One theory about who will be Hailey Upton’s replacement onChicago PDhas been debunked by the latest update from the head writer. Upton joined the series in season 4, and was involved in both personal and professional storylines, most notably her romance with Jay Halstead. Halstead left both her and the unit in season 10, leaving her floundering, and after a harrowing mission to rescue Voight from a serial killer, she left Chicago in search of a more fulfilling job. Thus, Upton will be one of the most centralcharacters not returning to aOne Chicagoseries in 2024.
Upton’s absence leaves a gaping hole in the Intelligence Unit. She was not only one of the people who had worked longest in the unit, but was also Voight’s right-hand woman.Voight will need a new deputy and confidante; the latter role is especially important considering how often he bends or breaks the lawin the name of getting justice. There have been persistent rumors and speculation about who will replace Upton in theChicago PDseason 12 cast.
Upton’s Replacement In Chicago P.D. Won’t Be A Returning Character Like Dawson
The Series Plans To Promote An Existing Character Instead
There was widespread speculation that fan-favorite Antonio Dawson (Jon Seda) might return toChicago PDto take over the role of Voight’s deputy. Dawson had been a well-respected member of the team for several years, but developed an addiction to opioids that ruined his career. After a long arc in which Dawson refused to continue letting Ruzek sit in jail for a murder Dawson committed, Voight helped Dawson get into rehab. However, Dawson was second-in-command before his fall from grace, so it would have been logical for him to have returned now to take Upton’s place on the team.
This theory is incorrect, however. Head writerGwen Sigan recently confirmed thatChicago PDwill replace Uptonwith a character already in the unit., who will finally achieve the promotion they have dreamed about for a while Thus,neither Dawson nor any other missingChicago PDcharacter will be returning to the series to take Upton’s place, and instead Burgess, Atwater, or Ruzek will become Voight’s new second-in-command and confidante.
Why It’s Good Chicago P.D. Won’t Bring Back Dawson Or Another Character To Replace Upton
There Are More Than Enough Characters Who Deserve A Promotion
Bringing back Dawson made sense in one respect, but didn’t in several others. For one thing,it would be difficult to believe that Voight would trust Dawson again after all the trouble he caused while in the throes of addiction.While Dawson has been through rehab and is presumably sober now, he would be one relapse away from sabotaging the entire unit again. Thus, if he does return in the future, he should have to prove himself before being given a powerful position that allows him to be close to Voight and learn all his secrets.
Additionally, there are several characters who have been loyal members of Voight’s team for years, and it would be an insult to them to pass them over for promotion while recruiting Dawson or another team member who had previously left the unit. Burgess and Atwater began as patrol officers and then became detectives, proving that members of this series can earn promotions. Thus, it’s better thatChicago PDgoes the realistic route and promotes someone from within instead of bringing back someone who is no longer part of the department.
5 Chicago P.D. Characters Who Could Be Upton’s Replacement In Season 12, Ranked By Likelihood
Hailey Upton’s departure left Chicago PD with a gaping hole in its canvas. There are several characters who could step into Upton’s shoes.
This does not mean that characters like Dawson can’t make guest appearances. It would be interesting to catch up with a hopefully-sober Dawson and for him to be part of a case. Similarly, a Roman-Burgess reunion would be a fun addition to an episode. However, there is no reason for characters like these to become full-time cast members instead of appearing as guests as a nod to their importance in earlier years ofChicago PD.
Who Will Upton’s Replacement Be In Chicago P.D. Season 12?
There Are Several Possible Replacements
Although there are four detectives left in the Intelligence Unit, onlythree of them have been there for long enough to consider promoting them. Torres is too new, so it would be unrealistic if he were to receive a promotion to Voight’s second-in-command. That would cause hurt feelings among senior detectives, and it also isn’t clear that Torres has the qualifications needed to be second-in-command or the trust Voight needs in order to hire someone as his deputy. Promoting any of the other detectives would offer strong opportunities for drama.
Burgess and Ruzek’s relationship makes ittricky to replace Hailey Upton onChicago PD. If Voight picks either one of them, that could cause strain, which is the last thing they need when they are intending to get married in season 12. However, if Voight chooses Atwater over them, there will always be a question about whether he chose the best person for the job or chose someone who was not Ruzek or Burgess to avoid the controversy of choosing one-half of a soon-to-be-married couple.
Ruzek probably fulfills Voight’s need for a confidant better than any other member of the team.
Ruzek has been the most loyal to Voight, considering he willing to go to jail to stop Voight’s cover-up of Dawson’s bad behavior from being exposed. Thus, Ruzek probably fulfills Voight’s need for a confidant better than any other member of the team.However, accepting the position as second-in-command would likely mean he would eventually have to keep major secrets from Burgess after she’s struggled to trust himenough to let him back into her life.
Burgess would not agree to keep such secrets, and in the past has disapproved of activities that crossed the line. Thus, unless Voight intends to completely clean up his act, she would not be the best choice for this role. However, she might take the job and hope to keep Voight in line or, at least, push him to do the right thing more often.
Adam Ruzek
Patrick Flueger
Atwater was first promoted to Intelligence after season 1, so he is deserving of the promotion based on seniority. He is also mostly straightforward, which would be good for the department’s image but not necessarily good for Voight. Atwater might also hope to improve race relations with the Chicago Black community as a Black officer in a position of power, although this might be difficult without institutional change in addition to his promotion.
Could Dawson Still Return In Chicago P.D.?
His Exit Left The Door Open For A Return
Although Dawson won’t be second-in-command, there is no reason he couldn’t return as a guest star or for aOne Chicagocrossover. His rehab has supposedly been successful, and he was later said to have left Chicago altogether to start a new life in Puerto Rico. Thus, allChicago PDrequires is a compelling reason for him to return to Chicago for a visit, such as a cold case that needs his expertise or a murder with a personal connection to him.
There are many possibliities ifChicago PDwants Dawson to return, and most of them would lead to compelling drama as he struggles with the question of whether he can protect his mental health if he picks up police work again. However, it makes more sense for the series to promote a character from within than to recruit Dawson to return to his previous post, especially given his history with drugs and the reason he left in the first place.
Chicago P.D.
Cast
Chicago P.D.: This police drama, set in Chicago’s District 21, follows the distinct units within the Chicago Police Department—uniformed officers addressing street crimes and an Intelligence Unit tackling major offenses such as organized crime and drug trafficking, capturing the dedication of those who serve and protect their community.
