Is Halstead in the 200th episode of Chicago PD? (SPOILERS)

Chicago PD has arrived at 200 episodes. The police procedural is in rarified air as it crosses the halfway point of its tenth season, and with such a momentous number comes the expectation of fan service. Maybe we will get a cameo to a character we haven’t seen in a while, or a reference to what they’ve been up since they left.

The character on everybody’s mind, of course, is Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer). He is one of the defining cops on the show, and has been crucial to as many stories as the boss himself, Voight (Jason Beghe). So, with that in mind, did we get a surprise Halstead sighting in episode 200?

Is Jesse Lee Soffer in Chicago PD 200th episode?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. The character was nowhere to be seen in the episode, titled “Trapped”. The bulk of it actually turned away from Halstead and Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) and instead focused on Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati). It makes sense, given that the latter two dominated the first half of season 10.

In fact, there’s absolutely no mention of Halstead in the episode, or Upton’s struggle to make sense of his absence. The former has been acting uncharacteristically towards her ever since he left for Central America, and it’s been tough, for both Upton and the audience, to deal with the fact that the marriage may be over.

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What makes Halstead’s absence even more conspicuous is the fact that Jesse Lee Soffer directed an upcoming episode, which means he’s been around the set. If he or the Chicago PD writers had wanted to show the character on the job, or even hear his voice via phone call, they could have.

At this point in time, however, playing Halstead sounds like something that Soffer wants to put behind him. He recently told Variety that he was reaching a point in his career where he wanted to try something different, and felt that taking on other acting roles, as well as directing, would be a smart move.

"“It was one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever had to make in my life”, Soffer added. “Let’s be honest: I love the fans of our show so much, and I love my fans. I know that they’re still grieving this, and to some degree, I am too.”"

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