 

Tracy Spiridakos has been Jesse Lee Soffer’s main scene partner going back to her first full season as a series regular, which was Soffer’s fifth. Upton and Halstead went from CPD partners to friends to lovers to then spouses, and the future for the characters seemed more likely to involve them working together as a married couple (and perhaps growing their family) than losing one of the actors. The actress took to Instagram, saying:

She ended her message with the hashtag of #upsteadforever, which is a sentiment that a lot of Chicago P.D. fans can relate to in the wake of the reveal about Soffer’s departure. Sadly, viewers won’t even get a full final season with Soffer to see what’s up with Upstead before the two are split, as he will reportedly be written out at some point in the fall portion of Season 10. 

It’s not clear just yet when the decision was made to say goodbye to Jay Halstead; Jesse Spencer’s departure from Chicago Fire last season happened with enough forewarning that the showrunners could set it up in a positive way, and find an easy way to bring him back for the Season 10 finale back in May. 

Elsewhere in the Wolf Entertainment universe (which includes the three Law & Order shows and three FBI’s as well as Chicago P.D., Fire, and Med), however, news recently broke that Kelli Giddish will depart Law & Order: SVU in the fall after more than a decade as Detective Amanda Rollins. Hopefully, however Halstead’s swan song happens, it will leave the door open for a potential return. 

When the actor used Twitter to confirm his upcoming departure, Soffer said that it “has been an honor” and the news is “sad but true,” so hopefully that means there’s no bad blood behind him. At the very least, my fingers are crossed that Halstead’s farewell won’t be like Jon Seda’s as Antonio Dawson, who has yet to return. For now, check out the photo that Tracy Spiridakos chose for her message to her co-star:

With the news that Jesse Lee Soffer is leaving and Halstead will be gone, the stakes are especially high heading into Season 10, even though P.D. didn’t end on a fiery cliffhanger like Chicago Med or a dire threat like the one facing Severide and Stella from the Chicago Fire finale. P.D. has already added a new series regular for Season 10, with Benjamin Levy Aguilar (who made a guest appearance in Season 9 in a big Halstead episode) coming on full-time. Soffer and Spiridakos even posted a fun BTS photo to welcome him.

Chicago P.D. returns for Season 10 on Wednesday, September 21 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, following Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. and Chicago Med at 8 p.m. The shows will be back in a very big week of primetime premieres, so check out our 2022 TV schedule to plan ahead for September. 

The upcoming Fall TV season will already look quite different from what audiences watched a year ago, especially when it comes to mega-producer Dick Wolf’s interconnected NBC fare. Chicago P.D. is the latest primetime hit facing a major casting exit, as the fan-fave O.G. star Jesse Lee Soffer has confirmed he will be bowing out of the drama after ten years of portraying Detective Jay Halstead. Just when you thought happier times might actually be on the horizon. 

At this time, it’s unclear exactly what will happen with Halstead on Chicago P.D. itself, though it does sound like fans can 100% look forward to seeing Jesse Lee Soffer getting some form of farewell, as opposed to his character being written out between seasons. In his statement to Variety, Soffer confirmed his goodbye in a way that left the actual exit window completely vague, saying:

All we can know for sure at the moment is that Halstead won’t make it to the midway point of Season 10, as Soffer will exit at some point in the fall, almost definitely in an episode that comes after the premiere. After all, the actor previously shared pics from the set after filming started for the tenth season, specifically of him and co-star Tracy Spiridakos alongside the newly promoted star Benjamin Levy Aguilar, whose Officer Dante Torres apparently won’t get to spend the next few years learning sage advice from Holstead. The way Soffer is speaking in past tenses, it does sound like he’s already filmed his final scenes. 

Soffer also took to Twitter to share the news along with a shorter message directed at fans, saying:

This will mark the end of a long and successful career arc for Jesse Lee Soffer, who first introduced Jay Halstead to audiences in Chicago Fire’s Season 2 premiere ahead of the spinoff’s arrival. While the 187+ episodes he’s starred in can’t touch the 502 installments of As the World Turns that he was in prior to all things Chicago, I dare say more fans will be upset about this than his soap opera exit. Especially considering he finally married Spiradakos’ Upton in Season 9 and made Upstead a legally binding shipper name, offering up hope that we’d get to see that relationship continue to blossom alongside their presumably complicated future with Jason Beghe’s Voight after the Season 9 finale. 

Alas, some of that will have to live on only in our imaginations, though fans can always relive the past nine seasons with a Peacock subscription both before and after his final episodes. 

In the past year, Chicago P.D. went through a showrunner change, with prior boss Rick Eid shifting his duties to focus on showrunning fellow Dick Wolf-produced dramas Law & Order and CBS' FBI, and P.D. writer/executive producer Gwen Sigan taking over. And when it comes to Wolf Entertainment projects, Soffer's exit is nearly as shocking as the recent news that Law & Order: SVU is losing Kelli Giddish's Amanda Rollins for Season 24. Or the rumors that NBC execs are thinking about eliminating the network's third hour of primetime programming as a cost-saving measure. 

Chicago P.D. Season 10 will join its fellow Windy City dramas when it premieres on Wednesday, September 21, at 10:00 p.m., as part of NBC’s One Chicago Wednesdays. Head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see all the other big fall debuts. 

Chicago P.D. is expanding the Intelligence Unit in Season 10 with the addition of a new series regular, and he’s getting a warm welcome from other members of the cast. Benjamin Levy Aguilar, who debuted as Officer Torres in Season 9, will be on board full-time, and Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos wasted no time in sharing a fun behind-the-scenes photo of the three of them during a break in filming. 

The long-running NBC series has started production on the new season, and Halstead and Upton will apparently share at least one scene with Officer Dante Torres early on. The three are all smiles in the photo, which both Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos posted on their respective Instagram accounts. Check out Soffer’s post and caption: 

Tracy Spiridakos also said “Welcome” in her Instagram post, along with “Season 10, here we go!” The three actors are all looking happy to be back at work for the new season, but unless Chicago P.D. somehow became a lot funnier over hiatus, it’s probably safe to say that they’re not channeling their characters in this photo. There aren’t usually a lot of reasons to grin at a P.D. crime scene! 

So, what’s up with Upstead and Torres in Season 10 that the three actors are working together? Well, Torres’ strongest bond in the unit as of Season 9 was with Halstead, although they didn’t end Benjamin Levy Aguilar’s debut episode (which you can revisit with a Peacock subscription) as bosom buddies. Still, it makes sense that they’d be working together, if this is one of Torres’ earlier cases as a full-time part of the team. 

With Upton present as well, I’m wondering if Torres is shadowing them as one of the existing partnerships within Intelligence. Alternatively, he could have been assigned as the partner to one of them, but splitting them up simply didn’t stick. After all, partnering Upton with Rojas (whose absence still hasn’t been explained) didn’t exactly stop Upton and Halstead from joining forces back in Season 7 .

Based on a photo posted by Marina Squerciati, who plays Kim Burgess, the rest of the team might be elsewhere. She shared a BTS photo of her on set with Patrick John Flueger (Adam Ruzek) and LaRoyce Hawkins (Kevin Atwater), wearing their bulletproof vests and also sporting much bigger smiles than the characters are usually wearing on the job. 

Basically, at this point, we can’t do much more than speculate about what Chicago P.D. has in store with the beginning of Season 10, other than that Benjamin Levy Aguilar will be back and has received a warm welcome from his new co-stars. I’m hoping that a sixth member of the team under Voight’s leadership mixes things up, and that the even number means three sets of partners in Season 10. 

Plus, another BTS moment shared by Marina Squerciati just has me hoping that One Chicago finds a way to deliver some crossover action in the fall. All three shows will return in the same week as their fellow Dick Wolf series, which is good news for fans of Law & Order and FBI shows as well as Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med. One Chicago will be back on Wednesdays starting on September 21, with Med at 8 p.m. ET, Fire at 9 p.m. ET, and P.D. at 10 p.m. ET on NBC in the 2022 TV premiere schedule.

Chicago P.D.'s midseason finale in December finally resolved the Roy Walton problem that had been hanging over the heads of Voight, Upton, and Halstead, but the effects of how Halstead got the FBI off their backs without flipping on Voight will continue to impact the characters in the second half of Season 9. Not only did Halstead and Upton get married and strengthen their bond as a duo, but they also are each going to see Voight in a different light. Actors Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos previewed to CinemaBlend what’s up with Upstead when it comes to their new dynamics with Voight.

Although Jay Halstead has generally been seen as the member of the Intelligence Unit most likely to stick to the straight and narrow – to the point that even FBI Agent North brought it up – he has also crossed the line more than once over the years. Blackmailing North to drop the case against him, Upton, and Voight wasn’t his first move that wasn’t entirely above board, and Jesse Lee Soffer weighed in on what’s next for Halstead after making that move:

Voight rarely holds back from crossing lines when he can get away with it, although the midseason finale delivered a reminder that he does truly care for the cops in his unit when he told Halstead to flip on him. Voight is aware that he’ll probably one day be caught and not able to wriggle out of trouble again; Halstead just wasn’t willing to let that happen yet, and now he’s going to be on more even footing with his boss. Whether that lasts and how well both men will adjust to it remains to be seen, but it definitely should be a different dynamic than viewers have seen from them before. 

And the Halstead/Voight dynamic isn’t the only one that will change between the three characters who were caught up in the whole mess with Roy’s death. When I asked how the whole ordeal will affect the characters’ loyalty to Voight moving forward in Season 9, Tracy Spiridakos shared Upton’s perspective:

“Family” has always been complicated for Upton, so it should be interesting to see how her interactions with Voight change in the second half of Season 9. After all, it’s at least somewhat due to his influence that she started crossing major lines herself, but he’s no longer on a pedestal for her. Throw in her marriage to Halstead, whose own dynamic with their boss has changed, and the status quo for Upstead and Voight could be something brand new. 

As for what exactly comes next for all three characters, the actors didn’t spoil what fans should expect, but they did share what they’re excited to explore in the second half of Season 9. Tracy Spiridakos shared: 

Season 9 has gone through a change behind the scenes with previous showrunner Rick Eid departing to focus on another corner of the Dick Wolf TV universe, with writer and executive producer Gwen Sigan promoted to take on the P.D. showrunning duties. The in-house promotion of Sigan may mean that there won’t be many detectable changes as the show continues under her guidance, but only time will tell on that front. Jesse Lee Soffer chimed in with his own thoughts on what he’s excited to explore:

Fortunately, the winter hiatus for Chicago P.D. is nearly at an end, and fans will get to see the full Intelligence Unit back in action. The midseason premiere appears to focus on Burgess and Ruzek with some concern for young Makayla, but viewers can look forward to Upton and Halstead breaking the news to their coworkers that they secretly tied the knot. 

P.D. returns to NBC on Wednesday, January 5 at 10 p.m. ET with its first episode of the new year, following Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. ET and Chicago Med at 8 p.m. ET. For when more of television’s biggest shows return in the new year, check out our 2022 winter and spring premiere schedule!

Warning: spoilers are ahead for Chicago P.D.’s Season 9 midseason finale, called “A Way Out.”

Chicago P.D. delivered a surprisingly happy ending with the “A Way Out” midseason finale for Tracy Spiridakos’ Hailey Upton and Jesse Lee Soffer’s Jay Halstead as they finally caught a break. He made some risky moves to clear them from the FBI’s investigation into Roy’s death, and they finally had something to celebrate. And for Upstead in this episode, celebrating meant going to the courthouse to get married and coming home to – in the words of Tracy Spiridakos – “consummate the marriage." The stars spoke with CinemaBlend about the episode, how their big scene changed from the script, and what happens next.

Considering that it wasn’t so long ago that Upton was literally scratching herself bloody from the guilt and Halstead was struggling to process the secret, seeing them happily get married and start their lives together was something that few people could have seen coming before “A Way Out.” When I spoke with the stars about the episode, they weighed in on whether there was a sense of relief that Upstead finally caught a break without any dangerous midseason finale cliffhangers, with Tracy Spiridakos explaining:

The Upstead wedding was about as far from a big planned wedding as possible, and the “spur of the moment” trip to the courthouse was in character for both. And fittingly, the actors were even in sync with their thoughts about it, as Jesse Lee Soffer was quick to agree with his co-star:

Multiple dynamics are now different as of the end of the midseason finale, with Halstead making it clear to Voight that things are going to have to change, then heading home and making the third (and final!) Upstead proposal that ultimately delivered the closure that the Roy story needed. Plus, Chicago P.D. created a unique feel in the big Upstead scene by intercutting between their happy, romantic wedding and their much more intense encounter back at their home. 

In fact, the actors (who had not yet seen the full episode when we spoke) shared that that element was very different in the original script. When asked if the sequence was always planned to cut back and forth between the two scenes, Jesse Lee Soffer confirmed that it “was not scripted that way” originally, and Tracy Spiridakos elaborated on what changed from script to screen:

Spiridakos’ opinion that it was a “great idea” is probably echoed by plenty of fans who have now gotten to see the midseason finale, and her co-star was once again on the same page. Soffer weighed in:

Fans can only imagine how the ending would have felt different if it had gone with the original script of the wedding followed by the love scene, but the intercutting really worked with how it was such a small wedding just for the two of them and then coming home together with rings on their fingers. 

Of course, the small size of the wedding without even Will present from Chicago Med could mean that Upton and Halstead could take those rings off and keep their marriage secret for as long as possible. According to Jesse Lee Soffer, however, that won’t be the case now that they’ve taken this huge step forward:

Just another day at the office on Chicago P.D.! Based on the promo for the next episode, the winter premiere will delve into the dynamic between Burgess and Ruzek more heavily, so it should be interesting to see if they have something to say about their coworkers tying the knot, and if that’s what motivates Burgess to make some changes. Whatever happens, there’s no going back to the way things were for Upstead in this new era. 

See what happens next for Upton, Halstead, and the rest when Chicago P.D. returns from hiatus on Wednesday, January 5 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC. It follows the winter premiere of Chicago Fire – which has a cliffhanger of its own to resolve after the return of a missing character – at 9 p.m. ET, and Chicago Med with its own wild ending to follow up on at 8 p.m. ET. For more of what to watch and when to watch it, be sure to check out our 2022 winter and spring premiere schedule.

Spoilers ahead for the third episode of Chicago P.D. Season 9, called “The One Next To Me.”

Chicago P.D. dug deep into Jay Halstead’s history with “The One Next To Me,” revisiting his time in the Army by reuniting him with a former comrade-in-arms who chose a very different path upon returning to civilian life. His history can be a hot-button issue for Halstead, but he certainly handled it a lot better than he did a few seasons ago, and he was even talking about it by the end of the hour. Growth!

That said, it was a very intense hour for Halstead, and Jesse Lee Soffer crushed it with his performance. I’m left with some ideas of what P.D. needs to do with him next. And things are going to have to get worse before they can get better. 

Halstead Needs To Learn The Truth About Upton

If there’s one thing that makes it difficult for me, even as a fan of Halstead and Upton, to celebrate their engagement, it’s the sense of looming disaster due to her big secret about killing Roy at the end of Season 8. She lied throughout the Season 9 premiere, has apparently lied by omission in the weeks since, and doubled down on it at the end of “The One Next To Me” when Halstead gave her the widest of possible openings to come clean. 

Even as somebody who has been and remains firmly on Team Upton over Team Voight ever since Voight insisted on turning her good shoot into their very dirty little secret, Upton passing up her chance to confess right after Halstead opened up to her could come back to haunt her. The promo for the next episode indicates that the truth could be about to come out, and it looks like whatever happens next is not going to be pretty. Take a look:

Upton seems to be having panic attacks, and Halstead himself says that she’s not eating or sleeping, so this is definitely not sustainable. Voight’s response that he doesn’t think Halstead knows the woman he’s sleeping next to definitely suggests that if things are going to improve, it’ll be after things get ugly. It really looks like Halstead has been doing everything right up until learning that something has been very wrong, and it’s time for P.D. to yank the band-aid off. Even if it’s going to hurt!

Halstead And Upton Need To Stay Together

I have all the faith in the world that it’s going to be painful to see the fallout of Halstead learning the secret that Upton has been keeping from him, especially with how the promo for the next episode previews Voight seemingly sabotaging the relationship. But Chicago P.D. could also subvert expectations and let Upstead stay together, with Halstead siding with the woman he loves over Voight. 

After all, Halstead has known Voight for nearly a decade, and he knows the kind of cop that Voight is deep down. It wasn’t that long ago that Halstead thought Voight might have killed Kelton, and if he learns the whole truth of what went down with Roy, it should become clear that Voight is the one who turned Upton saving her sergeant into a murder with a hidden body. 

Upton still did a bad thing, but it’s also clear that she feels so immensely guilty that her physical health is suffering as well as her mental health, whereas Voight isn’t showing any guilt. That has to count for something, right?

Plus, Halstead and Upton just moved in together into an unbelievably gorgeous apartment, and it would be a shame for one of them to have to leave it so soon. I’m not suggesting that everything is wonderful between Upstead after the secret comes out, but they don’t need to call it quits. He of course deserves to be upset and have questions and not entirely trust her for a time after whenever he finds out; I just think that there’s more interesting story in them working through it instead of another Chicago P.D. breakup.

Halstead Needs More Big Episodes

Halstead has some of the most loaded backstory of any of the main Chicago P.D. characters, but P.D. hadn’t really explored it for a while before “The One Next To Me” dove back into his time in Afghanistan. This episode also showed a marked difference from how he handled previous instances of his past resurfacing, and he’s come a long way from pulling his gun on his partner when he couldn’t see clearly due to his PTSD. If he’s in a better place emotionally, then maybe he’s in a place where P.D. can delve into his past without forcing him to deal with his triggers. 

And really, I just always enjoy Halstead-centric episodes. There’s a lot of duality in him as a character who tries to do the right thing but is still very much an Intelligence detective who has bent the rules plenty of times, and Jesse Lee Soffer always nails the big Halstead episodes. 

Admittedly, the Upstead relationship has meant that he gets more screen time in big Upton episodes than before. Hopefully it’s not another season before P.D. delves into what makes Halstead tick again. Plus, if more Halstead episodes might mean nothing bad happening to Burgess again for a few weeks, then all the better!

Halstead Needs A Break

As much as Halstead needing a break runs contrary to Halstead needing more big episodes, I think he’s going to deserve some time of pretty much nothing happening to him for a while after he learns the big secret next week, whether or not that's in the next episode. Jesse Lee Soffer previously previewed that it would be a few episodes before Halstead finds out, after all, and it looks like Voight is going to do his best to mess with his head. 

Throw in Halstead finding out that Upton didn’t take any of her many opportunities to open up, and maybe let him go fishing with Will for a few days. Even if he’s on her side, this could be a big blow to him. 

Find out what happens next for Halstead with new episodes of Chicago P.D. on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, following Chicago Fire (which has given Casey a big decision to make) at 9 p.m. ET and Chicago Med (with Vanessa possibly making a huge mistake with Crockett) at 8 p.m. ET. The One Chicago block is already doing well in the 2021-2022 TV season, and undoubtedly will continue to dominate on Wednesday nights.

Chicago P.D. had more than one cliffhanger to resolve with the ninth premiere, and although the episode did settle some of the biggest questions left over from Season 8, the ride for Season 9 has only just begun. Burgess survived her brutal injuries, Upton and Halstead are engaged, and Upton and Voight are keeping their deadly secret... for now. So, what's next? Chicago P.D. stars Jesse Lee Soffer and Jason Beghe shared their takes on what they're most excited about in Season 9, and there's some good news for fans hoping to learn more about Halstead.

I had the chance to speak with the Chicago P.D. stars for Season 9, and they gave intriguing but very different responses regarding what they're looking forward to fans getting to see. Here's what they had to say!

Jesse Lee Soffer (Jay Halstead)

Jesse Lee Soffer had a lot to preview about Season 9, not the least of which concerns how Halstead is going to handle Upton's big secret and what it will mean for various relationships on the series. When asked what he's particularly excited for fans to get to see in the ninth season, Soffer revealed that there's plenty worth looking forward to on the way even beyond what's up with Upstead, saying:

Based on some of Jesse Lee Soffer's other comments, Halstead probably won't be getting a promotion any time soon, but more Halstead backstory is always welcome since the character tends to be pretty tight-lipped on what happened to him overseas. The shortened eighth season delivered a lot of intriguing plots, but there wasn't time to do much with Halstead's history. While it's not always pretty when Halstead has to face his past on P.D., those stories reveal a lot about what makes the character tick.

Plus, Atwater getting a love interest? That possibility has been exciting for years now, with even LaRoyce Hawkins weighing in on Atwater never getting any love last season. He deserves some romance, and it should be interesting to see what kind of character is on the way to fill that roll. After Rojas was written out before anything could happen between them, it's possible that Atwater will branch out and date somebody who isn't a cop, which may be for the best now that P.D. has served up an Upstead engagement and Burgess/Ruzek have formed a little family unit with Makayla.

Plus, Jesse Lee Soffer specifically mentioning "a new character" who might be an Atwater love interest is hopefully a sign that this won't be somebody turning up for a one-off appearance. So, what is Jason Beghe excited for fans to see in Season 9?

Jason Beghe (Hank Voight)

I spoke with both Jason Beghe and Tracy Spiridakos together to get their thoughts on Voight and Upton's big secret as well as Halstead's role, and Beghe shared his thoughts on what he's excited for fans to get to see in the ninth season. The premiere certainly set the stage for whatever comes next, even beyond the aftermath of the Season 8 finale. Beghe said:

Unlike Jesse Lee Soffer, Jason Beghe previewed how P.D. will approach how everything that has happened so far will affect the characters, as opposed to specific upcoming plots like some more Halstead backstory and Atwater getting a little love. With Beghe portraying Voight for nearly a full decade now thanks to making his debut in the role in early Chicago Fire, he certainly has a unique perspective on the P.D. cast. He continued:

After everything that Intelligence went through at the end of Season 8 and beginning of Season 9 so far, I'd say they've definitely earned the right to do some limping! In fact, depending on whether or not P.D. delivers a time jump, Burgess may be quite literally limping due to her injuries. She was still in rough shape at the end of the Season 9 premiere. They've all been through the emotional wringer as well, and Upton feeling the stress of the big secret so much that she was having a panic attack between buildings in the premiere presumably isn't going away just because Halstead proposed.

See what happens next with what the stars were hyping with new episodes of Chicago P.D. closing out One Chicago Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, following Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. ET and Chicago Med at 8 p.m. ET. The new seasons of One Chicago action is just beginning, so be sure not to miss an episode!

Major spoilers ahead for the Season 9 premiere of Chicago P.D. on NBC!

The Season 8 finale of Chicago P.D. packed in plenty of cliffhangers before the final credits rolled, with the episode ending on a shaken Upton surprising Halstead with a proposal. It wasn't the most romantic scenario in the world considering the timing, and the finale ended without revealing Halstead's answer. The Season 9 premiere finally revealed what's up with Upstead, but with a twist on the proposal when Halstead flipped the script in the final scene to propose to her. Stars Tracy Spiridakos and Jesse Lee Soffer broke down the big scene.

As it turned out, Halstead didn't give her an answer one way or the other when Chicago P.D. picked up where it left off on her proposal, and they didn't get engaged until they had a conversation about why she did it. Then, it was Halstead who went down on one knee, in a scene that was very sweet, but also complicated by the fact that Halstead is completely in the dark about Upton and Voight's secret. When I spoke to the Chicago P.D. stars in separate interviews, they shared how they approached the proposal scene with the big secret still between their characters. Tracy Spiridakos shared:

There were a lot of layers to not only Upton and Halstead's first interactions over the initial proposal, but also the conversation leading up to the second one with Halstead going down on one knee. The conversation at the end of the episode came when Upton was calmed down somewhat from the opening scene, and Tracy Spiridakos and Jesse Lee Soffer played it in a way that got their characters on the same page when it comes to their relationship... if not on the same page when it comes to what Upton is hiding.

Jesse Lee Soffer previously shared that Halstead isn't going to stay in the dark about what Upton and Voight did forever, so fans shouldn't necessarily expect nothing but smooth sailing for the good ship Upstead when looking ahead to the rest of Season 9. Soffer also shared his perspective on the second proposal scene with his character still not in on the secret, and how Halstead feels about the whole situation after being taken completely by surprise, saying:

Chicago P.D. may have started out Upstead's engagement with a big secret hanging over them, but Jesse Lee Soffer's comments about Halstead's feelings for Upton seem pretty encouraging about where Season 9 will take the storyline. While it may cause some distrust between them, Soffer also previewed that fans will see how the situation will play out with Halstead and Voight once Halstead finds out. Does that mean he'll cast more blame on Voight than on Upton, even if she kept the secret from him in a more intimate way? Or will it be worse news for Upstead?

As somebody who has been on Upton's side ever since Voight manipulated the situation in the Season 8 finale to turn Upton's good shoot to save her sergeant into a very dirty secret, I definitely hope that Halstead joins me on Team Upton. Voight really did back her into a corner, and there's no good way out for her. At this point, I wouldn't blame the women of the Intelligence Unit if they decided to retire from CPD and star in a spinoff called Chicago Florists where nothing bad ever happens to them. It's been a rough couple of years!

In all seriousness, the show set the stage for a layered ninth season. While there were some happy conclusions to the cliffhangers thanks to Upstead getting engaged and Burgess surviving, things are never too smooth for too long for the cops of Chicago P.D. See what happens next with new episodes of P.D. on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, following new episodes of Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. ET and Chicago Med at 8 p.m. ET.

Changes seem to inevitably be on the way for Chicago P.D. in Season 9 after how the eighth season came to an end on multiple cliffhangers. Voight crossed a major line to end Season 8 and dragged Upton along with him, proving yet again that the man in charge of the Intelligence Unit isn't exactly the leader with the cleanest of hands, especially compared to some of the cops working under him. Recently, Jesse Lee Soffer weighed in on the idea of Jay Halstead, who currently holds the rank of detective, getting a promotion at CPD. Sergeant Halstead, anybody?

Season 8 seemed like it could have been building Halstead up as ready to take on more of a leadership role within the team, where he already has seniority as the highest-ranking cop working under Voight for the longest. Ahead of Season 9, I spoke with Jesse Lee Soffer, and he shared his thoughts on Halstead possibly moving up in the CPD:

Jason Beghe has been playing Sergeant Hank Voight going all the way back to the early days of Chicago Fire before Chicago P.D. even premiered, so it's safe to say that he's very established in his position at CPD. And if he hasn't been caught doing anything that would get him demoted or even fired, is there any chance of him changing positions other than moving upward? And short of that happening, any promotion to sergeant for Halstead would have to mean leaving Intelligence. "Sergeant Halstead" seemingly may not become a reality anytime soon, if at all. Well, maybe Atwater will finally get a promotion!

Interestingly, a similar conundrum has arisen over on Chicago Fire with Stella Kidd earning a promotion as an officer but the firehouse not having an officer spot open for her. And after Halstead has spent the better part of a decade and the defining years of his career in Intelligence, it's hard to imagine him elsewhere. So, does that mean that Halstead will never get to show off his leadership skills? Jesse Lee Soffer weighed in on the kind of leader Halstead would be if he did get more of a leadership position within Intelligence, saying:

Although there have certainly been times when Halstead was not setting the best example for the rest of the Intelligence Unit, he did spend Season 8 generally on the straight and narrow. And even when he did swerve a bit off of that straight and narrow path, it was in the pursuit of justice for a good man, not covering up a murder or happily doling out special treatment.

It should definitely be interesting to see how Halstead handles the situation when he learns the big secret that Upton – to whom he may or may not be engaged in Season 9, depending on how P.D. resolves that Season 8 finale cliffhanger – and Voight are hiding. Jesse Lee Soffer already previewed how long it will take Halstead to start connecting the dots and what it means for his dynamic with Voight as well as Upton. Check out the latest promo for P.D.'s return for Season 9:

See what's in store for Jesse Lee Soffer's Jay Halstead and the rest of Intelligence when Chicago P.D. returns for Season 9 on Wednesday, September 22 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, following Chicago Fire (with a big cliffhanger of its own to resolve) at 9 p.m. ET and Chicago Med at 8 p.m. ET. Between Upton's proposal, Voight covering up a murder, and of course Burgess' grievous injuries, P.D. has a lot of questions that need to be answered, and hopefully the premiere will deliver!

Chicago P.D.'s Season 8 came to an end that was intense even by P.D. standards, with Burgess' fate uncertain, Hailey Upton with blood on her hands thanks to Hank Voight, and Jay Halstead in the dark about what she did and why she was suddenly proposing to him. The finale ended without revealing his answer, and fans will have to wait until the upcoming Season 9 premiere to find out what's up with Upstead in Season 9, but actor Jesse Lee Soffer recently spoke with CinemaBlend about the aftermath of Upton's big secret and proposal.

With the Season 9 premiere of Chicago P.D. fast-approaching, some answers are on the way, and Jesse Lee Soffer shed some light on what to expect. In true Chicago P.D. form, what comes next isn't going to be simple. When I asked about when Halstead will start to pick up that something is wrong after Upton popped the question, Jesse Lee Soffer explained:

Don't expect the storyline with Upton's big secret and Halstead being kept in the dark to be resolved in their first scene of the episode, or even by the time the final credits roll on the Season 9 premiere! As Jesse Lee Soffer noted, Jay is a detective; if Upton's shellshocked status at the end of Season 9 is any indication, he might be the detective in Intelligence who is thinking the most clearly.

It should be interesting to see whether or not Chicago P.D. delivers a time jump. Based on the promo for the new season of One Chicago, P.D. will at least pick up shortly after it left off in the Season 8 finale, since Burgess is clearly in pretty bad shape. If a few episodes of Upton keeping the secret translates to months passing with a time jump, things could get even more complicated.

Of course, Halstead and Upton's relationship got pretty serious pretty quickly thanks to already having so much history with each other, but Halstead was also on the same page as Atwater about doing things by the book in the finale, even with Burgess' life on the line. In response to the question of where he thinks Halstead's loyalties would lie upon finding out the truth, Jesse Lee Soffer shared:

Jesse Lee Soffer certainly wasn't kidding about Halstead straying from the straight and narrow in the past, and he's actually taken more than one bullet after bending the rules. Even in Season 8, he had some moments of crossing lines and wondering if he would stay within the bounds of the law if he couldn't get justice for somebody he loves. It seems that the secret will cause some problems between Halstead and Upton, and with Halstead and Voight as well.

As somebody who has been Team Upton ever since Voight more or less turned what was a good shoot of a cop saving her sergeant's life into a very dirty secret, I'm hoping that Halstead finds out the whole truth and has some harsher words for Voight than Upton. Then again, if Upton is the one wracked by guilt, she might be more willing to take blame than Voight based on her character to this point.

Still, fans can only speculate until the time comes for Season 9 to premiere and reveal how exactly Halstead handles the next round of hurdles that are coming his way, as well as how Upton and Voight face the aftermath of killing the bad guy and hiding the body, and whether or not poor Burgess will survive her latest tragedy. Honestly, if she survives, I wouldn't blame her if she decides to retire from CPD and do something that involves way less violence! She's had a rough couple of seasons.

Be sure to stay tuned to CinemaBlend for plenty more coverage of One Chicago, as all three shows will be back on NBC on Wednesday, September 22 with Chicago Med at 8 p.m. ET, Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. ET, and Chicago P.D. closing out the night at 10 p.m. ET.

The stars of the three shows of NBC's One Chicago have a lot of experience by this point in performing epic rescues for primetime, but the actors of Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Fire aren't first responders in real life. That didn't stop a pair of P.D. and Med stars from jumping into action to perform a real-life rescue, however, and P.D.'s Jesse Lee Soffer has shared the story of that time he and Med's Nick Gehlfuss had a rescue encounter.

Jesse Lee Soffer, who of course has played Jay Halstead for the better part of a decade now on Chicago P.D., appeared on the TV Guide Magazine 2021 Fan Favorites panel for Comic-Con@Home. When asked about standout fan encounters over the years, Soffer shared a story that involved both him and his on-screen One Chicago brother:

The Halstead brothers to the rescue! The actors who play Detective Jay Halstead and Dr. Will Halstead in One Chicago go above and beyond to save lives on screen, but jumping into ditches to perform rescues in real life isn't part of their scripted job descriptions! Fortunately, it sounds like Nick Gehlfuss didn't actually start trying to administer emergency aid to the woman like an actual doctor and Jesse Lee Soffer didn't start trying to manage the scene like an actual cop, but an action-packed good deed that maybe most people wouldn't have tried.

Of course, with Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med not only filming in Chicago, but also as major hit shows with passionate fanbases, the odds weren't too shabby that the woman they were rescuing would be a One Chicago fan. Jesse Lee Soffer continued telling the story to share just what it's like for somebody to find themselves rescued by actors who play rescuers in primetime:

If only there was a third Halstead brother who starred in Chicago Fire who could have completed the trifecta with Jesse Lee Soffer and Nick Gehlfuss! This particular fan experience may not have been fun for the woman at the beginning when her life was in danger, but the story comes to a pretty fun ending.

Her discovery that the Halstead brothers came to her rescue – or at least the actors who play them on TV – must have made the incident a little less terrible! Honestly, though, I would probably think that I'd bonked my head pretty hard and hallucinated myself in One Chicago's world if I was pulled out of a car crash and saw what looked like Jay and Will Halstead on the scene!

Hopefully Jee Lee Soffer and Nick Gehlfuss don't happen upon the scenes of real-life accidents on a regular basis, and in fact they'll be called back to performing their on-screen heroics now that the fall TV season is on the way. Soffer revealed recently that filming on Chicago P.D. Season 9 has already begun, and Chicago Med announced some big casting additions that followed the confirmation of which stars are returning for Season 7.

Tune in to NBC on Wednesday, September 22 at 8 p.m. ET for the return of One Chicago for the 2021-2022 TV season, starting with Chicago Med at 8 p.m., continuing with Chicago Fire at 9 p.m., and finishing up with Jesse Lee Soffer's Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. For more of what's on the way when the weather starts to cool, swing by our 2021 fall TV premiere schedule for what's coming and when to check it out!

Chicago P.D. has its roots as a series centered on cops who don't always do things by the book, going all the way back to Voight's introduction and Halstead's undercover op in Season 1 of Chicago Fire. With eight seasons and counting of Jason Beghe's Voight and Jesse Lee Soffer's Halstead operating in Intelligence, Chicago P.D. has raised the question of what might drive the characters to take matters into their own hands. The stars weighed in on what that question could mean for Voight and Halstead.

The hypothetical was raised earlier in Season 8, when a father (played by Lawrence Gilliard Jr.) killed another man in vengeance for that man killing his son. Gilliard's character was driven to do so after CPD failed to investigate his son's case in the first place, which led to the loaded scene of Halstead and Voight discussing what can happen when a good man is failed by the system. And with everything that has happened since for Halstead, Voight, and the rest of Intelligence, it's a question worth revisiting.

Neither Halstead nor Voight has had to make that kind of decision in Season 8 so far, but Jesse Lee Soffer and Jason Beghe discussed what could drive their characters to the point of breaking rather than just bending the rules. Speaking with CinemaBlend and other outlets at a recent press event, Soffer answered what he thinks could happen to potentially push his character to take matters into his own hands:

None of the cops of Intelligence at this point have entirely avoided crossing lines (although some have definitely done worse than others), but bending the rules generally happens as they try to find justice for people who have been wronged. Halstead has actually been one of the unit to stay closest to the straight and narrow (with some exceptions usually tied to his PTSD), talking Upton down from going too far in the latest episode and certainly never facing the kind of assumption that Burgess recently leveled at Ruzek after he killed a man.

Interestingly, Halstead did go more than a little wild a couple seasons ago after the death of his father, which echoes Jesse Lee Soffer's comments about something happening to a family member of one of the Chicago P.D. cops. Fortunately for Halstead, his brother is usually considerably safer over on Chicago Med. And Upton, who is arguably the most important person in his life other than Will, is the one longtime member of the Intelligence Unit who hasn't been shot. (Knock on wood!)

Jesse Lee Soffer continued, sharing what the discussion with Voight about what good men might do for justice means for Halstead in Season 8:

There's a reason why fans began to speculate that Detective Jay Halstead might be in for a promotion down the line to Sergeant Jay Halstead after this conversation with Voight, which brought Halstead to a greater understanding of Voight when there had been some moments of contention between them in the past. For his part, Jason Beghe shared his own perspective on where Voight stands on the potential of being driven to cross lines in Season 8:

Voight is a cop who definitely operates in shades of gray, and viewers who have been watching the character since his Chicago Fire days know that he has come a long way from when he was going to dangerous lengths to try and intimidate (and ultimately even frame) Casey into keeping his silence. In Season 8, Voight is actually having an easier time adapting to police reform under Samantha Miller than some others in Intelligence, particularly Ruzek. Who would have guessed a few seasons ago?

None of this is to say that anybody should want to cross Voight on a day that he woke up on the wrong side of the bed or something rubs him the wrong way, but it's possible that Voight's days of pushing boundaries on the regular are truly behind him... or mostly behind him, at least. He has worked well enough with Miller so far, even as she insisted on adding somebody new to Intelligence when Voight usually hand-picks the people who join his unit.

Find out if Halstead or Voight have a line crossed in Season 8 and beyond, with new episodes of Chicago P.D.'s current eighth season airing Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, and P.D. already renewed for another two seasons. Revisit P.D. days gone by with the series streaming on Peacock now, and check out our 2021 spring premiere schedule for more of what's on the way. The 2020-2021 TV season is almost over for One Chicago, with Chicago Fire's boss already teasing the Season 9 finale and Chicago Med delivering on an "uncomfortable" new dynamic.

As for P.D., Season 8 has seen big developments for each of the characters, with Voight adapting, Burgess taking in young Makayla, Ruzek struggling to find his place in a reforming CPD, Atwater fighting back against racism within the CPD, Upton facing her past, Upstead's relationship getting serious, and Halstead's introspection of what good men might do when facing injustice.

Season 8 of Chicago P.D. has seen Jay Halstead and Hailey Upton make the leap from partners who had never ventured past the platonic into a full-blown romance. In true Chicago P.D. style, the good ship Upstead hit some rough waters pretty quickly when Upton's father reentered the picture, but Halstead seems to be in just about the best emotional place that he's been in a long time, and certainly when it comes to relationships since his heartbreak with Lindsay. Actor Jesse Lee Soffer opened up about how that heartbreak and the dark days that followed impacted Halstead and the path to Upstead.

Jesse Lee Soffer spoke with press outlets about Chicago P.D. Season 8 and the Upstead relationship. Soffer initially pointed out that Halstead gets a bad rap about "always" dating his partners when really "it's twice" (and two out of two over almost a decade isn't that bad), then weighed in on what's up with Upstead after everything Halstead has gone through over the years:

Sophia Bush departed Chicago P.D. at the end of Season 4 as Lindsay and is unlikely to ever return, so it was pretty clear in early Season 5 that Halstead's heartbreak wasn't going to be resolved by Lindsay coming back, and he made some bad decisions that included Camila as the only romantic partner that he had on P.D. between Lindsay and Upton. It was a dark time and Halstead needed time to get back to a good place, and as Jesse Lee Soffer pointed out, Upton sticking by him lead to the trust and respect that turned into romance.

Halstead and Upton officially getting together hasn't gotten a lot of focus in Season 8 so far because of, as Jesse Lee Soffer noted, Chicago P.D.'s tendency to focus on one character's perspective per episode, and they've been partners as usual while on the job, which seems to bode well for their relationship. P.D. also took its time in developing Upstead after the highs and lows of Halstead and Lindsay and even gave Halstead and Upton a love interest each before falling for each other. (If Upton/Ruzek and Halstead/Camila count as anything serious, anyway.) Jesse Lee Soffer continued:

Even the most optimistic Upstead fans likely shouldn't count on a quick succession of love, marriage, and a baby carriage at this point considering all the challenges ahead of them, and the baggage they both bring into the relationship. Throw in the fact that they've both been part of workplace romances that ended badly and aren't always the most compromising when it comes to how they conduct their police work, and viewers probably don't have to worry that Upstead will be uneventful whenever Chicago P.D. revisits their relationship.

Chicago P.D. returns with the next new episode on Wednesday, March 31 at 10 p.m. ET, following Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. and Chicago Med at 8 p.m., all on NBC. The One Chicago shared universe is getting even bigger courtesy of more Dick Wolf shows, with Law & Order: Organized Crime premiering on NBC in April and the second FBI spinoff just scoring a series order for the 2021-2022 TV season on CBS. One Chicago is actually connected to FBI and its spinoffs courtesy of Upton, so it should be fun to see if any more crossovers are on the way.

The second major One Chicago crossover of the 2019-2020 TV season hits the airwaves on February 26, but Chicago Med will be missing from the television event. Even though the Fire and P.D. crossover evidently won't need the doctors and nurses of Med, an upcoming Med episode will definitely need one of the stars of P.D. A new episode photo reveals one of the Intelligence cops on the scene on Med, and the episode description suggests he may need to be ready for some serious action.

First, check out Jesse Lee Soffer as Jay Halstead in a photo from Chicago Med's March 4 episode:

Well, whatever happens in the Fire/P.D. two-parter won't leave Jay Halstead benched! He'll be on the job in the March 4 episode of Chicago Med, looking very cold and very ready to fight some crime. The episode, called "Who Should Be The Judge," will involve a convicted murderer escaping, resulting in multiple members of the Med team in danger. That definitely sounds like something that would warrant the involvement of CPD!

Normally, Jay on the scene of a Med crisis might suggest that Will is one of the people in danger, and some major Halstead brother drama would be on the way. According to other episode photos, however, it looks like two other doctors will be the ones in hot water on the cold streets of Chicago.

Take a look at Natalie and Crockett looking less than thrilled in the March 4 episode:

The good news is that none of the blood on their hands and coats seems to be theirs, with at least one other person injured in the leg. The bad news is that they both look fairly alarmed. And will probably also need to buy new coats.

Based on the setting in the image, I think it's safe to say that Natalie and Crockett are pretty far away from the hospital for at least part of "Who Should Be The Judge." Is this because they were driving around together, saw somebody in need of medical aid, and stopped to provide help, only to wind up in danger themselves?

Or did the convicted murder or one of his cronies kidnap Natalie and Crockett at the hospital, yank them into the big blue van, and force them to render aid at gunpoint? Or something else entirely? Personally, I don't think it's too much of a leap to suspect that they were kidnapped in the van by a guy with a gun, based on this next picture:

Based on Crockett's expression, I think he's starting realize how much danger and drama come with the day shift at Chicago Med! In all seriousness, both doctors look pretty scared in this picture. They're already covered in blood, so they seemingly already tried to help somebody.

Considering the image of Jay Halstead shows Jay and a fellow cop on the job in the middle of the night, it appears Natalie and Crockett won't get out of their situation shortly after the pictures of them with the blue van. I would also say that Jay looks to me like he's trying to negotiate a hostage situation, based on the way things generally roll on P.D.

Hopefully he can help rescue Natalie and Crockett sooner rather than later, and without falling into a super weird Chicago Med love triangle after that close call a few seasons ago. It's probably safe to say that Manstead 2.0 with Jay instead of Will isn't going to happen, though, since Jay has some sparks flying with Hailey over on P.D. and the last thing Crockett needs is more relationship drama.

See what happens in Chicago Med's "Who Should Be The Judge" when the episode airs Wednesday, March 4 at 8 p.m. ET as the first hour of the One Chicago block. Stick around NBC for a couple hours on March 4 for more Jay Halstead, with Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. ET.