If we had to pick the two most important characters in Chicago PD, we’d have to say Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) and Hank Voight (Jason Beghe). It makes sense that the Chicago PD season 11 finale was hyperfocused on the relationship between them. The finale also made us ask: does Voight die?
Season 11, episode 9 of Chicago PD featured Voight’s kidnapping and prepared us for the fact that he might not make it. So, does Voight get killed in Chicago PD?
What happens to Hank Voight on Chicago PD?
While Voight could die at any moment in the season 11 finale of Chicago PD, he lives. His team saves him just in time, and by the end of the episode, he appears to be recovering well.
The entire episode is just like watching a particularly tense horror movie. Serial killer Frank Matson (Dennis Flanagan) has been hunting Voight just as much as Voight has been chasing him, and it’s fair to say that the two are intent on capturing each other. After Matson abducts Voight, he keeps Voight in what we later learn is the basement of a house and ties him to a chair.
While this is typical serial killer behavior, these scenes are especially memorable since Voight attempts to stay strong no matter what’s happening around him. Matson gets Voight where it hurts and wants him to phone Upton so she can arrive and he can kill them both. Unfortunately for Matson, Voight has zero intention of doing that, and he would never jeopardize Upton’s safety.
Jason Beghe loved this episode of Chicago PD and told NBC.com, “if you’re a fan of the show, you will have a surprise in our finale that will blow your mind. I don’t want to give it away, but it was one of the best episodes that I’ve ever enjoyed making. It touched me deeply.” He added that it’s “one of our best episodes ever.” If Voight had died, it seems likely that the actor would have said the same thing since it would have still been a powerful hour.
But it’s fair to argue that the season 11 finale of Chicago PD is so impressive because Voight doesn’t die. If he did, it would be especially grim. Since Upton’s exit was announced a while ago, it would have been too much to lose two crucial characters at the same time. It’s also fair to say that watching Voight survive something so traumatic will help him have even more empathy and compassion for the people he helps in each episode.
What will Voight’s storyline be in Chicago PD season 12?
Since there has been no announcement that Voight is leaving Chicago PD, we can expect him back in season 12. There’s no getting around that his horrible experience with Matson changed his life forever.
We can likely assume that Voight will be healing from this trauma, which will be tough for him since he isn’t always one to dive deep into his emotions. He’ll also have to deal with losing Upton, who has possibly moved away (at the very least, we know she left the unit and isn’t coming back to the show).
While there hasn’t been any confirmation of new cast members for Chicago PD season 12, it’s possible that someone else might join the team and become close with Voight. They could fill the hole that Upton has left. It’s also possible that an existing character could bond with Voight in Upton’s absence.
At the very least, we know to expect anything to happen with Voight’s character. As Jason Beghe told TV Insider, he wants to keep the character fresh and engaging. Beghe said, “both yourself as a person and also the character have to continue to evolve and change, or it’s not interesting. And you have to allow that evolution to happen both to yourself and to the character.” That definitely sounds good to us. We can’t wait to see more of Voight in Chicago PD season 12.