The police drama is entering the final leg of season 11.
The beginning of the end? Chicago PD has made a point of keeping Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) on the sidelines during season 11, despite the fact that she’s going to be leaving during the finale. It makes sense in that PD likes to focus on different characters in different episodes, but the lack of time spent on Upton has been notable.
Well, it seems as though the character is reclaiming the spotlight. After dominating the season 11 premiere, and co-leading the episode “On Paper,” Upton will drive the upcoming “Buried Pieces.” A synopsis for the episode has not yet been provided, but the promo has been released by NBC, and things look to be predictably grim.
“Buried Pieces” introduces a grim plot
The promo sees Upton come across a little girl who wanders into the police station. Upton asks the girl why she came in, and is told that her mom “doesn’t leave the house.” When Upton asks why, the girl says “he doesn’t let her.” We then get a hard cut to the detective and a squad of officers raiding the house in question. The little girl describes the aforementioned “he” as “the monster.”
Kidnappings have been a bit of a running theme throughout season 11. Upton partnered with SVU detective Josephine Petrovich (Bojana Novakovic) to bring a kidnapper to justice, and prior to that, Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) had to navigate the tragic case of teenager Noah (Bobby Hogan).
The case may be Upton’s last
It’s fitting that the trend continue, and Upton be the one to drive it forward. The character stated that she had lost her passion for the job at the onset of the season, and having her navigate these very grim cases only exacerbates this sense of disillusionment.
Chicago PD only has a few episodes in season 11 left, so it would make sense to hone in on Upton. This case may very well be her last, if the story goes on for more than an episode, or at least lead to the case that will be her last. This, in turn, will eventually explain why she decides to leave the IU. We just wish we didn’t have to wait until May to see it!
