Upton’s Exit Plan on Chicago P.D. Leaves Her With Only *One* Choice For Her Relationship With Halstead
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Ever since news broke of her exit from the 21st District, fans have wanted to know: When does Hailey Upton leave Chicago P.D. and what will happen to Tracy Spiridakos’ character? As viewers get closer to the Chicago P.D. Season 11 finale, Upton’s exit plan is looking a lot clearer.
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Chicago P.D. is NBC’s police procedural series following the personal and professional lives of officers and detectives at the fictional 21st District of the Chicago Police Department. Spiridakos joined Chicago P.D. in a recurring role as Detective Hailey Upton, a former robbery-homicide detective, in Season 4. She was promoted to a series regular in Season 5. Spiridakos replaced original cast member Sophia Bush, who left as Detective Erin Lindsay in Season 4.
After five seasons, news broke in October 2023 that Spiridakos was leaving Chicago P.D. after Season 11. She is the fourth One Chicago cast member to leave the franchise in 2024, along with Chicago Fire‘s Alberto Rosende (Blake Gallo); Kara Killmer (Sylvie Brett); and Rome Flynn (Jake Gibson.)
“Honestly, longevity is really just part of it. [In] storytelling and in terms of real life, 12 years is a long time and things need to change, just dynamic-wise. You want new characters and you want new dynamics,” One Chicago showrunner Andrea Newman explained to TVLine in January 2024 about the franchise’s multiple cast exits.
So when does Hailey Upton leave Chicago P.D. and when is Tracy Spiridakos’ last episode? Read on for what we know about how Chicago P.D. could write out Upton for good.
When does Hailey Upton leave Chicago P.D.?
When does Hailey Upton leave Chicago P.D.? Tracy Spiridakos’ last episode of Chicago P.D. will be the Season 11 finale on May 22, 2024. Showrunner Gwen Sigan confirmed that Upton will be in all 13 episodes of Chicago P.D. Season 11 in an interview with Hello in January 2024. “I’m happy to share that she will be in the full season,” Sigan said. “I am very grateful for that. She is such a good actor – and we want to do her justice. Upton is so interesting, because she’s such a unique voice and so defined as to what her past was like and why she is the way she is.”
She continued, “We’re really going to dig into that this season, and dig into growth and transformation – how do you get through your life not looking like what you thought it was going to look like, and realizing that there could be more out there that is maybe better for you? It will be a fun ride for her, and there are some interesting and new characters coming in for her to play against.”
The Facebook page for CineCasting, which casts extras for Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med, confirmed on April 9, 2024, that filming on Chicago P.D. Season 11 had wrapped. Spiridakos also seemed to have confirmed that she filmed her final episode as Upton with an Instagram post in April 2024 of her cutting off Upton’s signature long hair. “So, I did something 😃 and I love it. Thank you @alexbrownhair ☺️,” she captioned a series of photos of her new shoulder-length bob.
As for how Upton will leave, fans speculate that Chicago P.D. Season 11, Episode 10, “Buried Pieces,” holds the clue. In “Buried Pieces,” which was the third episodes before the Season 11 finale, Upton meets a young girl. When she asks the girl where’s her mom, the child responds, “Home.” Upton then asks the girl if her mom ever leaves the house, to which the child responds, “He doesn’t let her.” When Upton asks who’s “he,” the girl responds, “The monster.”
Fans speculate that Chicago P.D. could using the girl as a way to write Upton out of the series. “I have a feeling that Hailey’s gonna adopt the kid and she’s gonna tell Jay they got a kid. I KNOW their divorced though…” a user commented on a YouTube preview of the episode, referencing Upton’s divorce from he ex-husband, Jay Halstead, who left Chicago P.D. in Season 10. Another user added, “Ooo then her, Jay and the kid move somewhere together.”
LaRoyce Hawkins, who plays Kevin Atwater on Chicago P.D., told NBC Insider in May 2024 about filming Spiridakos’ last episode for the series. “It’s very heartbreaking, to be honest with you,” he said. “She grew into all of our lives as, like, just a favorite. She brings a light to set that you can’t really match, you know what I mean? She’s just extremely funny, extremely sweet. She’s really like a sister.”
He continued, tearing up, “Watching her go is gonna be tough for us… but [we’re] also very excited for her, right? For whatever’s next. Whatever she touches is gonna turn into gold. And so we’re proud of her, you know? We’ll see what happens, but hopefully she leaves a little bit of that light with us.”
Jason Beghe, who plays Sergeant Hank Voight, also told the site about how Spiridakos’ exit will be felt by the cast. “First of all, she’s somebody who I love and care about and respect,” he said. “She will always be part of the shop. Even if she doesn’t come back and work with us, she’s part of my life and she’s part of our show. You know, she’s changed the show, and therefore even going forward, whether she’s in the episode or not, she’ll be part of the show.”
Beghe continued, “I’m just grateful for everything that she has done and continues to do.”
Chicago P.D. is available to stream on Peacock.
