Chicago PD might have to consider killing Hailey Upton off

The clock is winding down for Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos). The character only has a handful of episodes left before she leaves Chicago PD, and fans are still unsure as to how or why she will leave. There's been plenty of evidence to suggest that the character is fed up with the job (see the season 11 premiere for proof), but what this means for her future is up in the air.

The lack of clarity regarding Upton's future is why death has to be considered an option. We don't want to see Upton bite the bullet, obviously, but there are a few different reasons why it would solve some of the issues that PD writers are currently dealing with.

An Upstead reunion is no longer an option

For one, the Upton and Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) reunion is seemingly out of the question. The couple divorced between seasons 10 and 11, and there's been little mention of Halstead since, which makes it seem as though his relevance to Upton's story has expired.

It would have nice to see, as evidenced by the way Chicago Fire handled the reconciliation and marriage of Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer) and Matt Casey (Jesse Spencer), but the latter was far more game to make cameo appearances and work with the showrunners than Soffer (at least, in front of the camera).

Upton could quit the force and leave Chicago for a different career path, but that's the exact same trajectory that Halstead took last season, so it would feel narratively and thematically redundant (especially if the writers want to distinguish the two characters).

A main Chicago PD character hasn't died since S5

Chicago PD hasn't dared to kill off a major character since Alvin Olinsky (Elias Koteas) in season 5, which is an eternity in comparison to the other One Chicago shows. A death would be a real shock to the fanbase, and given the grim direction PD has taken in season 11 in particular, it would certaintly line up.

Once again, we don't want to see Upton die, but the longer the show takes to establish her reason for leaving, the more we're inclined to think that it would be the most powerful and resonant option. Time, as always, will tell.