Countless people likely stopped watching Chicago PD after the show wrote off Jesse Lee Soffer’s Jay Halstead in a way that was fully out of character. If they held on to hope while Tracy Spiridakos’ Hailey Upton was still around, they might’ve stopped watching after Hailey Upton left. But the One Chicago 2026 crossover brings the two of them back, answering what’s happened and where the two of them might go from here.
The most frustrating part of Soffer’s exit wasn’t that he left but how it happened. It was his actions towards Hailey that left a bad taste in our mouths and broke the character’s heart in a way that was utterly unnecessary. And while I knew we wouldn’t get closure, somehow the events of the One Chicago 2026 crossover make sense in giving Upstead fans a better goodbye.
If nothing else, Jay tells Hailey that he lost himself while in Chicago and, in doing so, lost her, too. It’s clearly not everything for Hailey (because how could it be?), but it’s enough for her to understand that he never meant for any of it to happen. It wasn’t some odd 180-degree turn that she could continue blaming herself for because it was all on him.
The callback to old times and the reminder that they both initially signed on for this case is because they found out about the other person working it is so fully them that I’ll take it. It takes some of the bitterness we’ve packed away and instead fills the space with a spark of hope that off-screen, maybe Jay and Hailey can find their way back into the same space. He can right his wrongs and build trust back up again. He can share all the ways he lost himself and maybe—finally—let her help him find himself while they’re together. But the “I’m sorry, for all of it,” is a welcomed piece of dialogue that works for them. It works for the show.
The One Chicago 2026 crossover is an excellent reminder of partnerships and not just with Upstead. It’s a reminder of all the small ways these characters show up for each other and how moments of vulnerability always make the show more exciting. These shows have been going for over a decade now, and it’s not the cases we keep coming back for but the characters. There’s a good chance that people who haven’t been tuning in to the show will come back just for this crossover, and I hope it sends out the message that people want character journeys that feel right.
They want to see their favorites shine in a manner that feels right for who they are and all that they stand for. In the crossover, Upstead feel like Upstead again. Partners, in every way. The thread between them still lit despite everything they’ve been through. There’s something really powerful in that, which we can also attribute to what Soffer and Spiridakos bring in their performances. But ultimately, this is proof that character dynamics are just as important as an overwhelmingly stressful situation that’s driving the plot. It’s proof that the characters are the best part of any show, and quiet moments where they get to communicate openly will always leave viewers with necessary satisfaction.
Now streaming on NBC: What are your thoughts on the Upstead reunion in the One Chicago 2026 Crossover?
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