Chicago PD has given us tons of memorable characters over the years. The IU has been home to those who have given their lives in the line of duty, have become disillusioned by the corruption of the Windy City, or simply decided that police work wasn’t for them.
The franchise has done a good job of keeping characters in the mix, or at least keeping the door open if a given character ever wanted to return. We’ve seen examples like Chief O’Neal (Michael Gaston) take on a pivotal role in season 10, after having made a brief appearance throughout the rest of the show.
That being said, there are a select few who won’t be coming back anytime soon. Characters who, through virtue of their situation or the dynamics that their respective actors have with the show, are guaranteed to keep their distance from PD for the foreseeable future.
Here’s a quick rundown of four beloved characters who won’t be appearing on season 10 of Chicago PD.
Is Erin Lindsay in Chicago PD season 10?
Erin Lindsay is a unique case among Chicago PD characters. She was one of the show’s biggest characters during its initial run, and she’s still alive and well on the East Coast, meaning she could technically return for a cameo if the writers ever decided to make it happen.
The reason Lindsay won’t be returning for season 11, however, is the strained relationship that actress Sophia Bush has with some of the cast and crew. Bush has been forthright about the time she spent on the show, and how she often felt uncomfortable during shoots.
Given that the feelings between both camps have not changed since Bush’s departure, it’s safe to assume that the character of Lindsay will remain safely offscreen.
Is Alvin Olinsky in Chicago PD season 10?
Who didn’t love Al Olinksy? The character, played by Elias Koteas, was a perfect partner for Voight (Jason Beghe) and an interesting foil for the younger members of the IU. He didn’t always do what was right, but he always did things with the intention of doing right, which made it easy to root for him.
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Sadly, Olinksky’s death in season 5 takes him out of consideration when it comes to characters who could return to Chicago PD. He was sent to prison for murder, and promptly stabbed to death while behind bars. Voight continues to bear the grief of his buddy’s death, so it would feel out of sorts to actually see Olinksy return in some capacity.
The impact that his absence has had on the characters is more than enough.
Is Anna Avalos in Chicago PD season 10?
Another character, another tragic ending. Anna Avalos (Carmela Zumbado) played a crucial role in Chicago PD‘s ninth season, and her death during the finale set up the emotional stakes for the IU this year.
Voight feels personally responsible for what happened to her, since he purposely kept information about her past from her, and Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) is racked with regret over having to shoot and kill Anna when she pulled a gun on Voight.
It’s clear that there’s still lots of healing to be done for both characters, and the mishandling of the Anna situation will inform the way Voight and Upton handle cases moving forward. Sadly, Anna’s fate ensures that she won’t be returning to PD in season 10 or any other season, for that matter.
Is Vanessa Rojas in Chicago PD season 10?
Introduced in the show’s seventh season, Vanessa Rojas quickly established herself as a skilled detective with a troubled past. Rojas had a tough exterior and a no-nonsense attitude, which she used to protect herself from getting hurt again.
Upon her introduction in season 7, it seemed like Rojas was brought in to help fill a void on the team as a key member of the Intelligence Unit. Instead, she was quickly written off the show with her exit occurring off-screen which we later discovered was due to Lisseth Chavez accepting a new role on Legends of Tomorrow during the hiatus in between seasons.
After Legends of Tomorrow wrapped, there was hope that we could see Chavez return to the show to reprise her role as Vanessa. Instead, Chavez booked a role on ABC’s The Rookie where she is playing Officer Celina Juarez. Given that Chavez is a series regular on The Rookie and remains a key part of the show’s cast, it’s highly unlikely we’ll be seeing Rojas back on Chicago PD anytime soon as she’s currently locked down as a member of The Rookie cast — which will prevent her from returning to PD.
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