Chicago PD season 7 midseason report: Hailey Upton
By Kari Highman
How has Chicago PD season 7 gone for Hailey Upton? Before Chicago PD returns, we’re reviewing the season for Tracy Spiridakos’ character.
Before Chicago PD returns in the new year, we’re taking a moment to look at the current season for each character. What important events do fans need to remember?
What plot developments have been good for the character, and which ones need to be improved? And of course, where could they go next when new episodes start Jan. 8?
In this article, we’re profiling Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos). Click through our slideshow to see how season 7 of Chicago PD has gone for her.
What’s happened so far
Chicago PD season 7 opened with Hailey alongside her partner Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) as they worked to clear their boss, Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) of suspicion in Brian Kelton’s (John C. McGinley) murder.
The two managed to uncover evidence that put Deputy Superintendent Katherine Brennan (Anne Heche) at the forefront of the investigation, which led to an intense confrontation at Brennan’s apartment. Halstead was talking Kate down when Upton distracted her long enough for Jay to get the gun.
A couple episodes later, viewers saw Upstead get split up as partners, as Voight paired Hailey with newcomer Vanessa Rojas (Lisseth Chavez). While initially frustrated by the change, Hailey eventually took Vanessa under her wing and vetted her per Voight’s request.
“Familia” also gave viewers a glimpse at the softer side of Hailey Upton, when she offered Vanessa a place to stay while she adjusted to life in Intelligence. The two have lived together since episode 3, and things have gone smoothly so far.
Hailey had a major moment in the “Infection” crossover, when she was put into quarantine after potentially getting the deadly bacteria through a break in her skin. She met a young girl named Amanda while in quarantine, and the two instantly bonded. She was even there for Amanda when she went through surgery.
While she wasn’t partnered with Jay anymore, that didn’t stop Hailey from caring about his well-being. In “False Positive,” she was concerned about how much the case was affecting him. The scenario was flipped in the following episode “Informant” when Jay grew worried for Hailey over her involvement with a CI.
“Informant” also served as the first Hailey-centric episode of the season, where Tracy delivered a powerful performance of both the tough and vulnerable sides of Hailey Upton.
With Hailey struggling to carry the weight of her informant’s death, you would think PD would give her a break from the dire situations. But, you’d be wrong, as the midseason finale tossed Hailey into a spiral of emotions when Jay was kidnapped.
Her stress was clearly evident at the beginning of the episode when she tailed Jay as he met up with Angela, Marcus West’s widow; but her “concerned partner” attitude quickly became more so in a later scene.
The aforementioned scene showed Hailey tossing her coffee cup into the sink, shattering it as Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) came in to wonder about the commotion. She broke down, saying that she “had to do something” to get Jay back. Adam reassured her that they were going to find Halstead, and while Hailey nodded, her teary eyes showed otherwise.
The final straw came at the end of “Absolution,” when after finally finding Jay and asking repeatedly if he was okay, he pulled himself away to go help Angela. That’s the last time we saw Hailey, as she remained upstairs with the offender, not knowing what was about to happen to her partner.