I was a Linstead fan. Enough of one that I didn’t feel there was anything for me on Chicago PD when Erin left, especially when the rumors about the reasons why she left started coming out. And I will admit, the stories about the set still worry me. Higher profile actors sometimes have the luxury of leaving bad situations when lesser known actors can’t.
But hopefully, this set has improved. Hopefully Tracy (and Marina) are getting the respect and support from everyone. Hopefully the people behind the scenes and actors have learned from the mistakes of the past – or at least they’re being held accountable for them.
And hopefully we can have the ship we deserve, finally moving forward, together.
Chicago PD did everything right in setting up Upstead, something I will admit I didn’t think they could do. My main criticism is that, at times, it feels like they did too little to differentiate the two storylines – Linstead and Upstead’s, repeating some of the same beats, some of the same decisions. But this is a procedural, and though I think this is a valid criticism, I will admit they did a great deal to differentiate the two characters, which I truly appreciate.
The relationships aren’t anywhere near the same, and that makes it so I can still appreciate what was in the past, and enjoy what’s the present – and future.
Now the show needs to be careful with it.
It just happened. Hailey and Jay literally kissed at the end of yesterday’s episode. There’s so much more to figure out, so much more to establish as the show tries to decide how the relationship progresses, and what these two can be going forward, together. But hopefully the show will now take a page out of the good moments of Linstead, and the good example set by some other procedurals.
They already took a while to get here. No need to make it too complicated as the show embarks on the next chapter in this journey.
Fans have been waiting for a long time for this, and they don’t want to be jerked around. Will they/Won’t they can only carry you so far, and this is it. You’ve made a commitment, not it’s time to respect it.
We’re not asking for the impossible here. In fact, we’re not even asking for something hard. NCIS: LA has made Densi work for not one season, not three, but going on seven. Kensi and Deeks are also partners. They have also had to contend with what that means in regards to working together, with possible job changes, with marriage, and even with the idea of starting a family. And there’s still going strong, and more importantly, so is the show.
The Moonlighting Curse is not a thing.
Upstead deserves a chance to find their footing, to figure out how to conduct themselves after this change. They deserve the good moments, quiet, domestic, happy, and the bad, sad, and rough moments. They deserve to go through all of those together, to grow and to change and to get stronger as a unit.
But that’s not all fans deserve. We also deserve for Tracy to get what Sophia couldn’t, a show, and an environment that protects her, that puts her first. We deserve for this show to prove to us that the same mistakes will not be repeated. And we deserve to get a storyline for Hailey that’s about being in an emotionally stable and fulfilling relationship, while still kicking ass.
Women can have that. Women can have everything. And we deserve to see it in the entertainment we consume.
You gave us Upstead. Now treat it with care. Treat Hailey Upton with care. The actress deserves that. The show deserves that.
We deserve that.
Chicago PD airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC.
