Chicago P.D. has arrested NBC viewers’ hearts with a station full of beloved characters over its 11 seasons (and counting) on the air, but sadly not all of them have stuck around for the show’s entire lifespan. And we’re still not over some of these unwanted exits.
At the top of the list is Senior Detective Jay Halstead, who was part of the District 21 team from the very first season until actor Jesse Lee Soffer quit the series during its tenth season. Jay’s life had a lot of ups and downs across those 10 years, from his ill-fated relationship with ex-partner Erin Lindsay in the show’s early days to his subsequent marriage to Hailey Upton, to his ultimate decision to leave the police force in 2022.
Having been part of the One Chicago family for so long — appearing in 189 episodes of P.D. and 28 of sister series Chicago Med — the door remains open for Soffer to return whenever he likes, however. In fact, he’s actually already taken show bosses up on that offer. Just not in the way that we might’ve expected or been hoping for, but we’ll take what we can get.
Jesse Lee Soffer is returning to Chicago P.D., but Jay Halstead isn’t
Here’s the deal. Jesse Lee Soffer is coming back to Chicago P.D. for season 11… but you won’t see him in front of the camera. The actor is instead returning to direct the upcoming 12th episode of the current season. This is the second time Soffer has helmed an episode of the show, as he previously stepped behind the monitor to direct season 10, episode 16. The man himself confirmed the news on Instagram, sharing a snap of a sign reading “Jesse Lee Soffer, Prepping Director” on his Story, alongside the caption: “Back at it.”
As you’d imagine, though, it must’ve been a treat for the cast to get the chance to hang with their old friend again. Soffer’s on-screen wife, Tracy Spiridakos — who plays Hailey — likewise shared a bunch of pics on Instagram from shooting on this episode, which capture the cast goofing off. One shows Halstead and producer Brian Luce taking a secret selfie on her phone. “This is what happens when you leave your phone unattended around here….” she wrote in her caption.
But here’s the big question: if Halstead is back on set as a director, could this lead to his return as Jay at some point? Apart from this being what every fan is asking for, it’s practically a necessity given the sudden, open-ended nature of Jay’s departure last season — resigning from the police to rejoin the army, Halstead left his wife and life in Chicago to go take out a drug cartel in Bolivia. So he’s got to come back at some point, right? Right???
Chicago P.D. returns to NBC for new episodes on May 1.
