If there's one thing all three One Chicago shows will do, it's keep us on our toes. You never know when your favorite character's life will be at risk, when some characters will unexpectedly depart, and when others will make a surprise comeback. As the early episodes of Chicago Med season 11 have proven, characters that have been gone for multiples could return when you least expect it.
Chicago Fire has also been hosting a few reunions of its own this season, with Carver dropping by Firehouse 51 and reminding us all that these shows have an incredibly long list of amazing characters that can deliver quite the thrill to long-time fans. And that's exactly what NBC has planned when the One Chicago shows return from its hiatus on March 4 for the highly anticipated crossover.
As the teaser trailer for the three-part crossover revealed following the airing of Chicago Med season 11 episode 12, two fan-favorite Chicago PD characters are coming back to the franchise for the first time since they each left the police procedural many seasons ago. It's time to get excited for the triumphant returns of Jay Halstead and Hailey Upton!
Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos return in the One Chicago crossover event
That's right, Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos are finally coming back to the One Chicago universe for the crossover event between Chicago Med season 11, Chicago Fire season 14, and Chicago PD season 13. While their returns were definitely kept hush-hush, NBC spilled the beans on the secret with the 20-second teaser that concluded with the announcement of their appearance.
According to the trailer's description, "Sparks will definitely fly after Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) and Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) are thrown back together during a citywide emergency." As Chicago PD fans know very well, Halstead left the series early in season 10 and Upton left after season 11. While the characters were married, they ultimately divorced before each departed Chicago for fresh starts.
Variety offers further insight into what's bringing Halstead and Upton back to Chicago and how the former flames reconnect. The outlet reveals that Upton "returns to her former stomping grounds, but this time on the federal level as a Special Agent of the FBI. She joins her former P.D. allies after a drug enforcement task force case out of her Detroit field office leads her back to Chicago."
Meanwhile, Halstead has also been "deep undercover" and finds himself crossing paths with Upton as their cases intersect. It'll be curious to see how their case relates to the overall storyline across the three-episode crossover, which per Variety deals with a passenger jet going silent and creating a major emergency that requires all three units to work together as a deeper mystery unravels.
Even though Soffer and Spiridakos had left they show, both actors had expressed interested in someday reprising their roles in the future, and that time has finally come. One Chicago having an open door policy for past cast members, especially ones who helped originate these long-running shows, is amazing for fans. Nick Gehlfuss and Torrey DeVitto's Med return earlier this season was just the tip of the iceberg.
Obviously, One Chicago fans were already beyond excited for the crossover event, but bringing Halstead and Upton back as a surprise just adds to what's sure to already be a special trilogy. It's unclear whether the pair will only appear in the Chicago PD episode of the crossover or appear in all three episodes, but no matter what, we'll take what we can get!
The One Chicago crossover event airs Wednesday, March 4 on NBC, beginning at 8/7c.