Chicago PD: Upton’s exit could open the door for new character
Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) will still be around when Chicago PD season 11 premieres, but it’s better to gear up for her eventual departure now. It’ll be sad to see the character go, given what she’s been through and how much she’s changed since she first joined the IU in season 4. As the saying goes, though, all good things must come to an end.
Chicago PD will definitely feel and look different when Upton leaves, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Upton was, after all, a replacement for an original cast member, so the silver lining to be gleaned from her impending exit is that we will likely be getting a brand new character that will take her place!
Will Upton be replaced on Chicago PD?
This is standard procedure as far as PD is concerned. When Erin Lindsay (Sophia Bush) decided to leave the show in season 3, the IU turned around and drafted the inexperienced Upton into their ranks. The fact that the IU is an active unit that requires a specific set of members makes the decision to bring new characters into the fold, and forces interaction between characters.
We saw this exact process play out in Chicago PD season 10, when Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) decided to leave the IU and was promptly replaced by the rookie that he was helping train, Dante Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar). Torres was promoted as soon as his mentor left, and has actually made quite the splash on the rest of the team.
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Granted, he’s still being used in a limited capacity (he was absent from the season finale), but there’s plenty of exciting directions to take him in, especially if he suddenly finds himself in the position of having to welcome another newcomer. Chicago PD felt like it was spinning its wheels at times during season 10, so the notion that they will have to bring a new character in is a very exciting possibility.
It could be the jolt of energy the show needs as it embarks on its second decade.
Next. Chicago PD will survive without Upton. dark
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