Tracy Spiridakos and Jesse Lee Soffer are finally returning to Chicago P.D. after their respective exits led to Upton and Halstead’s shocking split.
NBC announced on Wednesday, February 4, that Spiridakos, 37, and Soffer, 41, are reuniting in the three-part One Chicago crossover special. According to the synopsis for the Wednesday, March 4, episode, Upton “returns to her former stomping grounds, but this time on the federal level as a Special Agent of the FBI.” She “joins her former P.D. allies after a drug enforcement task force case out of her Detroit field office leads her back to Chicago.”
Halstead, for his part, “took a job with the Army in Bolivia, tracking drug cartel targets.” Most recently, “he’s been deep undercover that leads him on a path to the same case that Upton is investigating.”
The upcoming episode marks Soffer’s first onscreen return since his departure during season 10. The actor has since come back to direct three episodes of Chicago P.D. while Spiridakos departed the show in season 11.
“I decided at the end of my sixth season (a.k.a. season 10 of the series),” she told Variety in May 2024. “Which is when I had reached out to [showrunner] Gwen [Sigan] and to everyone at Wolf to let them know that I just wanted to do one more year.”
Spiridakos said the decision was “very, very hard,” adding, “I was just curious what was out there for me and wanted to switch it up, and that was it.”
Halstead and Upton ultimately got a divorce due to their actors’ respective exits. Despite the sad ending on screen, Spiridakos posted a sweet message after Soffer’s exit.
Jesse Lee Soffer as Jay Halstead and Tracy Spiridakos as Hailey. Lori Allen/NBC
“I guess the word is out. Jesse, what can I say, you’re the absolute best. Thank you for your kindness, your guidance and your friendship,” Spiridakos wrote via Instagram in 2022. “You’re the greatest onscreen husband a girl could ask for. I’ll miss being on set with you every day. I can’t wait to see what the world has in store for you next. #upsteadforever.”
Spiridakos and Soffer have since sparked romance rumors but have opted to remain largely tight-lipped about their relationship status. Spiridakos is next set to star on USA Network’s Anna Pigeon.
Soffer, meanwhile, remained in the Dick Wolf world after scoring a role as Wes on FBI: International.
The One Chicago franchise is known for its frequent exits at this point, but Sophia Bush and more stars have not slowed down since walking away from Chicago P.D., Chicago Fire or Chicago Med. Bush, for one, spoke out about her departure from Chicago P.D. after season 4. “I realized that as I was thinking […]
“On [Chicago] P.D., Halstead had a lot of baggage by the end of 10 seasons,” Soffer exclusively told Us Weekly in October 2024 of his former detective character. “There’s someone [who has] gone through a lot of traumatic stuff.”
Soffer teased how Wes was “totally new” with a “different demeanor” and a “different attitude.”
“Obviously, I love Wolf films and they’re near and dear to my heart. To get this opportunity was like, ‘Oh, no, this was not on my radar at all, but OK, let’s do it,’” he recalled. “[There was] no way of predicting it. No way of knowing.”
CBS ultimately canceled FBI: International in March after four seasons.
The One Chicago crossover event airs on NBC Wednesday, March 4, at 8 p.m. ET.
