Jesse Lee Soffer, who brilliantly brought detective Jay Halstead to life for 10 seasons on Chicago PD, was written out of the series on Chicago PD Season 10 Episode 3, which aired on Wednesday, Oct. 5. You can read the review here!
The episode titled “Good Man” marked his last appearance in the crime drama. Halstead got personally invested in a case involving a robbery. The men were after pseudoephedrine to make meth. When he responded to the call as a plain-clothes officer, he encountered Lenny, a vet and good samaritan who was trying to diffuse the situation and get as many people to safety. As Halstead pursued the two offenders, Lenny jumped in the line of fire and took a bullet aimed at a pregnant woman. He ended up at Gaffney in a “touch and go” medical state, though his efforts were praised. That is until Upton realized that Lenny was paid out for the robbery. When Halstead and Upton went back to question him, he admitted he was the lookout guy for some money, but since he was dying, he didn’t want them to inform his family about what he’d done. Shortly after his confession, Lenny died.
Halstead didn’t feel comfortable dragging Lenny’s name through the mud as he knew the repercussions it would have on his family, but Upton didn’t agree, noting this was the only way to make a case. Halstead decided to take it upon himself and got evidence of where the drug lab was located. He promised Lenny’s wife he would leave him out of it, which technically made the evidence unusable. However, Halstead still went to the warehouse to scope things out. He was ambushed by Benny, the man making the drugs, and a tussle ensued. Benny overpowered Halstead, who had no choice but to use his pocket knife and stab him several times. Benny died as Halstead looked on in sheer horror at what he’d done.
Upton and Voight arrived and immediately began crafting a cover story. “We’re doing it again,” Halstead exclaimed, suggesting that this has become a toxic pattern. The next day, he went to the bureau hoping to tell the truth, but he was hailed as a hero for helping to clean up the streets of Chicago. He was also told Lenny was being honored in death, with his family reaping the benefits, so Halstead decided to stay quiet. He then tended his resignation by putting down his badge. Upton was shocked as she didn’t know about his decision in advance, and when she tried to talk him out of it, he insisted that this is what needed to be done. If she loved him, she needed to let him go. He also informed her that he was leaving later that day for an 8-month contract in Bolivia where he would be taking down the worst drug cartels in the world alongside his fellow vets.
As Halstead made his way to the airport, Voight pulled up for an official goodbye. He surmised that Halstead never wanted to be him, to which Halstead replied that it was worse, he did want to be him, but Voight always reminded him that he wasn’t and shouldn’t keep trying.
Voight acknowledged his decision and Halstead walked away from Intelligence and his life in Chicago for the foreseeable future.
The following post was written before Season 10 Episode 3 aired:
Halstead has been with the franchise from the beginning, making several appearances on PD’s sister shows, Chicago Fire and Chicago Med, so his departure is an emotional one for fans. Many viewers have long felt that he’s the glue holding Intelligence together, and he’s definitely the heart of the team, ensuring that Voight (Jason Beghe) stays in line. Some even thought he would be the one to take the reins from Voight upon his retirement, so Soffer’s decision to leave has come as quite a shock.
Naturally, fans want to know how he’s going to leave the team, the series, and his wife Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos), along with when it’s going to happen. We’d rather plan accordingly than be blindsided!
While there’s not much information about the events surrounding his departure, the series is building up to it with the season 10 premiere setting up a conflict between Halstead and Upton, which bled into the second episode of the season. The way things are between them this season isn’t what fans are used to from this couple; it’s not “us” as Upton pointed out. And it’s not like Halstead to lie to Upton or buddy up with Voight.
Voight made sure to underscore that their personal feelings cannot affect the job anymore in the premiere, noting, “If it ever shows up on the job again, the three of us, we’re not working together anymore, understood?” as Upton informed him that if he keeps up his rogue behavior, he’s going to lose Jay.
CHICAGO P.D. — “A Good Man” Episode 1003 — Pictured: Jesse Lee Soffer as Jay Halstead — (Photo by: Lori Allen/NBC)
However, one could argue that Halstead’s loyalty to Voight also makes sense as he previously asked his sergeant to be upfront with him about any rogue decisions before they happen so he can help out. Maybe that’s what’s happening here, and Halstead is lying to Upton to protect her so that she’s not dragged into it again.
Some fans have suggested that it’s possible Voight is trying to help Halstead get a new job, though, I’m not convinced that he would just choose to leave his wife to pursue a different life path without her input.
And while Halstead’s motives may seem questionable for now, showrunner Gwen Sigan assured TV Insider that “it’s going to make sense to the fans when they see the episode that is his exit. We wanted it to be really a showcase for Halstead and who he is and what Jesse has meant to this show,” adding that Soffer’s performance is “one of his best.”
It seems like it’s a real possibility that Chicago PD Season 10 Episode 3 airing on Wednesday, Oct. 5, might be the end of the road for our loyal detective, if not a clear sign that it’s the beginning of the end.
The promo for the episode starts off with menacing music as Halstead, in civilian clothes, explains, “I’m here to tell the truth.”
“One bad act doesn’t make you a bad person,” he continues, sounding pretty guilty about something from his past. It’s also possible he’s vouching for Voight, who he’s been supportive of since Anna died.
Halstead has always been the voice of reason who sometimes has to do bad and immoral things to protect the ones he loves. The line of duty comes at a cost, and maybe it’s one he’s no longer willing to pay.
The teaser attempts to keep things suspenseful with the text overlay reading, “For Someone, This Is the End,” which points right to Jay as we all know he’s leaving. And the ending, which shows Hailey in tears as she looks at Jay in disbelief, seems to seal the deal.
This could very well be Jay’s final episode. It’s possible he confessed to everything and there’s no going back to Intelligence. Maybe he took the blame for what went down with Anna to further protect Upton and his team and clear his conscience?
If you’re not ready to say goodbye just yet, there is a glimmer of hope still as a few fans pointed out that Soffer was spotted filming recent episodes, and since he’s departing sometime in the fall, it would likely put his exit at possibly episode 8 or 9 of the season, and in that case, something major must happen in episode 3 that likely puts Halstead on a path that he’s going to realize he can no longer walk on.
And, as one fan pointed out, his exit, whatever it may be, will bring his character-arc full circle because he’s about to do to Hailey what Erin did to him all those years ago.
Sagan suggested that Halstead’s exit will throw Upton for a loop, which does kind of sound like there’s a falling out between the couple. Or maybe Halstead has just realized that he needs to start putting himself first for a change.
Either way, it’s hard on Upton: “Upton is going to have some fallout, yeah. It’s a tough place for her to be in. She is just so connected to Halstead who not only is her husband but also her partner. They are so so threaded together in their lives and so to see her on her own and have to navigate that—she certainly gets into some really interesting territory this season as she’s trying to navigate that. She’s someone that’s not necessarily the best at dealing with her emotions. She likes to be in control and likes to feel like she has control of her headspace,” Sagan clarified.
Hopefully, as they wrap up Halstead’s storyline and do his character justice, they’ll also give fans one more Halstead brothers moment with Will on Med. We deserve it!
Only time will tell what Halstead’s exit will truly look like, but one thing is for certain—it will be devastating to longtime fans nonetheless.