Sophia Bush made a name for herself on major network TV with her role as Erin Lindsay on Chicago P.D., which led to appearances on the other three One Chicago shows and even Law & Order: SVU, but she left the series following Season 4 in 2017. While it seems unlikely that Bush will ever pick up the badge and gun again as Lindsay in One Chicago, she has landed a mysterious role in one of NBC's biggest shows: This Is Us.
This Is Us returns for the second half of Season 4 on January 14 to delve into a new storyline, and it will include Sophia Bush. The actress, best known for her work on The CW's One Tree Hill prior to starring in Chicago P.D., will be involved in Justin Hartley's arc as Kevin in what remains of Season 4, according to Deadline. Considering Kevin is part of more than one mystery, Bush's role could certainly be a meaty one.
Sophia Bush will reportedly recur throughout the second half of Season 4. Although This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman didn't drop details about the character Sophia Bush is playing in This Is Us, The Wrap reports a tease he shared about her role:
Sophia Bush is coming and playing a big secret part in our first episode back [after winter hiatus].
Well, those may not be details about Sophia Bush's role in This Is Us Season 4, but "big secret part" is surely enough to get her fans pumped about whatever she'll bring to the series! The combination of a secret part and Justin Hartley's arc as Kevin naturally calls for speculation that Bush could be playing the mystery mother of Kevin's child.
Jennifer Morrison's casting ahead of Season 4 and the subsequent Kevin/Cassidy connection seemingly made her a pretty strong candidate as the future mom, but perhaps Sophia Bush's character will be the one after all! This Is Us has a knack for delivering twists in the resolution of its mysteries, and bringing in somebody new after viewers spent half a season guessing if and how Morrison could be playing the mother of Kevin's child could fit the This Is Us bill.
So, does Sophia Bush's return to NBC for This Is Us mean she's opened the door to return to Chicago P.D. for a guest shot? Personally, I'm guessing very much not. Her connection to This Is Us is likely due to her work with executive producers and co-showrunners Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger for their Disney+ series Love, Simon, on which Bush has a recurring role.
Sophia Bush has opened up about why she left Chicago P.D., including that her "body was like falling apart" because she "was really, really unhappy." Leaving P.D. also wasn't an impulsive decision, as she shared that she told her bosses on that show well ahead of the Season 4 finale that she would be done unless something changed.
So, P.D. fans missing Erin Lindsay shouldn't get their hopes up that Sophia Bush's return to NBC for This Is Us means Lindsay showing up again on P.D., but there's plenty to look forward to with Bush's career. Her mystery role on This Is Us has the potential to be a game-changer, and her upcoming Disney+ work should be worth watching for fans of both the actress and the 2018 Love, Simon film.
Chicago P.D.: Why Each Major Cast Member Left
See Sophia Bush in the This Is Us Season 4 winter premiere on Tuesday, January 14 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC as one of the many big shows returning in the 2020 midseason premiere lineup.
