Fall 2023 didn’t feel the same without One Chicago Wednesdays. Due to the double Hollywood strikes, new episodes of Chicago P.D. were pushed until 2024. With the new year just around the corner, One Chicago fans want all the latest details about Chicago P.D. season 11.
The new season already has a premiere date, thankfully. Ahead of season 11, it was announced that a main cast member would be leaving the long-running NBC series. Hollywood Life has all the news and updates about Chicago P.D. season 11 that you need to know.
When Will ‘Chicago P.D.’ Return?
Chicago P.D. season 11 will premiere on January 17, 2024, at 10 p.m. ET on NBC. The series is part of NBC’s 2024 midseason lineup. Chicago P.D. season 11 was delayed until 2024 due to the writers’ and SAG-AFTRA strikes that impacted production.
As it has seasons before, Chicago P.D. season 11 will close out the One Chicago trifecta on Wednesdays. Chicago Med season 9 will start the night off at 8 p.m. ET, followed by Chicago Fire season 12 at 9 p.m. ET.
Who Is Leaving ‘Chicago P.D.’ in Season 11?
Chicago P.D. is facing another major cast departure. Tracy Spiridakos, a.k.a. Hailey Upton, will be leaving the show after season 11. It’s unknown how many season 11 episodes Tracy will star in.
Tracy made her first appearance on Chicago P.D. in season 4. She was bumped up to series regular in season 5 and has become a crucial member of the Intelligence family.
On the show, Upton is married to her former partner Jay Halstead. Jesse Lee Soffer left Chicago P.D. in season 10. Halstead decided to resign from his Intelligence position and join the Army in hunting down cartels in Bolivia. By the end of season 10, Halstead had yet to return to Chicago and had stopped returning Upton’s calls. It’s unclear whether or not Jesse will return for Tracy’s final episode, or if Upton will leave to be with Halstead full-time.
In a March 2023 interview, Jesse told Hollywood Life exclusively that he wasn’t ruling out returning to the show. “Never say never. I don’t know. I don’t believe there’s any plans for it right now,” Jesse said. “I certainly haven’t heard anything, but never say never. I wouldn’t be opposed to it. But I’m definitely excited to be opening this new chapter, so to speak, and directing and learning this new craft, which is awesome.”
Is ‘Chicago P.D.’ Getting a New Member?
With Tracy’s exit on the horizon, many have been wondering if Chicago P.D. will be adding another member to Intelligence in her absence. NBC has not announced any major casting news yet for season 11.
Cast members have come and gone over the years — Sophia Bush’s Erin Lindsay, Jon Seda’s Antonio Dawson, and Elias Koteas’ Alvin Olinsky, to name a few. As of December 2023, the main cast for season 11 includes Jason Beghe as Hank Voight, Patrick John Flueger as Adam Ruzek, Marina Squerciati as Kim Burgess, LaRoyce Hawkins as Kevin Atwater, Amy Morton as Trudy Platt, and Benjamin Levy Aguilar as Dante Torres.
What Will Happen in ‘Chicago P.D.’ Season 11?
The Chicago P.D. season 10 finale ended with a jaw-dropping cliffhanger. Ruzek’s life was left hanging in the balance after he was shot in the stomach while on the job. His fate was left unknown as the credits rolled. He was being rushed into emergency surgery.
Ruzek spent a chunk of season 10 undercover investigating a white supremacist. If he survives, Ruzek will likely spend the beginning of season 11 recovering from his injury and dealing with the aftermath of his time undercover.
The season 11 premiere is titled “Unpacking.” Upton will be shadowing a crisis prevention team and will discover that her “approach to policing [is] at odds with the team’s mental health clinician,” according to TVLine. This case will unearth Upton’s “personal struggles.”
Showrunner Gwen Sigan teased Upton’s journey in season 11 ahead of the character’s exit. “We find her at the start of this season in a precarious place; wanting to move her life forward after finally taking off her ring, finding that it’s more difficult than she’d like,” Gwen revealed to TVLine. “There’s a lot she still has to confront in herself and doesn’t necessarily know how to do so.”