Upton was an Intelligence Unit mainstay for several years, so Chihards can’t wait for her triumphant return.
While there have been several steadfast investigators who have come and gone on Chicago P.D. over the years, few have kicked criminal butt with as much skill as the unforgettable Detective Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos).
From Season 4 to Season 11 of Chicago P.D., Upton served as one of the Intelligence Unit’s toughest and most tenacious officers, closing dozens of cases with her unit. Aside from her steadfast pursuit of justice, Upton also cemented herself as a fan favorite thanks to her reliability around the precinct. Sgt. Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) could always rely on her to get the job done. Upton’s slow-burning romance with Detective Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) was also an obsession among Chihards. Years of will-they-won’t-they eventually led to wedding vows, but the couple divorced after Halstead left Chicago and his wife hanging.
Despite their ill-dated connection, Upstead remains one of the most powerful One Chicago love stories, so Chihards can’t wait to see them return for the 2026 One Chicago crossover event airing March 4 on NBC. Ahead of the thrilling episode, we’re looking back on the circumstances that led Upton to leave her Windy City post.
Why did Hailey Upton leave the Intelligence Unit?
Upton bid farewell to Voight and her Intelligence Unit family in P.D.’s Season 11 finale (“More”) after accepting an unknown job in a new city, leading her to start anew. Upton didn’t make the decision lightly; it came after much deliberation over what was best for her, following her and Halstead’s heartbreaking divorce.
Upton and Halstead were one of P.D.’s most enduring romances. However, after Halstead chose to leave Chicago in Season 10 of the NBC nail-biter, Upton was faced with her husband’s lack of communication and indefinite departure. After realizing she’d lost her husband when he left Chicago, Upton called their marriage off and started contemplating her next steps. Voight was sad to see Upton go, but happy to see her prioritizing herself for a change.
“I think I took a lot of comfort in that it was happy,” Spiridakos told us of her character’s final scene. “I loved that on the ride to the airport, she smiles… And so I didn’t really fill in the blank. I just kind of let it be, but I loved that it was in this positive vibe. She’s going into this happiness, which we haven’t gotten to see a lot of with her.”
Hailey Upton is returning to Chicago P.D. with Jay Halstead
Considering there was no explosive fight and minimal closure for Upton and Halstead, their return in the One Chicago crossover is bound to be emotionally charged. Chihards are hungry for some long-awaited closure between the P.D. fan favorites, and the former flames just might get that as P.D. teams up with Firehouse 51 and the Gaffney doctors.
What action-packed investigation will bring Upton and Halstead back together again, and how will that reunion go after all of the things left unsaid? Upstead fans won’t want to miss it. Watch the three-hour 2026 One Chicago crossover episode airing Wednesday, March 4, beginning at 8/7c. Unlike One Chicago Wednesday’s typical lineup of shows, Chicago Fire will lead the cavalry of One Chicago crossover episodes at 8/7c, followed by Chicago Med at 9/8c, and Chicago P.D. at 10/9c during its typical One Chicago Wednesday block on NBC.
If you miss the TV broadcast, fret not; Chihards can stream the crossover episodes the next day on Peacock, making sure to view them in the correct order of Fire Season 14, Med Season 11, and P.D. Season 13.
