I Rewatched Tracy Spiridakos' First Episode Of Chicago P.D. After Upton's Departure, And I Appreciate Her Final Season More Now

A Chicago P.D. era ended with the Season 11 finale in the 2024 TV schedule with the departure of Tracy Spiridakos after seven seasons as Detective Hailey Upton. While fan opinions on how her One Chicago exit went down are likely going to remain mixed despite showrunner Gwen Sigan's comments, Upton got to leave the Intelligence Unit alive and as well as could be realistically hoped, which can't be said for all former members of the team.

As somebody who actually liked Upton's ending of choosing herself and a healthy future outside of the CPD and Windy City, I decided to revisit Spiridakos' very first episode from all way back in 2017. Called "Fagin," it was Episode 21 of Season 4, when Sophia Bush's Erin Lindsay was still leading lady, Olinsky was still alive, and Upstead was all but inconceivable.

I considered binge-rewatching all three episodes of Upton's arc in Season 4 in honor of Spiridakos' exit, but just like I rewatched the first big Upton episode after news broke that the actress was leaving, it felt right to focus on just one and see how it affects my take on her final season. As it turns out, I appreciate it more now. Here's why.

Upton Arrived As One Of The Good Guys

Upton didn't exactly endear herself to the Intelligence Unit immediately upon meeting them and attempting to seize the crime scene for Robbery Homicide, and causing Platt to spill coffee on herself was just an extra offense. But it was clear that she was one of the good guys, and a good detective. I have to contrast with this how Season 11 introduced SVU Detective Jo Petrovic as a barely functioning alcoholic, and even Rojas had a lot to learn about the job back in Season 7. Upton was ready to go in "Fagin," and seeing that that after watching her happy-ish ending in the Season 11 finale really made me feel like her arc went full circle.

The Episode Set Up Her Backstory

I'd definitely forgotten how much of Upton's backstory was revealed in just her debut episode, including the year she'd spent undercover to earn her meritorious promotion to detective and her past with her dad. Sure, the big Season 5 Upton episode with Booth put a bit of a spin on what "Fagin" established about her undercover work, and telling Platt about the incident with her father as a little girl was a far cry from the abuse we'd later learn about, but P.D. established layers early on that were still part of her story up until her very last scene with Voight in Season 11. Again, even if it wasn't planned from the start, Upton being affected by her childhood while on the job came full circle.

Chicago P.D. Found Pairings That Worked

I was somewhat surprised to see that two of the characters Upton interacted with the most in her first episode turned out to be the most important ones to her arc over seven seasons. While Lindsay left, Olinsky died, and Platt didn't get much follow through, Upton had a few notable moments with Halstead and several scenes with Voight. Admittedly, there was no knowing at the time that Upton and Halstead would wind up married or Voight would become her controversial confidant, but those dynamics were key to her storyline over seven seasons for better or worse, and it was fun to revisit how they started.

Lindsay Welcomed Upton

Tracy Spiridakos joined Chicago P.D. at a tense time in the fandom, as her arrival coincided with Sophia Bush's departure as Erin Lindsay. At the time, Bush had not yet opened up about why she decided to leave One Chicago. For some back in 2017, it felt like Spiridakos' Upton was first and foremost a replacement. So, then as now, it really mattered that Lindsay not only welcomed Upton, but invited her into the interview room to interrogate a suspect with her. In fact, Lindsay incorporating Upton into the investigation in "Fagin" reminded me of Upton connecting with Petrovic in Season 11. In a way, she paid it forward.

Upton Got A Good Sendoff

At the end of the day, it can be easy to forget that Upton started out fairly by-the-book, which really wasn't shaken up until a particular episode of Season 5. There were dark days between Episode 21 of Season 4 and the Season 11 finale, with Tracy Spiridakos turning in some fantastically tragic performances. But I maintain that Intelligence wasn't good for Upton in the long run after Halstead left, and seeing who she was in the beginning made me appreciate her decision to leave all the more. I'll miss Upton, but she got a happy ending in my book, so there was no bitterness in seeing how her story started in this rewatch.

That said...

Her Exit Was Still Missing Something

The farewell to Upton in the Season 11 finale was as happy as it realistically could be, after she lost Halstead, had Voight of all people as her confidant, and time had run out for her fortunes to turn around or an Upstead reconciliation. (The eleventh season was shortened due to the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike.)

Rewatching Spiridakos' first episode really reminded me that her final season could have been so much more satisfying if a few changes were made. Of course, I would have enjoyed if Upton and Halstead could have repaired their relationship and rode off into the sunset together; that's practically a given for as many times as I've written the phrase "What's up with Upstead" over the years. Since Chicago P.D. is generally not a show with fairy tale endings, it was sweet to see their earliest reactions again.

But I'd totally forgotten how powerful the scene between Upton and Platt was in "Fagin" until this rewatch, and I wish that Season 11 had given them some more meaningful time together. Tracy Spiridakos even pitched more time with Upton and Platt when she spoke with CinemaBlend back in Season 9.

Self-indulgently, I also would have loved to see a sequel of sorts to "Ghosts" as the first big Upton episode, which never would have aired in the first place if Tracy Spiridakos didn't fit in with the cast in Season 4. Booth was a great villain for her, and she never did fully get closure on the death of the man she'd loved when they were undercover.

All in all, I'm glad that I rewatched "Fagin" as Tracy Spiridakos' first episode of Chicago P.D., and may soon rewatch the final two episodes of her Season 4 arc for good measure. The full series so far is available streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription, so finding the episodes isn't hard to do!