Chicago PD has returned with its tenth season and its premiere episode was an interesting one to say the least, and it had me scratching my head quite a few times.
By now many of us know this season will be the last for Jay Halstead, and the premiere was another swift punch to the gut for fans of the character. He’s covering for Voight, siding with him in ways he hasn’t ever before, trying to save him from himself even though we have seen time and time again the man just can’t be saved. He doesn’t want to be.
Jay has done some questionable things in the past, much like everyone in the unit, but he’s someone who has always been somewhat of the moral compass on the team too. He takes the lead when needed, does things the right way, but as we saw in the premiere, he is jeopardizing all of that and who he really is. He’s falling in line and not questioning things the way he used to, the way he should, and it’s devastating as a fan to watch him change into this version of himself we all swore he’d never become. One thing I kept going back to was something Jay said in last season’s fall finale to Agent North, “Everyone changes everyone.” While that may have been written before Jesse Lee Soffer’s exit from the show, it’s ringing true now more than ever, and we’re about to find out just how heavy the weight of those words really are.
In a twisted way, it all works out perfectly because this is what the writers wanted, isn’t it? A setup that makes some kind of sense to the fans when Jay’s last episode airs, even though him leaving will never make sense to me at all, (I might still be just a smidge in denial about that). It’s possible this is a setup being made with the utmost intention, to reaffirm for viewers that Jay Halstead IS the heart of Intelligence, and he won’t let his character be corrupted any more than it has already. Time will tell.
But in the meantime, Hailey is doing everything she can to make sure her husband and partner isn’t dragged through the mud any further. She is questioning things and calling out the behavior of both Jay and Voight, but all throughout the episode her concerns seem to be ignored. Voight belittles her, invalidates her feelings entirely, and while Jay listens, he doesn’t quite hear her.
The tension thickens, emotions are high, and by the end of the hour, we’re left with not only concern for Jay’s character, but maybe even for his relationship with his wife too. Hailey and Jay promised forever to one another and they are supposed to be good – always be good, and even though Voight says they aren’t each other’s keepers, Hailey and Jay most certainly are for one another. That’s kinda what the whole in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy thing means, and this whole situation has become just about as sorrowful as it can get.
There is still a bright spot in all of this, however small it may be given the circumstances, and that is Dante Torres, (Benjamin Levy Aguilar). We first met Torres last season when he was plucked out of the academy and joined Intelligence as a loan out officer. He’s pulled in once again by Jay and goes undercover, and with Aguilar being bumped to a series regular now, it seems Torres will be sticking around for a while. Let’s hope so anyway. New folks at District 21 don’t have a very good track record for sticking around.
Another thing we need to consider is the new chief of the CPD, who seems to be a no-nonsense kinda guy, and while he certainly gave some sketchy vibes, I’m a little curious to see if he’ll be a friend or foe throughout this new season. Who knows, maybe he’ll be the one to finally reign in Voight and his ludicrous behavior.
Haven’t we seen this film before? Season after season? Voight does something reckless, and the team either picks up the slack or is left to clean up the mess – usually both. He barks out his orders because what he says, goes. Jay was right – him and the team will always pay the cost for Voight.
We are ten seasons in, and we have yet to see Voight evolve from who he was in the pilot. While things have definitely changed over the last ten years, he sure hasn’t. He is still playing dirty and breaking the rules with no concern for others or even himself, and because of the lack of character growth, the show has become stagnant with its predictable storytelling. Chicago PD is not what it used to be, the way it captivated the audience with its complex cases and personal relationships. It’s lost its appeal in some ways and the excitement is staggering. With the impending exit of Halstead, the current mental state of Voight, and Upton and the rest of the team being stuck in the middle of all of it, I think it’s gonna be a long season for all of us.
What did you think of the season premiere? Do you think Voight will change Halstead even more than he seemingly has already? Let us know in the comments!
Chicago PD airs Wednesdays on NBC.
