Chicago PD’s Tracy Spiridakos is One Chicago performer of the week

Chicago PD star Tracy Spiridakos is One Chicago Center’s Performer of the Week for Oct. 31, for her work in Chicago PD season 6, episode 6.

This week’s One Chicago Performer of the Week honors go to Tracy Spiridakos from Chicago PD, for her performance as Hailey Upton in “True or False.”

One Chicago fans knew in advance that Wednesday’s episode of Chicago PD was going to focus on Hailey Upton; that was given away in the episode’s description, and also featured in the promo. It’s one thing to say an episode is important for a character, though, and another to make it happen.

Tracy Spiridakos gave “True or False” the emotional punch that it not only deserved, but needed to be a good episode. She conveyed Upton’s anger, frustration, sadness and uncertainty.

In fact, she showed us a character who was almost starting to knock a few screws loose, perhaps even more so than last season.

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When Upton was unleashed in “Ghosts” she was in a pretty understandable state—attacking the person who had killed her partner and tried to assault her. It would’ve been odd if she hadn’t freaked out.

Conversely, “True or False” gave us Upton snapping in a place where it wasn’t expected. When she was aggressive with the father of a potential suspect, it felt misplaced.

Yes, he was being argumentative but Upton usually keeps her cool in those kinds of situations. To see her needing to be pulled off by Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger), who himself has a short fuse, was telling.

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It was interesting to see Tracy Spiridakos playing an Upton whose judgement was clouded like that, and who honestly started to second-guess the way she was doing her job. Then, of course, there was the big revelatory scene:

Chicago PD wasn’t fooling anyone with this. Savvy viewers could deduce Upton’s past from the first scene of this episode, and all the talk about her acting just made it more obvious that what she was saying was true.

But that doesn’t change the fact that Tracy Spiridakos completely sold it. She was so raw and real in the interrogation room with their presumed suspect, and it was also great to see her chemistry with Jesse Lee Soffer, and watch Halstead and Upton continue to support each other as partners who both have scars to bear.

Whether she was admitting to her past or finding herself completely unprepared for the way it all ended, Tracy Spiridakos was handed so many juicy moments in “True or False” and she nailed each and every one. Chicago PD definitely picked the right person to bring into the Intelligence Unit, as she gets better every season.

For the latest Chicago PD season 6 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago PD category at One Chicago Center.