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:
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!
As for Voight, Jason Beghe went on to confirm that guilt is going to be less of an issue for Voight for some very Voight reasons compared to what Upton is going through. Beghe said:
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:
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 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:
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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.
Even if Upton won't be in the best place to start Season 9 and complications are on the way with how she reacts vs. how Voight reacts, there is definitely good news for fans: the wait for new episodes is nearly at an end. Season 9 of Chicago P.D. premieres on Wednesday, September 22 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, following Chicago Med (which will handle the major character absences) at 8 p.m. ET and Chicago Fire (with a "terrifying" opening," according to the showrunner) at 10 p.m. ET. More One Chicago coverage is on the way, so be sure to check back with CinemaBlend!
Laura turned a lifelong love of television into a valid reason to write and think about TV on a daily basis. She's not a doctor, lawyer, or detective, but watches a lot of them in primetime. CinemaBlend's resident expert and interviewer for One Chicago, the galaxy far, far away, and a variety of other primetime television. Will not time travel and can cite multiple TV shows to explain why. She does, however, want to believe that she can sneak references to The X-Files into daily conversation (and author bios).