Someone’s missing in these Chicago PD party photos…

The 200th episode of Chicago PD is here! After a decade of 20 plus episodes a season, the procedural drama has gotten to a number that most shows could only dream of. As a means of celebrating this achievement, the cast got together and threw a party that they were kind enough to share photos from.

The photos revealed that the party took place on the precinct set, and that a cake was done up in their honor. We see the faces of all the core cast members, as well as bright blue (of course blue) balloons that spell out the number “200”.

Is Jesse Lee Soffer returning to Chicago PD?

We noticed something, or more specifically someone, was missing though…

There was no sign of Jesse Lee Soffer in the Chicago PD party photos. Sure, the actor technically left the show before the halfway point of season 10, but it’s important to note that he directed a recent episode, which means he’s been on the set arguably more often than the rest of the cast was (at least, for a time). What’s the deal?

Well, there are a few things that may be at play here. One, the party may have taken place during the production of a different episode that Soffer wasn’t directing, or two, he chose not to attend and be in the photos for fear of stoking fan excitement about his character’s return.

The latter possibility gains traction when you check out Soffer’s recent interview with Variety. The actor talks about reaching a point of complacency on the job, and felt that he needed to make a big change in his career in order to stay artistically satisfied.

Moving over to directing was part of it, but Soffer also mentioned a desire to branch out and try other things in terms of acting:

"“In a family, sometimes somebody moves away or goes to college somewhere else”, he told the outlet. “I still love it. I still love the fans. And I still love Halstead. Halstead’s always going to be in my blood. That’s never going to change.”"

For the latest Chicago Fire season 11 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago Fire category at One Chicago Center.