The Chicago P.D. Season 11 Finale's 'Impossible' Cameo, Explained

Contains spoilers for "Chicago P.D." Season 11, Episode 13 — "More"

Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) dances toward death in "More," Season 11, Episode 13 of "Chicago P.D." Captured by Frank Matson (Dennis Flanagan), he's been stabbed and is bleeding out. Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) is on the way to rescue him before leaving Chicago for good, but until then Hank has time to torment himself over every wrong move and every person who got hurt on his watch. Among those people? Alvin Olinsky (Elias Koteas), who died way back in Season 5 — himself stabbed to death. It's the sight of a ghostly Olinsky who helps Hank hold out until Hailey arrives.

The surprise cameo may not be the one fan were begging for — Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) did not return to whisk Hailey away, making Jay's character arc even more disappointing  — but it's one "Chicago P.D." executives were able to pull off without spoiling the audience. Showrunner Gwen Sigan told Entertainment Weekly that Alvin's cameo was the only one that made sense at that point. 

"I think that Olinsky is Voight's other half in so many ways," said Sigan. "To be that vulnerable and to be in that state and to need somebody to shake him awake and make him realize there's more, it had to be him. It was the only person that would really be that in his head." And Hank wasn't the only one who got to see a familiar face. 

It turns out the whole cast was thrilled to see Elias Koteas one more time. Tracy Spiridakos reported to Entertainment Weekly, "We all flipped out on set too as soon as we saw him. Everyone was emotional. Everyone's like, 'Where's Elias?!'"

Jason Beghe reported to NBC Insider that he cried when seeing Koteas on the set. "I don't know if we'll be able to bring him back again, but for me, I have a very special connection with him as a human being and certainly as an actor," said Beghe. "I can just say that on the first take, we cut, director called out something, and I didn't respond and I didn't know why. I just kinda walked onto the set, and, uh, I burst into tears, you know? 'Cause it was just, it's just a lot."

Koteas has been busy since leaving "Chicago P.D," appearing in "Goliath" as Tom True and "Guilty Party" as Charles "Tuna" Bingham. Though Alvin obviously will never be able to come back to the show in the flesh, at least he's still with Hank — if only in dreams.