The weeks are counting down until Chicago P.D. returns in the 2024 TV schedule alongside Chicago Fire and Chicago Med. After news broke over the summer that One Chicago alum Toya Turner had been cast as the newest member of the Intelligence Unit following Tracy Spiridakos' exit as Hailey Upton, the cop drama has added a new deputy chief with an intriguing description. All in all, I'm ready to see what Voight makes of him when Season 12 kicks off after how and why Upton left.
Animal Kingdom and Southland alum Shawn Hatosy will recur in the upcoming twelfth season of Chicago P.D., according to TV Insider, to play Deputy Chief Charlie Reid. Showrunner Gwen Sigan dropped the news, saying that Reid is an "exciting character" whose presence results in a "new dynamic for the unit." She went on:
I think he sees a lot of himself in Voight and identifies quite a bit with Voight and Voight’s philosophy as a police officer, and they have a really interesting relationship that will evolve as the season goes on.
In seasons past, the problem in the Intelligence Unit has been that too many people were seeing themselves in Voight. That was arguably a factor in why Upton and even Halstead decided to leave the job that was eating up too much of their lives. The ghostly cameo from Elias Koteas in the Season 11 finale was even a reminder of the dire consequences that characters sometimes face when tangled up in Voight's messes. What will a character who identifies with Jason Beghe's character mean for the team?
Well, Voight isn't unaware of the damage that he has caused, and I'm really wondering what his reaction will be to somebody above him in the chain of command who also identifies with his philosophy. A lot may depend on what he's taken away from Upton's exit and how the unit operates without her.
In addition to Shawn Hatosy as Deputy Chief Charlie Reid, Chicago P.D. has cast Warrior Nun actress Toya Turner as Officer Kiana Cook, who presumably will occupy the Intelligence Unit vacancy. At the time of writing, there's no indication that any of the team's officers will be promoted to detective, although I'll keep crossing my fingers for Atwater to get that bump up in Season 12.
As for Hatosy's new character, it remains to be seen if Reid has more longevity than some of his predecessors as the person tasked with overseeing Voight's team. First Deputy Superintendent Brennan, played by the late Anne Heche, attempted to take her own life in the Season 7 premiere when she was exposed as a dirty cop. Samantha Miller, played by Empire's Nicole Ari Parker, lost her son. Chief Patrick O'Neal, played by Michael Gaston, attempted to kill his serial killer son before turning the gun on himself. At the very least, I'm guessing Reid's story won't take as brutal a turn as O'Neal's did!
Fortunately, the wait for Chicago P.D. Season 12 is nearly over. All three shows of One Chicago return to NBC on Wednesday, September 25 starting with Chicago Med at 8 p.m. ET, followed by Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. ET, and then closing out with P.D. at 10 p.m. ET. In the meantime, you can always revisit earlier seasons streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription.
