When Supernatural wrapped its monumental 15-season run in 2020, fans of Jensen Ackles were eager to see what the actor would take on next. Known for portraying the rugged, demon-hunting Dean Winchester, Ackles had spent over a decade cementing his place in TV fandom. So when news broke that his next major move—a gritty crime drama with personal stakes—was inspired not by another supernatural concept but by a character departure from Chicago P.D., fans were intrigued.
For fans of NBC’s Chicago P.D., the exit of Detective Jay Halstead (played by Jesse Lee Soffer) in Season 10 was a gut punch. Halstead, who had been a series regular since the beginning, chose to leave his job—and his wife, Hailey Upton—for a mission in Bolivia. It was a deeply emotional moment that explored the themes of burnout, duty, and the personal cost of life in law enforcement.
This decision wasn’t just a pivotal narrative beat; it stirred conversations across the TV industry. It highlighted the silent weight that long-term officers carry, the cracks that form in even the toughest characters, and the tension between professional commitment and personal identity. For Jensen Ackles, this story arc was the seed for something bigger.
In a recent interview, Ackles revealed that watching Halstead’s departure planted the first idea for his new project. “Jay’s exit was more than just a goodbye—it felt like a real-world echo of what a lot of people in uniform go through,” Ackles said. “It made me think: what happens after a cop like that walks away? Where do they go? What demons follow them? That became the heart of the story I wanted to tell.”
This insight led Ackles to develop a series tentatively titled Code Blue: Redemption, a character-driven drama centered on a former elite detective who abruptly leaves his unit after a traumatic incident, only to find himself pulled back into danger when a series of crimes mirror a case he never solved.
At its core, Code Blue: Redemption promises a blend of gritty realism and emotional depth. The main character, Jack Rainer (played by Ackles), is a former police officer with a decorated past and a tarnished soul. After stepping away from the badge following a controversial shootout, Rainer retreats to a quiet life in a coastal town. But when a string of murders suggests the killer from his past is still active, Rainer must confront the life he left behind.
The series will explore more than just crime—it dives into moral ambiguity, PTSD, family tension, and the human cost of justice. It’s both a spiritual and narrative successor to Supernatural in tone, but grounded firmly in a world shaped by real-life decisions, not demons.
What makes the connection to Chicago P.D. so powerful is how it informed Ackles’ desire to bring authenticity to the story. Jay Halstead’s arc was notable for highlighting the mental and emotional burden of law enforcement—something rarely explored in prime-time dramas with any real nuance.
Ackles admitted that Soffer’s performance made him reconsider how heroism is portrayed on screen.
“There’s a tendency to write cops as either broken vigilantes or shining saints,” Ackles explained. “But what if they’re just human? What if they’re scared, lonely, burned out—and still trying to do the right thing?
Ackles isn’t going into this new project alone. He’s reuniting with former Supernatural collaborators including director Robert Singer and writer Andrew Dabb. Additionally, the series will feature rising talent from the world of procedural drama, including guest appearances from actors who’ve worked on Chicago P.D., FBI, and Blue Bloods.
