In the history of Chicago P.D., there have been very few characters that fans have invested in more than Jesse Lee Soffer's Jay Halstead, for many reasons. For example, the character was a huge part of the show's first 10 seasons and he also built a bridge to the Chicago Med franchise, since Dr. Will Halstead is his brother. For those reasons and more, viewers were very disappointed when Jesse left Chicago P.D. after the show's tenth season.
While fans held out hope that the character would return to Chicago P.D., those odds dwindled when Jesse joined FBI: International's cast. Instead, it seemed like viewers would have to be content with the prospect that his new role would give Jesse the proper send-off they hoped his One Chicago character would receive. However, FBI: International has ended, and it was revealed that Jesse returned to Chicago P.D., but not in the way that most fans would have hoped.
Jesse Lee Soffer returned to direct Chicago P.D. during season 13
Between 2013 and 2022, Jesse Lee Soffer's portrayal of Detective Jay Halstead became a staple of NBC television. Over that time, Jesse portrayed the character in episodes of Chicago P.D., Chicago Fire, and Chicago Med. If that wasn't enough, the character also popped up in episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Then, after all those years of viewers investing in the character, he completely stopped showing up in new television episodes.
However, it turns out that Jesse has continued to put his stamp on the One Chicago franchise, even though some viewers may not have realized it. After all, the only way to realize Jesse was affecting the franchise was by paying closer attention to the credits for specific Chicago P.D. episodes. The reason for that is, as Jesse confirmed on Instagram, he returned to direct an episode of Chicago P.D.'s 13th season.
As of the time of this writing, details about which Chicago P.D. season 13 episode Jesse directed haven't been revealed. Instead, the only way to know anything about the upcoming episode that the actor helmed is by looking at the images he uploaded on Instagram from his behind-the-scenes experience. Other than that, fans can keep an eye out for any future announcement about the episode Jesse directed. Viewers can also opt to pay closer attention to the director credits on each Chicago P.D. season 13 episode.
It is also worth noting that Jesse directing a Chicago P.D. season 13 episode isn't the first time that Jesse has taken on the pivotal role. According to IMDb, Jesse previously directed two episodes from past Chicago P.D. episodes. The actor helmed season 10, episode 16, "Deadlocked and season 11, episode 12, "Inventory."