Why ‘Chicago P.D.’ Killed off Reid — How It Set up Voight’s Season 13 Storyline
When One Chicago fans first met Hank Voight (Jason Beghe), it was as the antagonist on Chicago Fire. Then came along Chicago P.D., and we’ve watched him grow — not completely — from the man he used to be who did some shady, dark things. But he returned to that darkness in a major way in the Season 12 finale.
This season of Chicago P.D. saw Intelligence dealing with a corrupt deputy chief, Reid (Shawn Hatosy), who, in the penultimate episode, arranged for the murder of a drug dealer whom Voight was working on flipping and then disbanded the unit and put them under investigation. In the finale, Voight revealed where Reid would be to the drug dealer’s son, who then shot and killed the deputy chief.
“We sort of always knew that when Shawn signed on that it’d be a one-year thing, and what we really envisioned that character as was this funhouse mirror to Voight because that’s really what we wanted him to be. And the idea was he was going to be testing Voight at every single turn and sort of testing, has Voight changed? Has he evolved? Who is he now?” showrunner Gwen Sigan explained to TV Insider.
“And to kind of really test that, we needed to take it sort of as dark as we could make it and make the stakes as high as we could, which you see in the penultimate [episode]. This is the first time that we’re basically kicked out of our offices and are told that it’s all going to be taken apart and basically stripped for pieces. So it brought Voight to that place, and it felt like we wanted to get him to his darkest place and see if he would take the bait and obviously his character did,” she continued. (The only person who could’ve stopped him? The late Olinsky.)
Voight put his plan into action knowing that it would “cost” him Chapman (Sara Bues). When the ADA tries to talk to him in the finale, he tells her, “I don’t get more.” Then, as Reid was dying, he told the sergeant, “You’re worse than me.”
For Sigan, “Reid’s statement is something the audience can question. It’s something that there’s a lot of different ways to look at it. Is it true? Is it not true? And I think it’s going to be rattling around in Voight’s subconscious for a while.”
Now, there’s a question of how that’s going to affect him going forward, and that’s something that will be explored in Season 13. “Who knows what this guy’s going to get up to next year. I mean, he’s definitely in an interesting place and to see how the team is going to react to that because the team has different relationships with him now than years ago. So how is that going to all work out next season?” asks Sigan.
What are you hoping to see next season for Voight? Let us know in the comments section below.
Chicago P.D., Season 13, Fall 2025, Wednesdays, 10/9c, NBC
Intelligence Has Your Back
Get absolutely everything about Chicago P.D. in your inbox!
Conversation11 Comments
Please read the TV Insider Community Guidelines.
Comments are closed on this story.
-
G
That unit is a family with Voight as father. When Voight’s “kids” come under threat, he takes it personally, and deals with the situation himself. That’s why he isolated Nina at the end. She couldn’t help him. He needs the Intelligence Unit. It’s his entire world. The question now is: To what lengths will his unit go to protect him? Is he setting a dangerous precedent for them, and what are the consequences?
12
-
G
I want voight and Nina to be okay like them Together
11
-
G
Poor guy needs some type of companionship in his life. Maybe take the edge off just a bit !!
2
-
-
B
I think the team will help him get back.
He deserves more.
9
-
G
I love the bad Voight, so hopefully he won't become too good as he probably would be if he gets with Nina. Thry are cute together tho. M
5
-
B
I think Voight needs to bang Nina hard. But this show needs to get back to it roots with old character from seasons past . They also need to develop new characters on the team to make up for the loss of Haley and Jay. The fans can’t get past that.
4 1
-
O
To be honest, I like when Voight goes a dark. He is at his best when he does. He brings out the best in his team as well when he is a little dark. In his defense, he always uses his dark side to defend the innocent.
2
-
G
Voight is the heart and soul of the show……his entire team is fantastic and each one is given their moment to shine …..they keep the show exciting, fast-paced, and keep us on the edge of our seats…….the writers make all the difference…..My husband and I love Trudy ‘s character…..she is funny, a close friend to Voight , and lately has taken a role in working with the team……keep up the good work ….find a new love for Voight perhaps ?
2
-
G
When will the show bring Voights' grandson to visit. You can't just cut the grandson and daughter in law completely out of the story line. After all; even Voight needs his grandson. The only connection he has to his son.
3 1
-
B
Love Voight get rid of Nina Voight needs a woman that can go there with him, but then know when to back off.
2 1
-
G
It didn't bother me at all. I loved the way Reid smiled when he realized he'd been outplayed at his own game.
1
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services