Chicago P.D. is in production on Season 11 after a long summer and fall of strikes, and the stars wasted no time in sharing photos to celebrate getting back to work. While there are still weeks to wait until One Chicago arrives early in the 2024 TV schedule, Tracy Spiridakos – a.k.a. Hailey Upton – shared a look behind the scenes to prove that P.D. doesn't need Jesse Lee Soffer for a Jay Halstead presence. Not when the cast has a mini doll version of the character, anyway!
Yes, a doll version of Halstead has made his way to the Chicago P.D. set, as revealed by Marina Squerciati via Instagram Story toward the end of November. Now, Tracy Spiridakos posed with the stuffed version of her former screen partner with a message that leaves me wanting a full set of Intelligence Unit dolls for characters past and present. Take a look:
Since there's no news of whether Jesse Lee Soffer will reprise his role as Jay Halstead in Season 11, could this photo be the closest that fans get to an Upstead scene in 2024? I hope not, but seeing the Halstead doll with Tracy Spiridakos is a fun glimpse behind the scenes. The actress' caption also makes me wonder just how long Upton will be around in the new season. Spiridakos is set to leave Chicago P.D. in the eleventh season.
Whatever happens, hopefully we continue getting peeks behind the scenes of doll Halstead! The Instagram accounts for NBC, Wolf Entertainment, and One Chicago all posted comments on the pic:
- @nbconechicago: "mini halstead is iconic"
- @wolfentertainment: "love it 😂"
- @nbc: "obsessed 😂"
Considering all the cast departures over the years, I'm sure I'm not the only P.D. fan having fun with the idea of a full set of dolls matching the mini version of Halstead. Why not add one for Jon Seda's Antonio or Elias Koteas' Olinsky or even Lisseth Chavez's Rojas? If I'm never going to get an answer about what happened to Rojas that she disappeared between Seasons 7 and 8, then a doll version would be nice.
In all seriousness, I always enjoy seeing BTS fun for Chicago P.D., considering how dark the police procedural often gets. In fact, Season 10 ended with a frustrating cliffhanger that left Ruzek's life hanging in the balance. That twist definitely informed my thoughts on P.D. when it came to deciding on how I want One Chicago to pick up on the spring cliffhangers.
I very highly doubt that a full set of stuffed Chicago P.D. doppelgangers will ever be available and it's all in good fun, but at least the wait for the real thing to return is nearly over. The hit drama returns to NBC on Wednesday, January 17 at 10 p.m. ET, after Chicago Fire's Season 12 premiere at 9 p.m. and Chicago Med's Seasons 9 premiere at 8 p.m. If you want to revisit the spring finales for the three shows (or just any earlier episodes), you can find One Chicago streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription now.
