5 reasons we'd love FBI to add Chicago PD's Upton to the cast

FBI is looking for a new agent, and there are a few reasons why Hailey Upton is perfect for the role!

FBI Season 7 opened on a big turn as Tiffany Wallace (Katherine Rene Kane) left the team. She’d been overwhelmed after losing a fellow agent the previous year and even killing the terrorist responsible didn’t help. That left Scola (John Boyd) with a partner hole and a couple of temporary partners.

The plan was for Lisette Olivera to join the show as the new character Syd Ortiz, a member of the Behavioral Analysis Unit, joining the team to help her injured sister after an attack. But in a stunning move, it was announced that Olivera left the show before her first episode even aired!

So Scola needs a new partner, and some fans are suggesting that the best bet is Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) from Chicago PD! It’s been established the shows exist in the same universe, and there are good reasons why Upton joining the FBI works!

It fits her story arc

When last we saw Hailey Upton in the Chicago PD Season 11 finale, she’d finally decided to move on with her life. After divorcing the long-absent Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer), Upton had some ups and downs before finally deciding to leave Chicago. She was last seen going over offers from various agencies before heading to the airport.

It’s thus perfectly logical that Hailey joined the FBI, where her past as a cop works for the team. She can bring her street experience in just like Wallace did and we know she can handle the action scenes well. It would just be organic for Upton to find a place with the FBI and deal with her life. 

We can see her move on with her life

We know Upton has had a rough past from childhood to failed marriage and other struggles. So a fresh start in New York is just what she and viewers need. Upton can embrace this, going back to the lighter character Chicago PD fans first knew, still tough yet not so pessimistic and broken. 

A romance may not be in the cards yet but Upton slipping into the FBI world from Chicago will restore her spirit. She can rise to the challenge of winning the respect of the other members, and it would be wonderful to see Upton get a second chance.

It saves creating a new character

According to reports, a reason Olivera was let go was that the 25-year-old actress came off too young to be believable as a top FBI agent. Any other newly created character would face the same challenge of trying to win over fans at once and their backstory. It can take a while for fans to get used to someone new and FBI might not want to try that again so soon after letting Ortiz go.

That’s why Upton works, as she already has an established backstory and history, yet non-Chicago PD fans can still get to know her quickly as a veteran cop. Those who do watch Chicago PD will enjoy seeing Upton again and Dick Wolf shows love to use the same actors a lot. So Upton becoming part of the FBI team works on several levels. 

She already knows the FBI team

Another key reason Upton on the FBI team works is that she has already joined them. Back in Season 2, Upton crossed over on a case and temporarily took Maggie’s spot when she was on assignment. It was the last episode of the shortened Season 2, yet Upton was treated like any other agent. 

So we’ve got the obvious idea Jubal remembered how well Upton did with them, heard she was joining the FBI, and pulled a few strings to get her assigned to the team. She and OA work well together, and Upton and Maggie could get along, while Scola would appreciate this new partner who can handle herself. That past experience works quite well. 

A meeting with Wes Mitchell would be priceless

We know FBI loves crossovers, so it’d be fun if one happens with the Fly Team coming in or Upton going to Budapest to run into Wes Mitchell, played by Jesse Lee Soffer, who played Upton’s husband Jay Halstead on Chicago PD. It’d likely be a classic bit of them shaking hands as they look at each other and wonder why the other looks so familiar. 

Yes, it's a quick throwaway joke, but it would be fun and a great bit for Chicago PD fans. It’s one of the reasons why Upton joining the FBI team would be a fantastic bit for both the show and the character to entertain fans. 

FBI Season 7 airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on CBS.