Chicago PD season 7 character preview: Hank Voight

What should happen

It’s almost certain that Hank Voight will be Brian Kelton’s killer when Chicago PD season 7 begins. Fans know that Voight said he was going to see Kelton, then Kelton wound up dead and we all saw Voight driving away. The writers had to know what that was going to imply, and that’s before one considers Voight’s history of violence. He’s killed before, so it’s not like this is a huge shock. It’s just a much bigger crime.

Given that, the logical and most satisfying next step would be for Intelligence to have to turn the tables on Voight, and him to face the consequences of his actions, from the people he cares about the most. He’s gotten away with an awful lot over the years, and there’s only so many times that can happen before it starts feeling unrealistic. One could argue Chicago PD passed that point some time ago.

Voight ought to be sidelined for a while, during which time One Chicago fans can see how the unit functions without him. It didn’t go well for the half an episode Antonio Dawson (Jon Seda) ran the team, so how would it work now? Will Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) have better luck getting the Intelligence squad to respect him as a leader?

Hank will ultimately have to come back in some form, and it would be meaningful if he changed or tempered his behavior. He wouldn’t have to totally soften, but Voight’s vulnerable side is so rarely seen on Chicago PD. And if the show wants to accurately reflect policing, then it needs to admit he wouldn’t be able to police the same way anymore. That challenge would be interesting enough as Voight finds new ways to bust the bad guys other than literally busting them up.