Chicago P.D. season 12 started with one sad fact: Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) is no longer on the procedural. But, like the changing seasons, shifts are a natural part of life, and fans can now talk about a wise and cool new character.
Upton was kidnapped, put in harm’s way more than once (or more than 100 times, I would say), and bonded with several of her coworkers at the Intelligence Unit. She’ll always be loved and missed, but there’s a new person in town. So, let’s talk about what we know about her so far.
Which character replaced Hailey Upton on Chicago P.D. and what do we know about her?
Kiana Cook (Toya Turner) is the latest officer hired by the Intelligence Unit on Chicago P.D. Turner had brief parts on Chicago Med and Chicago Fire and has starred in other procedurals such as New Amsterdam and Grey’s Anatomy.
Just like Upton was a seasoned detective who bonded with her coworkers and slowly opened up about her feelings with every passing season, Cook is more than capable of handling brutal moments and harrowing cases. Showrunner Gwen Sigan shared with Parade that Cook is “a strong character” and “she’s not green, she’s coming in fully formed.” Although she has only been in a few episodes, it feels like Cook has been around forever.
One of the most important things about Cook is that her former partner treated her terribly. He forced her to work on patrol, which was a step below her pay grade, which would be frustrating for anyone. Fans haven’t seen much of her yet, but it’s already clear Cook’s new coworkers will respect her intelligence and that she knows what she’s doing.
What’s the latest on this new Chicago P.D. character?
In Chicago P.D. season 12, episode 5, “Water and Honey,” Cook and Dante Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar) worked together on a case about high school girls. The Unit knows her since she and Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) looked into Emily Martel’s (Victoria Cartagena) death. Now everyone is getting the chance to get to know her better, and by the end of season 12, they will most likely be as close as Upton and the others were.
With so many stubborn and proud personalities on the procedural, it can be tough for everyone to get along, particularly when working on a challenging case. But Torres and Cook manage so well, it’s like this new character has been here since the pilot episode. Sigan spoke about the dynamic between them, calling it “an easy kinship.” Sigan also shared with TV Line that Torres would say about Cook, “I really like this person” and “she’s very resilient.”
In her interview with Parade, Sigan also spoke about something Chicago P.D. fans are likely wondering: will Cook bond with Hank Voight (Jason Beghe), as Upton did? According to the showrunner, Cook and her dad get along great, so she isn’t seeking someone to fill that void. But fans can still look forward to seeing how the two work together and what kind of compelling conversations they have.
Upton and Cook share some things in common, such as their field of work and confidence, and it will be fun to see Cook’s story arc continue in Chicago P.D. season 12. I can guess she’ll need that “resilient” personality for all that lies ahead of her.
