‘We Went Through A Lot Of Options’: Chicago P.D. Showrunner Breaks Down Upton’s Exit In Season 11 Finale And Why [Spoiler] Wasn’t Involved
Warning: spoilers are ahead for the Season 11 finale of Chicago P.D., called "More."
Chicago P.D. regularly pulls out the stops for season finales, but the stakes were even higher than usual for the last episode of the spring 2024 TV schedule. "More" was set to be Tracy Spiridakos' final episode as Hailey Upton, and Voight was in the clutches of a serial killer with a penchant for emotional torture and eye stapling. With no guarantee of a happy ending for Upton or Voight escaping unscathed, there was a lot to be nervous about.
Now, in the wake of the Season 11 finale featuring Upton's exit, read on for what showrunner Gwen Sigan told CinemaBlend about the options for the goodbye, why Halstead wasn't involved, and if Spiridakos could return!
The Whole Point Of Hailey's Decision
"More" really didn't seem to be setting Upton up to want to leave the Intelligence Unit for most of the hour, as the focus was on her going all-out to save Voight from Frank Matson. She even took a gunshot wound in the process of rescuing him, and was affected by Voight's woozy comment that suggested he saw her as a daughter.
Ultimately, though, she decided that it was time to move on from a job and life that was unhealthy for her, and Tracy Spiridakos' finale sequence on Chicago P.D. was Upton researching possible new jobs in law enforcement and climbing into a cab to leave Chicago. When I spoke with showrunner Gwen Sigan, I asked if the writers considered actually giving an answer for what's next for Upton, and she explained:
We definitely did. We went through a lot of options, honestly, at the beginning of this season, because we knew she was leaving. It was like, 'Let's go through everything. Let's blue sky it. Let's try to think of what's the best version of this.' And we always came back to this idea of wanting to give her hope and wanting to give her this hopeful ending. She's a character that I don't think has ever been defined by hope, so it was a fun thing to do and make her have a healing journey.
The hits just kept coming for Hailey for almost two full seasons after Halstead left Chicago to accommodate Jesse Lee Soffer's departure, and her efforts to heal while still working with Intelligence weren't really working. P.D. didn't finish her story in the Season 11 finale, but ended this chapter of it on a hopeful note that she had more than earned. The showrunner continued:
So to me, when we got into the nitty gritty of writing this episode and breaking it, the way to make that feeling of possibility and opportunity feel the biggest was to make it that there's a million places she could go, which I think is that feeling that I wanted for her and also for the audience to have. So it made sense to keep it open, and I love endings that are kind of open for interpretation that you get to fill in a little bit and the story keeps living. Upton's out there in the world, and there's a million things she could be doing, which is the whole point of it.
Hey, as long as Upton wasn't killed off a la Olinsky, written off between seasons like Antonio, or given a heartbreaking exit like Halstead, what's not to celebrate? Her future looks as bright as it ever has, and it's hard to be too sad about losing Upton when she got such a solid sendoff and when knew it was coming somehow or other.
Why Halstead Wasn't Involved
Now, considering that Hailey's happiest moments over her seven seasons tended to involve Halstead before her husband left her to rejoin the army, I know I'm not the only fan who wondered if P.D. would somehow find a way to reconcile them and write Upton out to live happily ever after with him.
But Chicago P.D. has never been a fairy tale-esque kind of series, and I commented to the showrunner that I loved how Upton made the decision for herself and it wasn't about Voight (who I've always felt is a bad influence on her despite becoming her confidant) or Halstead. Gwen Sigan agreed, saying:
Definitely. We certainly thought a lot about Halstead. He means so much to the show, he means so much to her, he means so much to that character, but what we came down with is what you're referencing. We wanted it to be her, we wanted it to be about her, we wanted it to be a story about who she is and what she needs and what she wants and not to be defined by somebody else. So that's why we ended up going with that, and yeah, I loved it, too. I think it's just a really nice arc for her and felt fitting after this many seasons.
At the end of the day, it wouldn't have made sense for Upton's journey if Halstead came back and they immediately reconnected after the circumstances of how he left, and Hailey prioritizing herself and her own health showed a lot of growth. While she once seemed like she would just keep spiraling, she's building a fresh future for herself that's not dependent on anybody who has caused her pain. What's not to embrace about that?
Could Upton Come Back?
One of the other perks of Upton leaving alive, well, and on good terms with the people she left behind is that it's not hard to imagine her returning someday. If she does land a job with another law enforcement agency, perhaps that could bring her back into the fold? Or she could return for a Burzek wedding? Or any old reason, really? Gwen Sigan weighed in on whether Tracy Spiridakos could return for a guest shot, saying:
Of course, yeah! I'll take her back whenever she wants to come back. [laughs] Yes, of course, I love having the door open. I think that's what's so nice about this universe is people do come back. We're able to do it, so if there's ever an opportunity in the future, and a story makes sense, it'd be great.
The showrunner's enthusiasm is no surprise after she praised Tracy Spiridakos as a "class act" for coming back for the full eleventh season rather than leaving early, which allowed the writers to build toward a hopeful ending for Upton. I'm sure that Hailey's exit will be divisive among fans, but on a show as dark and gritty as Chicago P.D., I'll take happy endings where I can get them.
NBC renewed Chicago P.D. for Season 12, so the remaining members of the Intelligence Unit will be back in the fall. In the meantime, you can revisit the first eleven seasons streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription.
