Jon Seda coming back for Chicago PD season 12 would be a perfect solution for the show

It’s been an interesting few seasons for the One Chicago shows with many cast shakeups across Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and Chicago PD – the latter of which has bid farewell to two major characters within the last two seasons. 

Cast changes are something we’ve become accustomed to, but there is no denying that the recent exits of Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos have left Chicago PD in quite a unique position. Soffer and Spiridakos were two integral parts of the show and were also one of the show’s most popular and central couples up until Soffer’s exit in season 10. Their exits from the series have left a major void in the show, one that could be filled with some help from a former member of the case: Jon Seda. 

For the first six seasons of Chicago PD – and the first two seasons of Chicago Fire before making the jump to its spinoff - Jon Seda was an integral part of the One Chicago Universe as detective Antonio Dawson. He was the bridge between Chicago Fire and Chicago PD in those early days having been a part of the franchise from the beginning and was a fan-favorite character that drew many into Chicago PD’s early seasons. 

Antonio was often the moral compass of the Intelligence Unit, making sure to keep Voight on the straight and narrow and serving as a mentor to the younger members of the team. This is honestly why so many fans disliked the character’s exit storyline and the moments that led up to it as it saw Antonio blurring the lines between right and wrong as he juggled his addiction problem, a plotline that was entirely unnecessary. 

The show sadly wrote Antonio off in the most disappointing way having him leave the CPD after going to rehab and move to Puerto Rico to be with family. This exit didn’t even occur on-screen with the show failing to give the character a proper sendoff despite his history with the series, which was a disservice not just to the character but also to the fans who had followed his journey since Chicago Fire. 

With Chicago PD down two longtime members and with only five members of the original cast remaining, there is no better time than now to bring back Antonio. 

His return could give the Intelligence Unit a veteran detective which is very much needed at the moment now that the two remaining detectives on the team have moved on, and would also allow the show to right the wrongs of his exit storyline by giving us back the Antonio we first fell in love with. One who is all about protecting and serving the city of Chicago, and could be the moral compass that Voight desperately needs following Halstead’s exit. 

It would also be such a treat to bring back a former member of the cast in a series regular role that could continue his storyline. This is something Grey’s Anatomy has mastered perfectly in recent seasons, bringing back departed cast members as series regulars in ways that allow the writers to further their journeys in the show and explore new storylines that further the development of the characters since we last saw them on the show. 

With so many departures lately, bringing Seda back as Antonio would help to fill the void of Soffer and Spiridakos by reuniting fans with a character they’ve been longing to see back in the mix since he first was written out of the show!