Jesse Lee Soffer is back in the mix after leaving in season 10.
There’s something brewing on the set of Chicago PD. Tracy Spiridakos posted a series of behind the scenes photos on her Instagram account, and among the familiar cast and crew faces was someone we did not expect to see in the mix during season 11: Jesse Lee Soffer.
That’s right, Jay Halstead himself. Soffer can be spotted in the very first photo of the post, and appears to be wearing headphones around his neck. It makes sense, to a degree, that the former Chicago PD star would pop up, given that he’s dating Spiridakos in real life, but its the additional details about his involvement that have us putting on our speculation caps.
Jesse Lee Soffer popped up on the PD set
According TV Insider, Soffer will be directing the 12th and penultimate episode of season 11. This is the second time that he’s directed a PD episode, with the first being after his exit in season 10. This announcement was supported by an IG post made by producer Brian Luce, in which Soffer can be seen sitting on a director’s chair.
The timing is definitely interesting, as the final episodes of the season will undoubtedly deal with the exit of Spiridakos’ character, Hailey Upton. Halstead and Upton divorced offscreen, and fans have been under the assumption that we will not be getting a reunion between them anytime soon (aka ever), but Soffer’s involvement in the creative process is forcing some reconsideration.
Soffer will direct the penultimate S11 episode
While TV Insider does state that Soffer is only going to be involved in a directorial capacity, it would be one heck of a surprise if he stepped back into character as Halstead, to give both Upton and the fans a sense of closure before Upton moves on to the next chapter of her life.
Soffer has previously stated that he would be open to returning to PD if the situation was right, and based on the fact that he’s returned twice to direct episodes, his relationship with the showrunners and producers is strong. He told Variety:
“I still love Halstead. Halstead’s always going to be in my blood. That’s never going to change… Never say never.”
The smart money is on Halstead NOT making an appearance, but we can still keep our fingers crossed that we get to see the character one more time before Upton leaves!
