Chicago PD recap
Here are my thoughts on the Chicago PD midseason finale “Absolution” :
Upstead
Chicago PD surprisingly kicked off their episode with some subtle Upstead flirting. Hailey has followed Jay to see where he had been sneaking off to (turns out it was to help out Marcus West’s family).
She warned him about his mission, but he reassured her that he’d be okay. Yeah, if only he knew what was to come.
Because not soon after, Jay had to bail on a crime scene to go see Angela (Marcus’ wife) again. Hailey, being the nice partner that she is, covered for him, so he could leave. When Voight asked her what was up, she told him Halstead was simply working some things out.
Later in the day when Jay doesn’t show up for court, Platt comes up to the district to ask where he is. Voight immediately checks with Hailey first, as being the one Jay is closest to, she may know his whereabouts. She had no idea where he was, as she had just gotten done leaving not one or two, but three voicemails on his phone.
I personally enjoyed her line of at two “I’m annoyed”; but 3 “I’m worried.” She’s such a work wife I love that for her.
But anyhow. So they find Halstead’s car, and after Upton tells Rojas to check it (because obviously she knows Jay’s truck hehehe), they find he went under without telling anyone. They go inside the house to find lots of blood, but no Jay. And no Angela. Yikesarama, as Jesse Lee Soffer would say...
Well, Hailey knows she needs to come clean, so she tells Voight about who Angela really is. Armed with this new info, they go to work to track down people involved with Angel, & that are connected to the drug dealer who was tortured in their earlier call (the one Jay left from in a hurry).
They start putting pieces together, which unsurprisingly lead to Darius Walker. Voight makes a deal and Darius agrees to infiltrate Kevin with Pedro, the guy they know helped run the drugs. Pedro lets Kevin (undercover name, Keyshawn) talk to Jay (known as “Jimmy” to Angela) so we know he’s okay for now.
All the while, wherever the heck Jay and Angela are, he’s trying to keep her spirits up. Things get pretty painful fast though, not only physically (Angela’s stabbed in the abdomen; Jay is bleeding profusely from his head & his face has been beaten), but emotionally too in terms of conversation.
Jay finally came clean and told Angela how he really met Marcus. In prison. Because he’s the cop who arrested him. Cue the dramatic music...
An important scene
Despite this slightly good prospect, the team still has to do the exchange of Angela and Jimmy (Jay) for the drugs. Kevin meets with Pedro, who — big shock (note the sarcasm please) — doesn’t have Angela or Jay to trade off.
A shootout ensues, which led Voight to taking down one guy with a shot to the leg (which I always find entertaining when he shoots someone up. He just never ever hesitates. He gives zero fucks).
Hailey Upton tackles him down, demanding to know where her partner is. “You better hope to God he’s alright,” she scowls at the suspect. Yeah, remind me never to mess with Hailey Ann Upton. She is a freaking badass. Love it!
They play another move in their little chess game by bringing Pedro’s son in. But a significant scene happens right before then that really solidified what Rick Eid said about Hailey’s feelings surrounding Jay’s kidnapping.
Hailey is seen on the phone, wondering where the heck the boy is. You can hear her voice breaking on the end of the call with the lockup people; and you can feel her desperation when she chucks her coffee mug in the sink in frustration.
Adam heats the commotion and comes to lend a shoulder — cough cough, how it should have been in 602, but I digress - and reminds Hailey that they are gonna find Jay.
“Gotta do something,” she says sadly. You see her wipe some tears away and run a hand over her eyes, signaling just how much this is weighing on her.
When the boy shows up; they use him as leverage against the dad and they get what they need. An address. Jay, they’re coming for ya buddy!
The shocking end
What truly made Chicago PD stand out amongst the rest of the finales was their twist ending.
Jay had managed to wrangle himself free of his piped restraints & gave Angela a weapon to protect herself while he took down the offender upstairs.
Remember when Jay confessed his real identity? Fans waited on pins & needles, but thankfully Angela did not sell him out. But hold on, we’re not done yet.
Outside, Intwlligence is trying to find a way inside the stash house. The only one who can get in? A teeny tiny Tracy Spiridakos (no seriously, she squeezed through a hole in the window like, yay big...dang). So up goes Hailey — alone, mind you. She’s offline, she’s gone dark. I’m over here worried something’s gonna happen to her. (But it doesn’t).
The good news? SHE FINDS JAY! Hailey runs to her partner, her voice pleading with him to be okay as she asks. Her eyes don’t really wanna know the answer though as she looks him over. Jay looks at her, and you see a literal sigh of relief on his face that she’s here. Because she means safety. She means he’s getting out of there alive.
“Hey.”
“Hey, are you okay?”
He nods, but remembers Angela. He tells her to stay here (such a good work husband he is!), but that he has to go get Angela from downstairs. Hailey remains upstairs while the camera follows Jay down.
What ensues is something I didn’t see coming. Like seriously not in a million years.
Angela, armed with a gun somehow now, shoots Jay. It’s unclear if it’s in the shoulder or more on his chest, but either way, he goes down for the count.
And that — yes THAT — is how the episode ends. A “to be continued” flashes across a black screen & I am a bucket of emotions. Don’t even get me started on that promo.
And that concludes my semi professional recap of Chicago PD. Now allow me to express my fangirl emotions below:
OH MY FUCKING GOD I CANT BELIEVE ANGELA SHOT JAY AND THAT HE WAS RIPPED AWAY FROM HAILEY YET AGAIN AND SHE DOESNT EVEN KNOW HES BEEN SHOT YET MY UPSTEAD HEART CANT TAKE THIS!!!!
Seriously though, can someone give Jesse Lee Soffer an Emmy? Also nominate Tracy Spiridakos for one too please. Thank you. They deserve it.
I just — Hailey’s look she gave Jay before he left. It was the purest most genuine form of love there is. Like it’s not really so much about what kind of love it is; but more so that it happened at all. In all my years of watching this show, I can’t remember a time when Erin gave him that kind of look. Sure, she was relieved when he was alive in 301; but this, this was different.
Hailey was pouring all her emotions into that look. Just like she always has with Jay. And he was doing the same with her. Because that’s what works between them. And this episode showed everyone (like legit, everyone in Intelligence) how much Hailey cares for Jay. Not just in a partner way. But a “I’m gonna do whatever it takes to get him back because I need him in my life as more than that” way. Because it’s true. She needs him. She loves him. And he needs and loves her too. So that’s why Jay has to be okay — because he needs to get back to Hailey so all can be right in the world again. That’s all I can say.
