Chicago PD season 6 midseason report: Hailey Upton

What’s next

The good news is that Chicago PD has figured out we need more Upton. But there’s still a lot left to do if the show wants to take full advantage of the character, and the talents of the actress who is playing her.

It’s clear the Ruzek and Upton relationship will continue to be a prominent piece of the show, so this season needs to address the elephants in the room that it hasn’t yet. What will happen when Ruzek’s former fiancee Burgess finds out? What about Upton’s partner Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer), who had a long-term relationship with a fellow team member? And is Upton truly trying to make this work with Ruzek, or is she not looking for anything serious?

If the series wants fans to invest in this unexpected pairing, then it needs to show more than just the cute moments in the relationship.

And beyond that, Upton’s character development needs to be about more than her romantic life. This season has given us more good moments between her and Halstead, who are developing a very interesting partnership (watch one of them by playing the video below). It’s important to keep working on that, and what she brings to the table professionally. The last thing the show needs is for such an intriguing character to become one-dimensional.

Plus, is she hiding anything else? Upton didn’t talk about her family history. She couldn’t talk about her undercover operation until it came out last season. She’s tight-lipped about a lot, so could any other details be hiding still? And why is she so secretive? Could that come into play in a unit where trust and loyalty is everything?

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