‘Chicago P.D.’: Jason Beghe & Marina Squerciati on Losing Jay and Jesse Lee Soffer
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Intelligence is about to lose one of its original members, with Jesse Lee Soffer exiting Chicago P.D. after playing Detective Jay Halstead since before the series, now entering Season 10, even premiered. (The character first debuted on Chicago Fire.) So how will the unit be handling the loss? How worried should we be about Sergeant Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) without Jay there to pull him back?
“I’m worried about Jason without having Jesse to pull him back,” Beghe said during a junket to kick off One Chicago’s fall season. “I’ve always said that we’re one organism, so it’s kind of like an amputation for all of us, and it will be a difficult adjustment. I think all of us — probably [Jay’s partner and wife] Upton [Tracy Spiridakos] the most — have to cope with this void and it’s not easy and it will be a difficult thing for all of the characters and for all of the actors.”
Marina Squerciati (Officer Kim Burgess) agreed, though, “it’s not terrible for my character,” referring to the internet joke about how Burgess and Jay don’t talk. “But as an actor and as a friend, I have shed many tears. Jesse is so wonderful in so many ways, I’m really going to miss him,” she said. “The unit will suffer, for sure, but also we have Ben [Levy Aguilar], who’s coming in [as Dante Torres, who debuted last season], new voices, and new dynamics that will ultimately change the unit. And like any job and any relationship, things end and it’ll be interesting and different. We will all miss him.”
Jay’s exit is coming at a time when Voight is entering the season in a pretty bad place after Upton was forced to shoot his CI Anna (Carmela Zumbado) in order to save him. “What’s interesting is that Voight has been somewhat unemotional — unless you include fury,” noted Beghe. Though Voight is “becoming more vulnerable,” the actor admitted, that does make him uncomfortable.
“He’s broken, and he’s lost, and he feels like he’s lost control, and that’s not his comfort zone and so he’s finding ways to try to affect a sense of control, and these kinds of coping mechanisms only work to some degree,” he continued. While he’s having fun playing that onscreen, “it’s creating a problem [for Voight]. He’s not doing his job as well or responsibly.”
Could Season 10 be when we see exes Burgess and Officer Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) finally figure out their relationship? According to Squerciati, the ball’s in her character’s court. “Ruzek has had this outstretched hand for so long, and how long can you have it there with it being continually smacked away before you withdraw? I think this season’s going to be exploring why Burgess is doing that and if she’ll be able to step up.
She concluded, “I think in the second episode, you get some resolution as to will Burgess be able to finally step up or will she take the final step back?”
Chicago P.D., Season 10 Premiere, Wednesday, September 21, 10/9c, NBC
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I am devastated about Jay leaving the show. He made this show. It won’t be the same. I remember seeing him as a kid on one of the soaps. Boy am I old. Won’t say why he’s leaving but like all shows hard to watch a show with your favorite actors leave. God bless Jesse.
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Can people stop blaming Jason now? While I love all of these characters, they're not enough to keep me interested past Jay's exit. This is a huge loss to Chicago P.D./One Chicago. It won't be the same without Jay. I'm not actually worried about how he's written out, or Upstead's marriage, after reading Gwen Sigan's interviews. I'll quietly quit once he leaves, and be done with this franchise.
This feels like more of the same, since it seems to just be a continuation of season 9. There's nothing new here.
1) Anna's presence is still felt through Voight, and he's once again going off on his own.
2) We have another new boss, who Voight will probably clash with all season.
3) There's tension between Voight, Halstead and Upton over Anna's death. If Voight had pulled her out when she asked him to, or at least told her the truth, she might still be alive. She would have trusted him more, and probably listened to him.
4) Jay leaves Intelligence, and the whole unit feels the effects of that. Hailey and Voight will feel it the most, though. We get to see her alone once again, by watching her navigate her life/job without her husband by her side this time. I'm not interested in seeing her traumatized again. I don't think they'll kill Jay off, but that doesn't matter. However he leaves (going overseas; retiring; new job in a different unit, where we just don't see him and she's adjusting to not working with him, etc.), she'll be processing that.
No thanks.
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I wish Haley was leaving. Never have liked her - she is such a hypocrite. Jay was getting on my nerves as well. Love Hank and Rusik. The show will be great without Jay just like it was with him. Maybe you can watch Lindsey’s (the Bush chick who thought she was a big star too) show…oh that’s right, she couldn’t make it either. Oh well GL to you.
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The best one ìs leaving. I don't know how much longer I'll watch after he leaves.
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I’m devastated that Jay is leaving the show. It won’t be the same. I like all the actors but he is my favorite. Please don’t go. 😩
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How will the marriage between Jay and Upton play out? Divorce, death, undercover work........?
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I don't want Jay Halstead to o leave Chicago PD it wouldn't be the same without him, and two Kim Burgess needs to realize now that she deserves better than Adam and breakup with him for good this time. Their romance between is tiredsome. Jay and Hayley has chemistry and the writers needs to keep them together romantically and keep Jesse Lee Soffer on the show.
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Would rather Ruzek was leaving. He's tiresome, at best
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Clearly you don't watch the show. Sigh
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Disagreeing with you means i don't watch the show? Good to know
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He wants Adam Ruzeek to leave the show, because he doesn't like the character.
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