Chicago PD Season 10 Episode 9 delivered a conclusion to Hailey Upton’s multi-episode hunt for Sean O’Neal (Yellowstone‘s Jefferson White), the Chief’s son accused of raping and sex trafficking children, but did it go down the way you expected?
There were only a handful of ways that this could end, and none of them guaranteed that Upton would find the peace she sought, nor would they make her feel any less broken. In fact, I think she’s probably worse off than she was before because now she has to deal with the pain within herself, which is something Sean recognized and even exploited early on in the case.
Sean acknowledged a darkness within Hailey—and while they definitely aren’t kindred spirits in the way he was trying to suggest—he’s not wrong about her inner turmoil that goes far beyond Halstead’s abrupt decision to leave for Bolivia. She hasn’t faced the music because she’s too afraid to go there, but now that it’s over—now that she won—it’s time to face the reality of her own life.
She’s going to have to do some introspective work once she’s no longer riding the high of this case and the silence begins to creep in. She can’t keep numbing the pain with work, no matter how good at it she is—she’s going to have to face the music eventually or it will destroy her.
It’s that same nagging feeling that I suspect Sean felt all these years, which is why Hailey was able to connect with him and, despite being determined to bring him down, understand him. She was also the one that was able to get a confession out of him, even though it wasn’t admissible.
It was chilling to hear Sean open up about his urges and addiction in his own words because we so rarely ever get that from suspects. It’s a direct look inside the mind of a monster who admitted that he tried to fix himself but when he couldn’t, he decided to control what happened and who they happened to. He was a monster that made it clear that he won’t stop unless he’s stopped, which motivated Upton to find the missing evidence to bring the case home. She made it her sole mission to save these girls— because no one else would—and she didn’t care how it happened.
In a way, becoming so heavily invested in this case may have been a bad thing for Hailey, as it once again threw her morals for a loop.
She’s clearly lost, as she was willing to make a case any way she could, even if it wasn’t by the book. She was turning into Voight while facing down the very same problem that forced Halstead to step away in the first place. The lines between right and wrong were blurring, and just like her husband, she found herself in the gray zone, willing to cross a line for what she deemed the “greater good.” It was dangerous, but thankfully, Voight was there to pull her back and remind her that Sean was “in her head.” If they wanted to bring him down, they had to do right by the case. In fact, I’m surprised that Voight even allowed Upton to bring in Sean when the DA said that they didn’t have enough. They were going against the clock, and against the Chief, who was adamant about protecting his son at all costs, so there was the added pressure, but for someone who keeps saying they have to make an airtight case, it was strange that Voight agreed to risk it and see what happens fully knowing that they didn’t have the evidence to hold Sean.
Upton’s morals continued to be questioned when they found Sean bleeding out on the ground from a gunshot wound. Upton told Voight not to call it in and even hesitated to render any aid. Sean may have done terrible things, but it’s not her place to judge or make the call.
In a way, she was just as bad as Sean, who gave himself permission to decide which victims he would pursue and abuse. She was allowing herself to be the judge of the kind of punishment that was being dished out when her job is to find irrefutable proof to make the case and let the courts decide.
I don’t think she’ll be ok with any of her decisions because she would’ve blamed herslef if she let Sean die, but now, she and Voight are the sole reason he survived.
The justice system needs to do its job now and guarantee that he will never see the light of day for all of this to be worth it. And the episode underscored just how flawed the system can be at times, often providing more protection for the suspect than the actual victims.
Sean was a particularly tricky case because he had the backing of his father, who tried to sabotage their case and protect him at every turn, making Upton’s job that much harder. All the evidence that Upton obtained wasn’t good enough. Even when she was able to get a flat-out confession, it was still inadmissible solely based on the way she obtained the information.
CHICAGO P.D. — “Proof of Burden” Episode 1009 — Pictured: Jefferson White as Sean O’Neal — (Photo by: Lori Allen/NBC)
They tried and tried to build an airtight case, meeting dead end after dead end until it was almost too late. When they found the girls, they were mere moments away from dying from a lack of oxygen. If it wasn’t for Upton’s pushing and prodding, the case would’ve had way more victims.
Sean’s whole storyline was deeply disturbing, but the worst part was the revelation that he tried to tell his father, who wouldn’t listen or accept the truth because of how much he loved his son. We saw the Chief scoff at the facts and turn a blind eye simply because he didn’t want it to be true, but the sad reality is that denial can only take you so far until you’re forced to look it right in the eye.
I was convinced Patty was going to end it in the scene where he was drinking and Voight dropped off the files, simply because it seemed as though the reality was caving in on him and there was no coming back from what had been done. In many ways, he was his son’s victim along with all the other innocent children. The fact that he shot his son before seemingly turning the gun on himself was a surprising twist.
The truth is, regardless of his rank, the Chief should’ve never been able to control the case or the narrative in the way that he did—he was too close and it was too personal for him.
It’s unclear if this is the last we’ll see of Sean, but I’m hoping it now forces Hailey to take a serious look at herself and seek out therapy. These cases are mentally and emotionally taxing on the detectives, and I wish the series would incorporate a storyline in which they prioritize their mental health for their own well-being.
This is the perfect time for Hailey to fight through her demons and figure out who she wants to be. She can wipe the slate clean, and though the scars will always be there, she no longer has to carry all of that pain. Hailey can be the cop she wants to be—she can be the one who rises above and does it right.
And I’m truly hoping that we see more of Hailey’s team-ups with Voight. It seems that they are good for each other as they continue to hold each other accountable and ensure that they stay on the right track—when one goes too far, the other one reels them in.
We’ll have to wait until the series returns from hiatus to see how Hailey Upton will cope following such an intense and grueling case.
What did you think of the episode? Do you want to see more multi-episode cases in the second half of the season? Let us know in the comments below!