Exclusive: Chicago PD star Marina Squerciati shares hopes for Burgess and Upton
Chicago PD star Marina Squerciati has revealed how fans can expect more of the friendship between Hailey Upton and Kim Burgess in season nine.
Both characters have seen their arc deal with their romantic relationships and professional lives, but Marina has now teased that the focus on female friendships will be a new direction the show plans to take.
Speaking exclusively to HELLO! Marina shared how she tries not to interfere with the show's writers but that she did ask for "more of this female friendship" and it turned out "they were already going in this direction"
"It will be exciting to see [Hailey and Kim] blossom and develop, I hope, a friendship," Marina added.
"The relationship between Upton and Burgess hasn't been explored, and I am excited to see, in little ways and big ways, how that brings us together and pulls us apart."
However, their friendship may be tested as Upton is keeping a terrible secret - she murdered Roy, the suspect who kidnapped and tortured Kim.
At the end of season eight, fans saw Detective Hank Voight - the head of their unit - throw everything they had learned about police reform out of the window when he decided to go after Roy, a suspected child trafficker and a man who had also murdered Deputy Superintendent Samantha Miller's son.
As Upton tried to stop Voight, Roy reached for Voight's gun and Upton shot him dead. But did Voight set the whole thing up so that Upton would have to kill Roy?
Voight told Upton to keep quiet, and promised to burn and bury Roy's body.
But as the search continues for Roy - and Kim battles PTSD from her attack - how long will it be before Upton breaks?
"[Kim is] really affected in the beginning. Whatever she is suffering though, she's put a mask on in front of her kid, which is something we all do," Marina told HELLO!
"But she is fighting a darker side of herself and that's winning."
Exclusive: Chicago PD's Marina Squerciati shares loves for castmates and teases Burzek's future
Chicago PD fans were left hanging at the end of season eight, with a proposal, the shocking murder of a suspect by Detective Hailey Upton, and the kidnap of Officer Kim Burgess, who was left in critical condition.
Season nine will open with Kim still on a ventilator and things not looking good, and Marina Squerciati - who has played Kim for nine years now - admits that even she was left unsure if she would survive.
"I did take it as a compliment ŧhat the fans like me enough, and the character, that it would mean something if I was in peril," she shared, speaking exclusively to HELLO! ahead of the premiere.
Over Zoom, Marina spoke passionately about her love for the show and her castmates, why she believes Kim and Detective Ruzek may be endgame - and planning Stella Kidd's bachelorette party…
You've started filming season 9, how is it going?
It's going great. In the first episode [fans will see] I am intubated and in the second episode I am not doing so well but I am alive. But we had to switch episode one and two for filming due to availability so the first episode I was not doing well and I have PTSD - but then I went back into a coma!
What do you do in that break between seasons? How do you reset?
I love theater and I was an apprentice at a festival called Williamstown so when I started PD I had it all planned that I'd get a lead in the hiatus.
But it's impossible.
My whole cast is so amazing and we give so much that we're exhausted, and at the end we need a break. Plus, it's hard to find a project that fits that six to seven week window!
We all recharge in different ways, vacation with family, and eat junk food and don't go to the gym! That's how I do it.
Do you stay in Chicago?
I used to stay in New York as that was my home base and then I had a kid, so now I call Chicago home.
Do you have a ritual to get back into the headspace of Kim?
She is a second skin now and I know her so well that I can slip back in. So for me, it's more about the situation that the writers want to put me in, and that's what I have to work on. 'This is new, how do I do this?' But I know her so well now.
I had to do a really cool undercover scene in 9x02 and it was unlike anything I've ever done, and that took some muscle.
Looking back at reading the script for the season eight finale, what were your thoughts of what this means for Kim?
Do I survive? But luckily I can stay with the Chicago family.
My showrunner, Ricky, called me and told me it was not a death sentence. But I did take it as a compliment ŧhat the fans like me enough, and the character, that it would mean something if I was in peril and from the tweets and comments it is very sweet and I am honored that people care.
You mentioned Kim will have PTSD, can you talk a little about that arc?
She's really affected in the beginning. Whatever she is suffering though, she's put a mask on in front of her kid, which is something we all do. We want to show our kids our best selves [because] we want to make them into the best people we can.
But she is fighting a darker side of herself and that's winning. Ruzek is there to help with Makayla but the real challenge will be [Detective Hailey] Upton and Burgess, because Upton knows Roy is dead and Burgess' PTSD is [manifesting] because she thinks Roy is out there waiting to get her.
That relationship between Upton and Burgess hasn't been explored, and I am excited to see, in little ways and big ways, how that brings us together and pulls us apart.
Kim adopted Makayla and then made Adam her custodian - can we expect to see more of Makayla and Adam in those opening episodes as Kim recovers?
Yes, 100%. I think Adam is taking on this familial quality this season. Every season has a theme and this one is home, and I think Ruzek is trying to find this whole meaning [in life].
Makayla and Kim have a home, and I think Adam is ready to be a part of that.
Do you see Kim and Adam being endgame?
I am a romantic and I see everyone as an endgame. I am always shocked when people break up. I think, ultimately, all the couples in our show belong together but it's less interesting when they are together, it's more interesting to watch the journey.
But hopefully the show finale will be one giant wedding party. Although if Upton and Halstead ever get married, it's for sure in Vegas!
The connection between Kim and Adam is one that fans love, can you talk a little about building that chemistry with Patrick?
It just grew. He is one of my best friends, and he and I have a love language that we share.
We can give each other notes - in acting and in real life - he'll say 'you're being rude!' We are very close and that shows on screen, it really helps.
Did you have that chemistry from the beginning?
I was the outsider because the [cast] had done the pilot together and it takes a while for me to get comfortable and get to know people.
But they are all good-looking guys, I'd have chemistry with everyone! Everyone is so lovely - Tracy and I would probably have chemistry.
How much input have you and Patrick had over the years in their trajectory?
Not much really, I trust the writers. Occasionally I'll say: 'Hey can we explore the Upton and Kim relationship?' but that's more of a 'can we?'
I trust them, and they show up, and every script is better than the last.
Will we get more of the friendship between Kim and Hailey this season?
I had asked for more of this female friendship, and they were already going in this direction, so it's pointless for me to bring things up!
It would be exciting to see [Hailey and Kim] blossom and develop - I hope - a friendship.
As an actor how do you handle storylines you don't like for your character?
It's hard to be brave and see your character do unattractive things, and you have to remember it's not a reflection on you.
Every once in a while your ego flares up and you have to say: 'Is it Burgess or is it Marina?' Burgess probably does unattractive things Marina wouldn't do.
The series is known for its crossovers, what can you tell us about this year's crossovers?
Every episode we get a schedule and it will say 'someone is out because of interviews,' or something, and then it did say 'LaRoyce [Hawkins] out for Chicago Med,' so I do know he's on Med.
I always annoy Derek Haas and say 'put me on Fire,' and he hasn't received a text from me yet so he should expect one soon.
Which One Chicago stars do you wish you had more opportunities to film with?
I want to be on all the shows! I want to be on SVU! Put it in your article, I love that show.
But for Fire, I'd love to party with Stella Kidd! I think we'd have a good time. Oh I would plan an excellent Bachelorette party.
That would be an excellent crossover story…
And I would do it totally wrong. Everyone has to wear matching dresses, and Stella is like 'this is not my vibe.'
What have been your favourite moments to film?
I don't have favourite moments but the most challenging ones stick out.
When Kim lost the baby, and I was in the bathtub, you film one side and stop, and finish and then move to the other side - that's why filming takes so long - and we had to stop every time because after I got wet it was impossible to reproduce the dry look, and it took hours and hours. I love those challenges, after nine years, to still be surprised. It's a gift.
Would you love to work behind the camera?
I feel like a lot of actors want to direct but I am more of a writer. I did a comedy series on YouTube called Special Skills; I like writing comedy.
What was it about Kim Burgess back in 2014 that made you say yes? Did you audition?
I remember the audition - it was a very different show and Kim was supposed to be an ex flight attendant.
The casting director's office door was open and I heard everyone audition, and everyone was leaning into the flight attendant side of the girl's personality - very stereotypical and demure, asking for permission - and I was like "eh, I will lean into the side of the girl who wants to be a cop". It's clearly not working as a flight attendant.
So I went in and just yelled the whole time and I got it!
What's next for you?
Mostly working on my writing, and my comedy writing with my partner Patrick Webb; I'd love to have a comedy on TV before I leave the planet.
I have trouble with the idea that being a mom is the most important role - I think that's what you're supposed to say, and I love it, I am so happy being a mom but I also thoroughly enjoy my work and I don't want to pretend I've lost my drive just because I am a mom now and that's all I can focus on.
Chicago P.D.'s Tracy Spiridakos And Jason Beghe Talk Upton And Voight's Big Secret, Halstead's Role And More
Chicago P.D. didn't hold back in delivering the intensity in its Season 8 finale, so there are a whole lot of questions heading into the ninth season. One of the biggest twists was when Upton killed a man to protect Voight and Voight manipulated the situation to make her hands just as dirty as his. With Burgess' fate still unknown after being shot and Halstead in the dark about what Upton did before she proposed to him, it's probably safe to say that P.D. won't get off to a gentle start in Season 9. Fortunately, Tracy Spiridakos and Jason Beghe spoke with CinemaBlend to weigh in on what's on the way.
The Upton/Voight twist at the end of Season 8 was really the culmination of an arc between their characters as they built a somewhat twisted mentor/mentee dynamic, and not to Upton's benefit. Tracy Spiridakos shared where that will go moving forward into Season 9:
"Where we'll go from here will be, there's definitely tension going forward between them. And we see how differently they respond to the situation. And Hailey really struggles with the guilt and has a lot of anxiety with it. And we see the dynamic difference between the two of them shift."
Upton was already an emotional wreck at the end of Season 8, and understandably so, after what was arguably a good shoot to save her sergeant turned into Voight disposing of the body and pulling her into a secret that there's really no good way out of. Her breaking bad back in Season 7 that resulted in her being sent to FBI was nothing compared to what she's now in the middle of, but Voight's hands have been dirty since way back when he debuted on Chicago Fire. No wonder they'll react to the situation differently!
"Voight is not really afflicted with things like guilt. He's able, I think, to realize when he's made a mistake or done something wrong, or been wrong, but he doesn't dwell on it. And I think in largely a healthy way. You know, he learns from his mistakes, he does not seem to find much use or interest in suffering needlessly. I feel like he's certainly suffered, there's certain things that have caused him to suffer and, you know, just by the nature of his job, I think he's been forced to view a lot of suffering. And I think that this is one of the ways that he copes with all that bad stuff, but he doesn't sit around worrying, and he tends to be very present in this moment, and deal with what is, which can be a very full moment, you know, with a lot of issues flying around."
A lot of Voight's actions may not really qualify as morally healthy when it comes to doing things by the book at CPD, but he certainly has found some coping methods that let him keep going without breaking down. The loss of his son of course changed him and caused a lot of that suffering, not to mention Olinsky's fate. He arguably took advantage of Upton's struggles earlier in Season 8, so it should be interesting to see their dynamic now that both of their hands are dirty. As Jason Beghe reiterated:
"Two very different characters."
Further complicating the big secret is that Halstead was completely in the dark at the end of Season 8, and had no idea what motivated Upton to suddenly propose seemingly out of nowhere. Chicago P.D. didn't reveal his answer before the credits rolled on the eighth season, and Upstead fans have had to wait through hiatus to find out what happens next. Whether or not he says yes to her proposal, their relationship was going strong to that point despite all the hurdles. Tracy Spiridakos shared how Halstead will fit into the situation, as he's currently in the dark:
"Halstead does start to, I mean, with Hailey, her guilt and her kind of unraveling, Halstead does start to pick up on a little bit of the tension between her and Voight and just her being so weird. And things affecting her the way that they do. He does start to pick up on that. And I can't say more if he kind of figures it out or not, but he definitely notices that something's up."
Halstead is a detective, after all, and Upton "unraveling" is something that he'll have to pick up on. What he does with what he notices remains to be seen, but Jesse Lee Soffer already previewed how long it will take Halstead and what the secret means for his relationships with Upton and Voight in season 9. Jason Beghe shared more on what the situation will be with Halstead, as well as the rest of Intelligence:
"Oh, it definitely affects Halstead and Voight eventually. You know, I would argue it affects the entire unit. Even whether or not they know it. I mean, this is seven hearts with one beat, basically. And you know, when one of the components is aberrated or skipping a beat or in trouble, the entire body is going to have to adjust. And it's not just that. Kim, we almost lose her. And there's big changes going on with us individually and as a group."
The Intelligence Unit did already almost lose Burgess by nearly not finding her in time to even have a chance at survival in the Season 8 finale, as Jason Beghe noted, and her fate is still unknown heading into Season 9. The "seven hearts with one beat" from Season 8 could be down to six if the worst should happen. They could still lose her, which would be especially heartbreaking for fans after she took in Makayla in Season 8, not to mention what it would mean for Ruzek.
There's Tension Between Voight and Upton When Chicago P.D. Returns For Season 9 and Jason Beghe and Tracy Spiridakos Tell All!
No time has passed for the detectives of the Intelligence Squad of Chicago P.D. when it returns for season 9. It picks up with Burgess (Marina Squerciati) in the hospital fighting for her life after being shot, Voight (Jason Beghe) and the team scrambling to find her kidnapper, while Dep Supt. Sam Miller (Nicole Ari Parker) is desperate to find her son’s killer, who unbeknownst to her, is already dead and buried at the hands of two members of her Intelligence Squad: Voight and Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos).
In the Season 8 finale, when Burgess was kidnapped, Voight had the team split up to search for her—and he reverted to the old Voight. When he found Roy, who could give him a lead, he cuffed him and beat him. Upton discovered Voight and convinced him to do the right thing. When the suspect was freed, he attacked Voight, forcing Upton to shoot him. Because of the bruises from the beating, which would reveal that police procedure hadn’t been followed, Voight sent Upton home and he buried the body.
Now, the two have to deal with the aftermath of their decision. While Voight is keeping his cool and making all the right moves—and hoping for a positive outcome—Upton is losing it just a little bit.
“There’s definite tension in how Hailey is handling it, the weight of it, and it does affect the dynamic,” Spiridakos tells Parade.com in this exclusive interview.
But Beghe begs to differ, “Me, I would say it brings them closer together. That’s a very disturbing, but intimate moment that we shared. And so, the impulse would be to separate which would create tension. But it actually brings us closer together, and we’re trying to be further apart. That’s how I look at it, but I tend to think that all relationships can only get closer; they may seem like they’re not, but [they are].”
Upton’s other reaction to the shooting was to try to reclaim some normalcy in her life and she did that by turning to Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) and proposing, even after she had turned him down not that long ago.
“She realizes that he is this incredibly good thing in her life, and she doesn’t want to lose it,” Upton said. “I think she means the proposal. I think she definitely loves and cares about him, and it comes out of just this totally vulnerable place, and she goes for it. I think there’s like some fear of losing him in that.”
But if they do get married, they may no longer be able to be partners. In fact, one of them might have to transfer to another division, but Beghe says Voight would want to keep both of them.
“Voight now is resigned to the romance. His only concern, really, is that it could affect their policing,” he said. “But they seem to be very professional about it.”
Of course, Voight isn’t the final word on married partners. Miller could put her two cents in and insist that they be separated. So, what would Upton do? Is her career more important than marriage?
“I think her love for him is quite deep, and so I don’t know,” Spiridakos said. “I think that would be interesting. That would be a whole episode. I think the decision is: Is it the job or is it love? I don’t know what she would ultimately go for. That’s a great question.”
Beghe suggests, “I think she would go for love. She could be a cop in another unit. She’d probably end up shooting up through the ranks and end up being Voight’s commander or something.”
And when Spiridakos thinks about it for a minute she agrees, “I think she would too, honestly.”
Following is more of the conversation with the two Chicago P.D. stars:
Last season was about police reform, and it seemed as if everybody was onboard. But in the finale, there was some slippage. Did Voight really buy into the reform, or was he just making a surface appearance of complying?
Jason Beghe: He buys into it because it’s a reality and he deals in reality and truth. Whether he thinks it’s effective or not, it’s something that he has to adjust to. His primary concern is doing the best police work he can. And there are rules to the game, and at times there are new rules—like this reform.
So, there’s a learning curve, for sure. And clearly, by the end of the season, it’s kind of like an alcoholic falling off the wagon. I think to some degree, I can put it this way, that first drink was satisfying in some ways for him. But I don’t think that he’s going to sneak around looking for people to knock around; he’s going to try and play by the rules.
Upton wasn’t exactly by the book before this. She was a little bit rogue. Why is shooting Roy affecting her to such an extent, do you think?
Tracy Spiridakos: I saw a shift in her in the way that she was going rogue. When she first joined the unit, she was quite by the book, and then she started to do things her own way. And then in that final episode, I felt that she was wanting to do things the right way and wanting to go and not make up her own path and rules. I think given the circumstances, that was all wrong. That’s now how it should have been handled, and she knows that. And the guilt of that, knowing that she did something wrong, I think that guilt really, really weighs on her.
Jason, Voight’s having lost his own son can relate to Deputy Miller’s need for justice. How is he going to help her? Or is he upset with her because she wouldn’t let him do what he could have to save her son?
Jason Beghe: I think he was very upset in the moment, but only because of his care for her and justice. I think one of the things that’s interesting about Voight is that he kind of is in the moment, and moments tend to fleet away. So, in the moment when she said no and pulled rank on Voight and said, “You can’t do this because it’s not by the book,” which was to go and try and save her son, he was incredibly frustrated and disagreed strongly, and voiced that. But then, he deals in reality, and he takes each moment as it comes, which is part of what gives him his power. He’s not afflicted with anxiety about the future or much regret about the past, which is also a character that could be psychopathic.
It’s a fine line, again, the characteristic, anyway, but there’s a lot of power for him in being able to just stay in this moment. And I think that that’s kind of how he generally leads his life.
Burgess is in the hospital, and we don’t know if she’s going to make it. How big of an impact does that have on the team?
Jason Beghe: It’s like losing your arm. This is truly a team. When Voight created this unit, he didn’t want seven Voights. He needs a head, a left arm, a right arm, a torso, and a heart and liver. Everybody’s got a role to play. To lose your arm or your soul or your heart, whatever you want to call Burgess, is incalculable. It’s a big deal.
Chicago P.D.'s Tracy Spiridakos And Jesse Lee Soffer Break Down Upstead's Big Proposal Twist, And What Comes Next
The Season 8 finale of Chicago P.D. packed in plenty of cliffhangers before the final credits rolled, with the episode ending on a shaken Upton surprising Halstead with a proposal. It wasn't the most romantic scenario in the world considering the timing, and the finale ended without revealing Halstead's answer. The Season 9 premiere finally revealed what's up with Upstead, but with a twist on the proposal when Halstead flipped the script in the final scene to propose to her. Stars Tracy Spiridakos and Jesse Lee Soffer broke down the big scene.
As it turned out, Halstead didn't give her an answer one way or the other when Chicago P.D. picked up where it left off on her proposal, and they didn't get engaged until they had a conversation about why she did it. Then, it was Halstead who went down on one knee, in a scene that was very sweet, but also complicated by the fact that Halstead is completely in the dark about Upton and Voight's secret. When I spoke to the Chicago P.D. stars in separate interviews, they shared how they approached the proposal scene with the big secret still between their characters. Tracy Spiridakos shared:
"I think Hailey had to, just in the moment with him, as opposed... That was, I'm trying to remember, there was a little bit of a conversation about it, where he says, 'Did you mean what you said?' essentially. And she did, she very much did and and her proposal to him came from a really vulnerable place, but it was a truthful [proposal], that is how she feels. And she does love him. And so when it comes up again, she's like, 'I meant everything that I said, and if you don't believe that, you don't believe me,' you know? And, yeah, it was really fun to play. I think being vulnerable is always, like as a person playing vulnerable, you're still vulnerable. So it's always like, you know, I get awkward and [laughs] whatever. I do, anyway. But Jesse's so great, and we had a good time playing it. And I'm excited to see it."
There were a lot of layers to not only Upton and Halstead's first interactions over the initial proposal, but also the conversation leading up to the second one with Halstead going down on one knee. The conversation at the end of the episode came when Upton was calmed down somewhat from the opening scene, and Tracy Spiridakos and Jesse Lee Soffer played it in a way that got their characters on the same page when it comes to their relationship... if not on the same page when it comes to what Upton is hiding.
Jesse Lee Soffer previously shared that Halstead isn't going to stay in the dark about what Upton and Voight did forever, so fans shouldn't necessarily expect nothing but smooth sailing for the good ship Upstead when looking ahead to the rest of Season 9. Soffer also shared his perspective on the second proposal scene with his character still not in on the secret, and how Halstead feels about the whole situation after being taken completely by surprise, saying:
"You know, it's tough. Sometimes you got to stay really present with what's going on with the character, what the character has been through, and you just kind of try to stay in exactly everything that you've lived as that character up to that very moment, and then try to stay present. Because, you know, you might have a hard time justifying something, or you're not sure where the character's coming from, with why they're making a choice that they're making. But, you know, that's what we did. We talked about the scene. And obviously Jay has loved Hailey for a long time, and it's something that he wants, and whether or not he's got a suspicion that there's more to this story right now and this kind of came out of thin air, that doesn't matter. And he says, 'Okay, let's go forward with this. I'm not going to say no to you.' And that's kind of, that's where it came from. So it's going to be fun to play out."
Chicago P.D. may have started out Upstead's engagement with a big secret hanging over them, but Jesse Lee Soffer's comments about Halstead's feelings for Upton seem pretty encouraging about where Season 9 will take the storyline. While it may cause some distrust between them, Soffer also previewed that fans will see how the situation will play out with Halstead and Voight once Halstead finds out. Does that mean he'll cast more blame on Voight than on Upton, even if she kept the secret from him in a more intimate way? Or will it be worse news for Upstead?
As somebody who has been on Upton's side ever since Voight manipulated the situation in the Season 8 finale to turn Upton's good shoot to save her sergeant into a very dirty secret, I definitely hope that Halstead joins me on Team Upton. Voight really did back her into a corner, and there's no good way out for her. At this point, I wouldn't blame the women of the Intelligence Unit if they decided to retire from CPD and star in a spinoff called Chicago Florists where nothing bad ever happens to them. It's been a rough couple of years!
In all seriousness, the show set the stage for a layered ninth season. While there were some happy conclusions to the cliffhangers thanks to Upstead getting engaged and Burgess surviving, things are never too smooth for too long for the cops of Chicago P.D. See what happens next with new episodes of P.D. on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, following new episodes of Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. ET and Chicago Med at 8 p.m. ET.
‘Chicago P.D.’: Jason Beghe & Tracy Spiridakos Talk Upton & Voight’s Secret and Upstead
Will Sergeant Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) and Detective Hailey Upton’s (Tracy Spiridakos) secret — that she shot a suspect to save her boss’ life and he then buried the body — come out? Well, they may have covered their tracks in the Chicago P.D. Season 9 premiere well enough that they don’t have to worry about that. How? The only person who could link them to what happened was shot in a standoff with the police.
Meanwhile, Upstead fans got the answer they’d been waiting all summer for: Detective Jay Halstead’s (Jesse Lee Soffer) response to Upton’s proposal. Not only did he say yes (after making sure it wasn’t just a reaction to Marina Squerciati’s Kim Burgess being shot), but he also proposed (he’s old-fashioned, he explained). They’re engaged!
TV Insider turned to Beghe and Spiridakos to find out what’s next.
Voight and Upton’s secret remains buried for now because the only other person who knows is also now dead. How are they both dealing with everything that’s happened going forward?
Tracy Spiridakos: Upton definitely struggles. The guilt of it all and keeping it a secret from Burgess, keeping it a secret from Halstead, is a struggle and we see her kind of unravel throughout — we’re only on episode 5 so far, but from what I understand, we see that struggle continue for her for a while.
Jason Beghe: Voight’s main concern is whether or not Upton can handle this. Because obviously it’s been personally distressing to her and that’s something that he doesn’t want her to have to experience, but also potentially her inability to hold onto this secret could adversely affect the entire unit and even the Chicago police department, so there’s a lot at stake and he tries to stay present and encourage her to weather the storm as best as she can.
And especially because they have to rely on each other to not slip up. How does that affect how they look at each other going forward? Is there a difference in how they interact?
Spiridakos: There’s definitely tension, that’s for sure. And then Halstead starts to see that there’s some tension there and starts to think, why?
Beghe: It’s out of [Voight’s] hands. All he can do is encourage her and try to support her as best he can. But he’s also an extremely resourceful person, and if something happens, then he’s capable of making adjustments. Let’s face it, this is a guy who was put in prison for taking out a hit on a Chicago firefighter. Then he ended up finding a way not only out of prison, but leading the most elite unit in Chicago. So he’s a resourceful guy.
In happier news, Upton and Halstead are engaged! What are we going to see next? Telling the others? Wedding planning? The wedding itself?
Spiridakos: I’m not sure if there’s going to be an actual wedding this season or if that’ll come later. There was a scene where there was some ring picking out. And as a scene kind of unravels, everyone’s like, “yeah, we knew, whatever.” As far as the wedding goes, I’m not sure when that’s going to happen, if, who knows?
But there’s still a matter of why she proposed — which he brings up — at least in the first place. Is that going to come up again or is that resolved?
Spiridakos: The why of it, I think, is resolved in that moment. I think Hailey meant it. I think she realized in that moment how he’s this great thing in her life and she was afraid to lose him and it came out of this really vulnerable place, but I think it was a truthful and honest place. They both deeply care for each other, but there’s some stuff that comes up that they have to figure out going forward.
What about Voight’s personal life?
Beghe: It’s a big secret. I believe Voight goes home, he eats food and sleeps occasionally. And he consumes beverages from time to time. That’s what I believe he does.
So there’s nothing in this love life coming up?
Beghe: He loves his unit. … The reality is that he has a deep love and care for the people of Chicago and the people that he’s particularly closest to. There’s certainly a deep connection. But I think perhaps if I was going to get psychological about it, sometimes if you allow yourself to feel this great responsibility for a group, it can be a way to prevent yourself from getting your heart broken. I think that he’s certainly not over the loss of his wife. He never cheated on his wife. He wasn’t that kind of a guy, and he still feels completely devoted to her, so it’s not like something that he’s white-knuckling. It’s not interesting to him. His heart is living elsewhere. I think it’s been quite a while and it may change.
How is Intelligence doing as a unit? Burgess has to recover, so are we going to see a time jump so she’ll be back? Who does she lean on?
Spiridakos: She’s back right away. We see what her struggles are coming back, I think in the second episode. But there isn’t too much of a jump, right, Jason?
Beghe: It’s a question of whether or not she feels ready to go at it. But yeah, I think mostly in the second episode, she starts to deal with it. She’s eventually gonna heal from the physical wounds, but it’s still a journey to heal from the psychological ones and her ability, or even desire, and to what extent she’s going to be a police officer or not. And she’s got McKayla. There’s a lot going on with her.
Spiridakos: It’ll be interesting to see Hailey and Kim with what has happened with Roy and Hailey and that dynamic and not being able to tell Kim and what that will feel like. I would love to see some of that.
Beghe: Ultimately Burgess has got to rely on Burgess, and I think that that’s the journey, to feel confident enough to be able to feel safe. It takes a lot of cojones to be a cop like she is, and that’s something you have to rely on yourself ultimately.
CHICAGO P.D. Post-Mortem: Rick Eid on Voight’s Big Decision, Upstead and Burzek, Atwater’s New Flame, and More
CHICAGO P.D.’s Voight (Jason Beghe) and Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) have gotten away with their coverup—at least for now.
In the season 8 finale, after Burgess (Marina Squerciati) was kidnapped, Voight reverted to his more forceful method of interrogation. Upton found her boss and talked him down, but she was forced to shoot the suspect to save Voight’s life. As a result, he disposed of the body, and the duo spent the premiere hour covering their tracks.
But can this stay quiet? And has this decision set Voight back to his old ways? Showrunner Rick Eid answered a few burning questions via email (and here’s what Beghe and Spiridakos had to say)…
Voight spent last season adjusting to the new parameters of police work. With his actions—and seemingly getting away with it—has he essentially regressed back to his old way of doing things? Or is he viewing this as a one-time, necessary slip-up?
Voight lives in the present. What he did in the finale was based on the facts and circumstances of that case. In short, he was trying to save Kim’s life. So, he did what he needed to do. But that doesn’t mean he’s regressing — or ignoring the reality of being a cop in 2021.
Upton and Halstead are now engaged, but she’s hiding a big secret from him. How will her guilt impact that relationship, and how much are they actively planning a wedding in the season so far? How does taking that step forward impact their relationship?
She’s definitely hiding a BIG secret, which will clearly impact their relationship. But they love each and other and are both committed to making their relationship work.
After having such a close brush with death, how does Burgess bounce back, literally and figuratively? And how does it impact how both she and Ruzek view their still-undefined relationship?
Burgess will struggle early on to regain her footing. In fact, episode 2 speaks to that very issue. She not only needs to recover from her physical wounds, but from her emotional wounds. Ruzek is definitely there to help. But, sometimes, Ruzek tries to help too much.
The Burgess/Ruzek relationship continues to be undefined—yet it’s clear they love each other very much.
Atwater struggled for much of last season with his place in the force. How much does that continue for him this season & what else is in store?
Atwater becomes more vocal in his beliefs, yet still enjoys being a Chicago policeman. Things get more challenging for him on this front when he starts dating a politically active Black woman—with strong, negative opinions of the CPD.
What can you preview about what else is ahead this season? Any new faces swinging by to help (or join) the team? Any particular episodes you’re most excited for fans to see?
I’m excited about all our episodes. For real. There are more character storylines than ever, but the cases remain exciting and topical.
Is a Wedding Coming On ‘Chicago P.D.’? Jesse Lee Soffer’s Answer May Surprise You
Can Jay and Hailey really make it work? During the season 8 premiere, Jesse Lee Soffer‘s character proposed back to Upton (Tracy Spiradakos) — but it doesn’t mean a wedding is necessarily in the cards. In fact, he’s not even sure Jay will buy a ring.
“I actually don’t have the answer to that, because look, you know, he proposes and all is well, until he starts going, ‘Wait a second, something’s wrong,'” Soffer, 37, told Us Weekly exclusively. “And obviously, Hailey’s guilt and the shame of what happened and keeping the secret and all this stuff, it’s going to eat at her. Obviously, Jay’s going to see that. So who knows what happens to that proposal?”
Although the secret will create “trust issues” between the two, it will also give audiences a chance to get to know another side of Halstead.
“It made sense [that he proposed]. I appreciated it,” the Emmy nominee said. “If these feelings are genuine and I feel the same way then let me take some ownership and let me do it right, and I’ll own this too. He proposes right back and he makes it legitimate. … We’ve never seen Jay like that. He’s a pretty stoic character most of the time, so to see him vulnerable or to see him on the edges of vulnerability, I think it’s probably fun for the fans.”
He noted that with such “dark” content on the show, the lighter moments are necessary — and it’s nice to be able to “break out of the intensity” sometimes.
“It is [fun for me],” Soffer added. “There are some cute scenes in a couple of the episodes in the beginning of the season.”
That said, he hasn’t heard anything about a wedding just yet. When Us joked that it always seemed more likely for Ruzek (Patrick Flueger) to be the first one in the unit to get married, Soffer couldn’t help but agree.
“That makes sense! It still could be,” the New York native said with a laugh. “We don’t actually know it’s still, totally could be.”
As for Hailey and Voight’s secret, it won’t last forever.
“They obviously love each other very much, and I think after what happens at the end of season 8, she’s reaching out for kind of the one stable thing, the one good thing,” the former soap star noted. “Eventually Jay does start to put it together.”
CHICAGO P.D. Post-Mortem: Jason Beghe and Tracy Spiridakos on the Voight-Upton Secret, the Big Upstead Move
After a season of adjusting his behavior to the new normal of policing, CHICAGO P.D.’s Voight (Jason Beghe) found himself reverting to his old ways when Burgess (Marina Squerciati) was kidnapped. But now that he and Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) have gotten away with it, was this a one-time thing? Or was this the first step in his way back to his old tactics.
“I guess the closest metaphor that I think of would be like an alcoholic,” Beghe says in the video below. “So he is a guy who he fell off the wagon, and it remains to be seen. We tend to hope, whether you’re the alcoholic or the person who’s living with the alcoholic, you want to hope that they can make it a one time thing. But more often than not, when you fall off the wagon, you end up on a bender. And we shall see.”
For Upton’s part, she’s not exactly handling the guilt all that well—and her fiancé may start to notice something is up.
“Upton really, really struggles with it, and you definitely see more of that,” Spiridakos says. “And then…Halstead starts to also pick up on…there’s something going on with her.”
And the plot isn’t exactly going away. “From what I understand, later on, because we were only on episode 5 right now…it’s something that continues,” she says. “So it’s not resolved, at least not that I know of, in the near future.”
But there is a bit of happy news, with the aforementioned engagement. Is a wedding on the horizon? “I don’t know of yet,” Spiridakos admits. “I assume at some point there will be some sort of wedding. I assume! But I don’t know when that will be. Who knows?”
In the meantime, the happy duo will have some cute moments. “There was a ring conversation at one point, but I don’t know if that’s still in [the final cut of the episode] or not,” she says. “But from what I know so far, I think they’re going to stay engaged for a minute.”
And they won’t exactly be able to hide it from their colleagues. “There is a moment where the team openly talks about in front of them, that they know,” Spiridakos says. “Everyone’s like, ‘Of course we know’…it’s a pretty funny scene, which I also hope stays.”
Chicago P.D. 9×01 “Closure” promises something with the name it cannot possibly provide. There’s no easy, quick closure for what happened in the season 8 finale, and there shouldn’t be. The show has, many times before, swept Voight’s actions under the rug and pretended that the end justified the means. In season 9, it seems like Chicago P.D. is finally done playing that game, and that’s why, as much as storytelling wise, some people might wish for a swift resolution, there’s none to be had.
The theme of the episode, however, is choices – and the reasons why you make the choices you make. There are the choices you make out of fear, the choices you make out of loyalty, whether that is misguided or not, and yes, the choices you make out of love. Sometimes those things go together. Sometimes it’s hard – nay, impossible, to separate one feeling from the other. And though the choices you make don’t necessarily become good or bad based on your reasoning, it’s important to point out that the choices made out of love in the episode are the right ones. And the others …well, not so much.
For Hailey, the choice to hold onto Jay. For Adam, the choice to step up with Makayla. Those might be reactions, but that doesn’t necessarily make them bad ones. Sometimes we do the best we can with what we have, and if we let our feelings guide us into loving people, into holding on to them, well, as long as what we’re feeling is true and not just a reflection of fear, then those choices can never be wrong.
So, let’s examine the choices surrounding the two big ships on Chicago P.D. as well as the choices Voight makes as we review Chicago P.D. 9×01 “Closure”:
Hailey is front and center in this episode, in the good ways, and bad ways, and though there’s a lot of that tied to Voight, his decisions, and how they affect Hailey, the most important part, the good part of her storyline, is always tied to Jay Halstead and what he means to her.
For Jay there’s only certainty, which is why the episode doesn’t focus on him. He’s been in love with Hailey for years. He probably knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her ages before they even kissed. And deep down, it’s likely Hailey knew it too. But she always had a harder time verbalizing it, because Hailey Upton’s life hasn’t led her to the belief that she deserved the good in life, much less the security that she can have it, and it won’t be ripped away from her.
But when Hailey asks Jay to marry her, she isn’t doing it out of fear – or at least, not the bad kind of fear. Seeing someone you care about hurt forces you to reexamine what is important to you, and what happened to Kim, and later, with Voight, make things crystal clear for Hailey. It wasn’t about running away from her problems, it was about running towards the one thing in her life that she knew was good, the one thing in her life she could trust, even when she couldn’t trust herself. And that’s Jay Halstead.
And Jay’s hesitation has nothing to do with not wanting to marry Hailey, and everything to do with making sure she wants to marry him. Because Jay knows her, he truly knows her, and he would never want to trap her into something she didn’t really want to do, especially if the only reason she asked was fear. He isn’t leaving her, and he doesn’t need a ring to prove that.
Which doesn’t mean that he doesn’t want one, that he doesn’t want the entire world to know he loves Hailey Upton, and she loves him. Which is why, when Jay is sure Hailey really means it, he doesn’t hesitate. In fact, he even flips the script on her and creates a beautiful moment they will remember forever.
The rest …what comes after, it likely won’t be easy. We know there’s angst coming our way, as Jay is sure to find out what happened with Roy, and he has every right to be upset at Hailey about the secrecy. But with the foundation Chicago P.D. has laid down with Upstead the past few years, and the certainties expressed in this episode, I sense whatever storm is coming is going to be the kind that rocks the boat, yes, but not the kind that capsizes it. If anyone’s going to bear the brunt of Jay’s anger, it’s likely to be Voight, you know, the one who has taken advantage of Hailey’s incredibly emotional state, the total opposite of what Jay was shown to do this episode.
In some ways this feels like the calm before the storm, and it surely is. But that doesn’t mean the storm is going to break us – or Upstead. I have faith in what they’ve built, and in the story this show seems to be setting up. But you can rest assured that if they get it wrong I’ll be here to call them out on it, right alongside you.
This episode was more about the Adam side of the Burzek relationship than anything, and in a way, if Chicago P.D. is truly going to give these two the chance they have so dearly earned, it really had to be. Kim’s cards are all on the table, have been on the table for a while. And though Burzek has had many issues during the course of their relationship, lately the issue has been trying to figure out if they’re in the same place at the same time, if they want the same things, in the same way.
Love? That was never in doubt. Of course these two love each other. They’ve loved each other almost from the beginning, and they never really stopped, even when they were mad at each other, even when the best thing they could do for each other was take some time. It just so happens that isn’t the best thing for them anymore. Now Adam and Kim are at a point in their lives, in their relationship, where it seems like they’re ready to be their best selves, together.
Which is why this episode focuses on Adam, on his feelings for Kim, on his relationship with Makayla, on him realizing that Kim didn’t name him as co-guardian so he could do what she wanted, but because she trusted him to do the right thing, even if she wasn’t around to decide. And so when Adam makes the choice to trust his gut, to step fully into Makayla’s life, not just as a backup in case something happens, but as an integral piece of her family, that means something.
Not just to Makayla, but to Kim and Adam. Now we just need Kim to get better so we can finally have that overdue conversation.
There are many issues with Voight. There have been many issues with Voight for quite some time. Frankly, I’m a bit surprised we’re here, that Voight as a character has managed to make it to season nine. I haven’t re-watched most of the first few seasons in a few years, and I can still come up with a pretty long list of borderline questionable, or worse things Voight has done. And that’s what he was always supposed to be, that was the character the show sold us. Someone who would do anything, and everything, for justice.
Of course, the problem with that idea, the problem with people like Voight, is that all of that seems worth it as long as you agree with their idea of justice. But just isn’t a thing that should be beholden to someone’s interpretation. Things aren’t just depending on the point of view. Justice is one, and whatever that ends up looking like on a specific moment in time, it should never be up to just one person. Particularly if that person is Voight.
Last season I thought maybe, maybe, Chicago P.D. was finally willing to shed the Voight weight, that they were finally going to write him out of the show – perhaps in a much more heroic manner than the character deserved but write him out for good. This season has done absolutely nothing to change my mind. It should have happened earlier, but at this point, I don’t know how Hank Voight remains on this show. And it’s not just because it’s 2021 and we’ve all had to grapple with the things the police force does wrong, and the things we were all too willing to look away from before – though there’s that, but because storytelling wise, how many times can we be here again? What does Voight even add, at this point?
Certainly not more than he takes away from the show, and I hope Chicago P.D. is finally ready to fix that.
