5 reasons Chicago PD will regret losing Antonio Dawson

2. He’s a fan favorite

Why would the One Chicago universe get rid of one of its favorite characters? That has to be the question on fans’ minds right now. Of all the characters across all the shows, Antonio is without a doubt the most popular, and Jon Seda is one of the most appreciated actors, too.

TV shows always have to do what’s best for the show, even if sometimes it upsets people. There is a difference, though, between doing what’s best for the show and doing something that’s going to have a significant impact on people’s enjoyment of the show. At that point, it’s not really best for the show, and that’s kind of where Chicago PD is in writing out Antonio Dawson.

So many fans love him, and so many people watch for him specifically, that there’s no way this change isn’t going to have a negative effect.

What makes this particularly odd is that the show is aware of Antonio’s popularity. The reason he was brought over to Chicago Justice was to entice an audience to watch that show, and in fact, a number of fans said they only watched it because of him. Then there was a plan to bring him back to Chicago PD, because Dick Wolf understood Jon Seda’s value to the franchise.

Seda is an actor who’s pretty much universally beloved. Ask anyone who’s worked with him and they love him. He’s poured his heart and soul into this franchise for a long time, doing everything that’s been asked of him. And people respond to him. That makes him a tremendous asset, which in turn makes it all the more curious why Chicago PD is willing to let him go.

Even if the character of Antonio feels a bit stuck, it would seem worth it to keep him around just to keep Seda and all that he brings to the table. And keep from upsetting the legions of fans who are now frustrated that he’s leaving.