Chicago P.D. Fans Are Sad (But Not Surprised) About Tracy Spiridakos' Exit

The long journey of "Chicago P.D." stalwart Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) is apparently about to come to an end. When the drama finally reconvenes for its 11th season after the SAG-AFTRA strike concludes, it will be Spiridakos' last. And fans of the series are sad, but not too surprised by Spiridakos' upcoming exit. As many see it, Hailey's story possibilities have dried up in the wake of the October 2022 departure of Jesse Lee Soffer, who played Hailey's husband, Jay Halstead. 

"It was obvious, the arc of Jay was finished, i was expecting this," said X, formerly known as Twitter, user @TomasGoldberg1. On the subreddit for "Chicago P.D.," similar thoughts are being expressed. "Seeing as her character has been written into a corner with so much of her personal life revolving around Jay and him no longer being a member of Intelligence it makes sense she would move on," observed u/tacoorpizza. 

Indeed, after Jay leaves Hailey late in Season 10 due to his inability to cope with the not-always-crystal-clear morality of police work, Hailey's life becomes all about her career. She becomes involved in a human trafficking case and also leads the charge in the Sean O'Neal (Jefferson White) investigation. Toward the end of Season 10, she's even kidnapped and then rescued by the team. 

Now the only question left for the character is: How will she say goodbye? "Chicago P.D." fans definitely have their opinions on the matter.

Before he leaves for Bolivia, Jay tells Hailey that he'll only be gone for eight months. That's why there are plenty of "Chicago P.D." fans who think Hailey's exit will dovetail with a Jay-related return. "[M]aybe he'll come back for the last episode and they'll move somewhere," said u/Alliecat5689. For them, hope also springs eternal about Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos continuing to play their roles. As u/Alliecat5689 wrote, "Ik this probably won't happen but I would love to see a spin off of Jay and Hailey running their own unit."

Some fans, like u/lkjhggfd1, think this might be an excuse to kill Hailey off, a naturally unpopular notion with the show's devotees. Even if she survives, some fans expressed that they are planning on quitting the show once Hailey is gone. "I don't think I'll watch after this. Her storylines were the main reason I still watched even as the show (to me) has gone downhill the last few seasons," wrote u/the_scientist52.

At least one viewer has pointed out a loose plot hole that could facilitate Hailey's quick exit. "I also wonder if her killing Roy and never telling Kim will come into play? I still can't believe they made a deal of Kim's trauma because she assumes Roy is still out there but never had scenes where Hailey showed guilt about it," said u/sweet-clementine-123. An interesting notion. But fans will have to play a waiting game to see how "Chicago P.D." wraps things up for Hailey.