Chicago PD has been doing well, but it just hasn’t been the same since losing certain characters! We take a look at the five we miss the most.
When a show runs 12 seasons, it’s only natural to shed some names in the cast. Chicago PD hasn’t seen as much of a huge cast turnover since the first year but has lost a few characters as it went. Some aren’t too big; Sean Roman had a nice presence but was not important overall, while Vanessa Rojas only lasted one season and was forgettable.
Then, there are some major characters who brought true heart and power to the show. They were amazingly popular with the fans and often felt like the backbone of the series and its drama. Their departures all affected the show, and while it’s gone on, it seems something was lost with those gone. These are the five biggest Chicago PD character exits and how each has rocked the show.
Erin Lindsay
A mainstay of Chicago PD from its Chicago Fire backdoor pilot, Erin Lindsay was a wonderful character. Raised as the daughter Voight never had, Erin respected him and was an amazingly tough cop. She had to handle a lot of problems, like her addict mother, who’d get her into some hot water on criminal matters but kept on through it. She was smart, tough and so dedicated to being a cop that she quit a job with the feds as she couldn’t fit in outside of Chicago.
Her relationship with Jay Halstead was well done although her temper and stubbornness could cause problems. She also never got over a protegee brutally murdered by a serial killer. Sophia Bush’s exit from the show came under a cloud, with Erin written off by getting a new job with the Feds. It was a jarring experience for the audience and left a gap that’s never been truly filled.
Antonio Dawson
For someone who once arrested Hank for harassment, Antonio Dawson got along well with him. A dedicated family man, Dawson’s dedication to the job led to a bitter divorce. That had him throwing himself more into cases, including helping sister Gabby on Chicago Fire. Jon Seda made the character relatable as he also starred in the short-lived Chicago Justice spinoff.
Sadly, Antonio suffered a hard fall as he got addicted to painkillers after an injury. When his daughter was kidnapped, Dawson killed the guy responsible and was not happy covering it up. He was written out off-screen, going to rehab and then to help Gabby in the Bahamas. We never got a proper goodbye to Antonio to make his exit rougher and rob the show of a fun spirit.
Al Olinsky
Hank’s oldest friend, the veteran Al was the senior cop the others on the unit looked up to. Soft-spoken, Al’s voice carried weight when he talked, and he could move from a mentor role to putting others in their place. He was reluctant to mentor Burgess, worried she’d be crushed by the job, but grew to respect her.
Al endured tragedies on the show, such as losing a daughter and splitting from his family. His end was heartbreaking as he was wrongly sent to jail and stabbed to death there. The entire unit was as heartbroken as the fans. An episode where Hank imagined Al speaking to him showed just how missed the character was and a gaping hole in Chicago PD that hasn’t closed.
Jay Halstead
As great as it is seeing Jesse Lee Soffer on FBI: International, many fans wish he’d come back to Chicago PD. Jay Halstead used his soldier experience well as a detective, always at the front of the action and risking himself on cases. He was a bit cocky and could be too strident on cases, but always for the right cause.
Jay got good stuff on the show with his relationships with Erin and later Hailey Upton, as well as brother Will on Chicago Med. That sense of duty and right and wrong led to his exit when he refused to cover up shooting a suspect. He enlisted in the army and the last seen of him. Maybe one good thing about the cancellation of FBI: International is it paves the way for Halstead to make a return to PD.
Hailey Upton
The latest major cast departure, Hailey Upton, entered in season 4 as a member of a different unit. She impressed Voight on a case to be invited to join and settled in fast. At first a bit distant, Upton bonded with the team, especially Halstead, to the point of marrying him. She had her personal demons and got close to cases, yet she was as dedicated as the rest of the team.
Upton was hit hard when Halstead left for the army and threw herself too much into cases. That put her in a dark place and close to depression, added on by divorcing Jay. Thankfully, Hailey recognized her own problems to get out of Chicago and a new job. It’s too bad she couldn’t have gone longer and hopefully a return to give her character a better sendoff.
Chicago PD season 12 airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC.