Jason Beghe, the powerhouse actor behind Chicago P.D.’s Hank Voight, is not one to mince words — either in character or out of it. And when recently asked about the much-anticipated face-off between Voight and Reid, a rising antagonist with a dangerous edge, Beghe didn’t hold back. “Somebody is going down,” he said with a voice just as gritty and intense as Voight’s signature growl. That simple sentence, short but loaded, has since sent the Chicago P.D. fandom into overdrive, fueling speculation about what could be one of the show’s most explosive conflicts in years.
Fans of the long-running NBC procedural know Voight as the deeply complicated head of Intelligence, a man shaped by personal tragedy and a relentless pursuit of justice that often puts him at odds with rules, politics, and at times, even his own team. He’s made enemies before — from street-level criminals to federal agents — but something about Reid is different. Reid represents not just a threat to Voight’s unit, but to Voight’s very sense of identity and control. In the world of Chicago P.D., power dynamics have always been central, and for Voight, maintaining his grip on the streets has come at a personal and professional cost.
The arrival of Reid — cunning, unpredictable, and unafraid to push boundaries — seems to mirror a younger Voight, before the losses and regrets hardened him. Beghe acknowledged as much in the interview, noting that Voight sees something disturbingly familiar in Reid, something dangerous, maybe even something redemptive. But this won’t be a mentor story. This is a collision course. “You don’t put two lions in the same cage,” Beghe said. “There’s not going to be room for both.” When asked whether this arc might be Voight’s most personal yet, Beghe nodded. “This is not about a case. This is about legacy. This is about who Voight is when everything is stripped away. And when Reid comes after that, it gets real.” The storyline, which has been subtly building over the past episodes, is expected to reach a boiling point in the second half of Season 12.
Insiders close to the writers’ room have hinted at scenes that will test Voight in ways not seen since the death of Alvin Olinsky, his closest friend and most devastating loss. Reid, portrayed by a charismatic new addition to the cast, has become a wild card, someone who doesn’t play by the department’s rules but also doesn’t answer to Voight — and that lack of deference is setting up a powder keg. “Voight’s always had control,” Beghe explained. “But when someone walks in who doesn’t respect the hierarchy, who doesn’t fear you — that’s when things get dangerous.” What makes this storyline especially compelling is the psychological tension. It’s not just about violence or gunfights. It’s a battle of ideologies, of past versus future, of what policing used to be and what it might become.
Reid is symbolic of a new breed — less emotionally driven, more calculated, and unwilling to see the world in Voight’s shade of gray. The writers have been deliberate in building the tension, placing the two characters in scenes that simmer with underlying hostility. There are silences between them that speak louder than dialogue, looks exchanged that feel like warning shots. Fans have been dissecting each interaction, trying to predict who will make the first real move — and who will survive it. Beghe himself has been fascinated by the way the show is allowing Voight to unravel and confront his past through this conflict. “I’ve always said Voight is a man who believes he’s doing the right thing,” he said. “But Reid challenges that belief. Reid asks: at what cost?”
That introspection has sparked theories among fans that Voight could either be headed toward redemption — or his downfall. Some even speculate that this arc could be setting up Jason Beghe’s exit from the series, though NBC has made no such announcements. If true, it would be a dramatic, emotional end for a character who has defined Chicago P.D. from its pilot episode. But for now, all Beghe would say is: “Whatever happens, Voight will go down fighting.” Behind the scenes, the dynamic between Beghe and the actor playing Reid has been described as electric.
Cast members have praised the intensity the two bring to their scenes, often leaving the set emotionally drained after filming. “It’s not just acting,” one source said. “It feels like a real power struggle — and it’s some of the best material the show’s ever had.” In a series that’s never shied away from gray morality, the Voight vs. Reid showdown promises to challenge everything fans know about right and wrong. Voight has always blurred lines, but Reid threatens to erase them entirely. And in a city like Chicago, where justice is rarely clean, that’s a line that could change everything. As for Jason Beghe, he remains fiercely protective of Voight’s legacy but open to wherever the story takes him. “The job of an actor,” he said, “is to go where the truth is. If that truth leads to pain, loss, or even the end — so be it. That’s real.” The only thing certain now is that the storm is coming. And when it hits, somebody is going down.
