Chicago PD season 5: 3 moments we’d change

2. Halstead and Camila

We can see the point that Chicago PD was trying to make when it had Halstead start dating Camila Vega (recurring guest star Anabelle Acosta). Halstead was on a downward spiral between Lindsay leaving and some of his choices on the job, so he wound up in a bad romance. But even though it seemed thematically sound on paper, the plotline really had no upside and plenty of pitfalls.

Just on its own merits, there was no palpable chemistry between Camila and Jay. It was hard to see why they’d develop feelings for each other so quickly. If they were both grieving her brother’s death and had a one-night stand, that’d be one thing, but the show wanted us to believe that they were in a romantic relationship. They actually said they loved each other! There just wasn’t the groundwork for that.

Outside of what we saw on screen, though, this felt awkward for Chicago PD season 5 in a few ways. Halstead didn’t need another romantic relationship to show us how troubled he was. It would’ve been fine for him to be left alone, especially coming off of the years he spent with Lindsay.

If the show wanted to explore his troubles through the lens of someone else, why not have him work them out through his partnership with Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos), or spend more time on his therapy sessions? The Upton-Halstead duo worked surprisingly well together, and having them butt heads would’ve been perfectly natural as well as entertaining.

Halstead and Camila felt unnecessary, rushed, and a bit of a slap in the face to the show’s many Linstead shippers who were still smarting over the rough way that ship ended. Halstead has every right to move on from Erin, but maybe don’t do it less than half a season after their breakup?