Warning! SPOILERS for Chicago PD season 10Chicago PD has officially ended Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) and Jay Halstead's (Jesse Lee Soffer) relationship, and now the show needs to let Hailey move on as Jay previously did from Erin (Sophia Bush). Chicago PD is no stranger to romantic entanglements, with the relationship dynamics within and surrounding the Intelligence Unit being one of the show's greatest features to help character the squad beyond their job descriptions. With this, Chicago PD has developed several season-long romances that have garnered both drama and cult followings. Chicago PD can sustain this level of intrigue by seeing its characters move on from grieving over their lost loves — before it gets stale and tired.
Jay’s evolution with Hailey is not his first pitched relationship, as he experienced something similar with Erin before her departure from Chicago PD. Much in the way that he and Hailey grew closer, Jay and Erin helped each other through trauma and pain before Erin moved to New York, leaving Jay to pick up the pieces with Hailey. As Erin was departing, Haley ed the Intelligence Unit as Halstead’s new partner, and they grew from professional partners to romantic ones as well, with Hailey seeing Jay through his grieving process from Erin. In a very cyclical way, Haley has now swapped places with Jay, due to his departure in season 10.
Chicago PD Needs To Have Hailey Close The Chapter On Jay
Since Jay’s exit from Chicago PD, the show has seen how Hailey’s coping mechanisms have actually exacerbated some of her most dangerous qualities, especially her obsessive and reckless behaviors. Not only did she throw herself into capturing Sean O’Neal (Jefferson White), so much so that Upton exhibited some very uncharacteristic moves, but she put herself at risk in the process by using herself as bait and tailing him when it wasn’t safe to do so. Narratively, this behavior isn’t sustainable for Hailey or the Intelligence Unit, and it’s clear that Upton reached a breaking point in Chicago PD season 10, episode 12 when she realized Jay wasn’t coming back.
Now that Hailey knows her husband will not be returning, Chicago PD must change how she adapts to this new reality. Having her continue to deal with this loss as recklessly as she did throughout season 10 would threaten to derail her character development and closure, thereby diminishing and contradicting the intelligence and drive she’s previously exhibited. Leaving Hailey stuck in her grief after Chicago PD, as the show has consistently examined cycles of grief and change with many of the show’s cast. As such, Hailey has to accept the truth of Jay’s loss and move forward.
Jay’s Closure Moment Was Going In Erin’s Empty Apartment
Jay himself experienced this loss and growth after Erin’s departure in season 4 of Chicago PD. Ironically, Jay left Hailey in a worse position than Erin left him, as Jay was never able to propose to Erin but he and Hailey have a fully sanctified marriage. But that doesn’t mean Hailey has to be permanently mired in grief. Jay finally found closure when he saw Erin’s empty apartment, allowing him to move forward with Hailey. Perhaps Hailey has now experienced the same when she was told that Jay had extended his tour without telling her. With these parallel moments of incipient closure, it’s time for Hailey to follow in Jay’s footsteps after his exit from Chicago PD.
Hailey Needs To Do Something To Mark Her Next Chapter
To fully capitalize on this inflection point, Chicago PD’s writers need to see Hailey actively pull herself from her grief. For herself, her peers, and the audience, Hailey needs to move on and allow her storyline to take a fresh, new direction. While this doesn’t need to be something as dramatic as divorce papers, it does need to be personally impactful and reflective of her decision-making.
Some options for this perspective shift for Hailey on Chicago PD could include getting rid of Jay’s pictures or leaving him a message where she says she won’t wait for him anymore. They don’t have to be related to Jay's changes during Chicago PD at all, as long as they focus on Hailey’s evolution. Instead, she could move to a new apartment, remove her wedding ring, or try something new — professionally or personally. Any of these possibilities would be appropriate ways to show that Hailey is beginning a new chapter on Chicago PD, while opening her up to more story possibilities heading into the new season.