What’s next for Hank Voight when Chicago PD returns in January?

Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) has seen better days. The veteran police officer nearly took the fall for a murder wrap during the episode “A Way Out”, and were it not for his fast (read: corrupt) thinking, he probably would have spent the rest of his life behind bars.

Voight remains a free man, but it’s unclear what the close call will mean for his relationship with Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) and Upton (Tracy Spiridakos). What was previously a close dynamic could buckle under mistrust and a general resentment towards Voight’s tendency to keep secrets.

Here’s what you can expect to see from Voight’s character when Chicago PD returns in January.

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Showrunner Gwen Sigan confirmed that Voight will be taking a new approach to police work. She told TV Line that the character recognizes when he’s gone too far, and forcing Halstead (the White Knight of the IU) to play dirty was a line crosser.

"“Voight’s pushed many lines in his career, but I do believe this episode puts him in a different place”, she noted. “He’s seen the white knight of the unit [Halstead] affected, and he’s seen the cost that Halstead was forced to pay for his actions. He also saw that cost in Upton earlier this season. There’s also the reality always hanging there, that what he did to Roy, it didn’t work. All it did was cause lots of pain. So yes, it will spark some attempts at change.”"

Furthermore, Spiridakos has confirmed that Upton’s relationship with Voight has been forever changed by the events of the season 8 finale. She said that the way “she sees Voight has shifted. As much as she respects him and sees him as family, she doesn’t hold him on a pedestal the way she used to. And I think the way she sees herself has shifted as well.”

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Beghe has been relatively quiet on the interviewing front, but if the comments from other cast and crew are accurate than we’re in for a fascinating new chapter in Voight’s career. He’s had issues in the past (his introduction saw him harassing Chicago Fire‘s beloved Casey), so the fact that there’s still lots to room for him to grow is an encouraging sign.

That’s not say that he’ll be unrecognizable. Voight has always been the anchor of the IU and his intimidating tactics are sometimes necessary to rattle tough suspects. It’ll be interesting to see if Voight can adhere to his newly enlightened code if he finds himself in a situation where his older tactics would get the job done.

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