‘Chicago P.D.’: How will Hailey Upton’s exit change the show when it returns in 2024?

We may try our best to achieve work/life balance, but that’s not really a thing on Chicago P.D. Considering the important cases the characters are always working on, we understand they don’t have time for long walks or weekend afternoons spent reading. But although Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) left Chicago P.D. to have more of a life, we have big questions about what the procedural will look like without her.

Hailey Upton is one of those characters who stays with us even when we’re not watching the show. Since she was an Intelligence Unit member from seasons 4 through the season 11 finale, we honestly never thought she’d leave. Now that Upton has officially ridden off into the sunset (or to the airport), we’re thinking about what to expect from Chicago P.D. season 12.

What will Chicago P.D. season 12 look like after Hailey Upton’s departure?

After Hailey Upton drives away in a cab in the sweet (a word we never thought we’d apply to Chicago P.D.) and also scary season 11 finale of the NBC procedural, Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) is going to have to figure out a new rhythm at work. Since he’s so used to collaborating with her and also sharing his inner world, we wouldn’t be surprised if he became close to another coworker in Upton’s absence.

Season 12 of Chicago P.D. will look very different since there won’t be any more surprisingly heartwarming conversations between Upton and Voight. We loved that they were unlikely friends who both felt alone and found each other amid such a disturbing and dark career path. While that dynamic can’t (and shouldn’t) be repeated, it would be sad if Voight retreated into himself once again. That does seem pretty likely, though. Our biggest Chicago P.D. season 12 prediction is that without Upton on the show (and considering he almost died), Voight will grieve for a while. Once he gets back on his feet, we’ll hopefully see him making another important friend.

Those who can’t get enough Chicago P.D. (so, all of us) think that Jo Petrovic (Bojana Novakovic), who became a new face on the scene in season 11, could be given a larger role now that Upton is gone.

While we’re not going to be able to ever move on from Upton’s Chicago P.D. exit, we’re intrigued by Petrovic based on what we’ve seen. Jason Beghe is definitely a fan of the new cast member and told NBC Insider, “I am super enthusiastic and impressed with her. She is a very strong, smart, professional, cool actor/person as far as I can see. I think that both she and Petrovic could be a wonderful kind of addition to Voight and Jason’s lives.” Since Petrovic is just as super smart as Upton and the two have worked with Voight, we’d be happy to see more scenes featuring Petrovic and Voight in season 12.

Although Chicago P.D. has an ensemble cast, it’s hard not to agree that Hailey Upton was the main character (or maybe the co-lead with Voight). Since many TV dramas and sitcoms often struggle without a fan-favorite character and have trouble finding their new voice, it might take the show a few episodes to figure it all out. As long as the other characters are given meaty storylines and emotional depth, we’ll keep watching. But unless a cool, unexpected new character is surprisingly introduced in season 12 or the spotlight shines on an existing character, we might be left wondering how Chicago P.D. can really move on from Upton.

Will Chicago P.D. season 12 feature Adam Rusezk and Kim Burgess’s wedding?

Now that Chicago P.D. has lost Hailey Upton, we’re curious if there will be more space for other beloved characters to get more screentime. While of course there will still be some significant cases to solve and people to help, it sounds like Chicago P.D. season 12 will have at least one other plotline: Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) and Kim Burgess’s (Mariana Squerciati) wedding.

Chicago P.D. showrunner Gwen Sigan told TV Line, “I’m very excited to get into it. So few times on this show do you get these really happy moments.”

While it wouldn’t fit the tone of Hailey Upton’s Chicago P.D. arc, we might have hoped to see her be part of a great new love story at the end of her time on the series. But watching Adam and Kim finally get married will be moving, and it proves that there’s still a lot to look forward to on the show, even without our favorite character.