Chicago P.D. 9×08 “Fractures” lives up to the name, by establishing what feels like the kind of fracture that can never be repaired. From where I’m standing, there’s no coming back. This is the beginning of the end of the Intelligence unit as we’ve known it for nine seasons. And honestly, as I’ve said repeatedly during the last few episodes, it’s about damn time.
All the arguments about Hank Voight being a compelling character, and the show needing an antagonist ring hollow nine seasons in. Cops shows always need an antagonist, and they get one, every single episode. There doesn’t need to be a full time one. And though the Intelligence unit was indeed set up as the group that went above and beyond, no matter what, we’re not in the same world we lived in when this show started – for the better.
Sure, so much of the same problems still exist. But there’s certainly an awareness of them that wasn’t there before. And that’s especially true when it comes to the police department.
Let me get this out of the way first, Hank Voight isn’t just a cop that straddles the line in the pursuit of justice. He isn’t someone who once took things too far to get justice. He’s a crooked cop who has consistently used the system to his advantage, who has killed for revenge more times than I can count, and who has never met a rule he wasn’t willing to break. Redemption? We’re way past that. And that’s exactly where we should be.
Chicago P.D. 9×08 “Fractures” ends on a cliffhanger, but at the same time, is it really one? What can Jay do but help bring down Voight? He’s already fallen in line with Voight to save Hailey, there’s nothing to make me think he won’t do the exact opposite, which is probably what he wanted to do in the first place, to save her. And honestly, there’s nothing to make me think the show isn’t willing to finally make the sacrifice it needs to make to be able to hold its head up high and tell stories about the police in a way that doesn’t feel hypocritical in 2021.
What comes now is what I’ve been asking for, hoping for and yes, predicting since the beginning of the season. Because if Jay is going to help the FBI take down Voight, well, he’s hopefully going to have to involve the team at some point. If not, things are going to turn ugly when Voight goes down. And Voight will go down. Voight is constitutionally incapable of doing his work without making questionable at best, criminal at worst, calls. That’s who he is. It’s who he’s always been.
Chicago P.D. is just done turning a blind eye to it.
This is it; this is a storytelling corner. Before, there were ways out of it. Ways for Voight, Hailey and Jay to come out of this and continue with their work. Ways for this show to continue being what it’s been so far. After this episode, that’s all done. And typically, shows don’t write themselves into corners without knowing how to get out of them. The pieces are in place. Now, all we need is to figure out how we get to check-mate.
But though this episode seems to be the beginning of the end for Hank Voight, this episode also proves that the heart of Chicago P.D. isn’t and has never been the crooked cop at the head of the Intelligence Unit. Sure, some might mourn his departure, when it comes, but this team doesn’t need him. This show doesn’t need him.
It has Kim Burgess. It has Adam Ruzek. It has Kevin Atwater. It has Trudy Platt. And yes, it has Hailey Upton and Jay Halstead, who in this episode face the defining moment of their relationship so far, and as payoff for all the angst we get …validation. Reassurances. Love. Commitment.
Relationships are hard. They take effort. And as I’ve said before, they’re not just about love, they’re about choices. Despite how hard it’s been, the last few weeks have been about Jay and Hailey choosing each other, once again. And in Chicago P.D. 9×08 “Fractures,” they reaffirm that choice by putting it into words. Because when push comes to shove, Jay doesn’t want to live in a world without Hailey, and Hailey is only willing to entertain this fight if she knows Jay will be by her side.
That’s what it comes down to. The silence, the tension, the space …is all in the past. Hailey and Jay are partners, and they’re in this fight. The fight of their lives. The fight to be able to take that next step, and the one after that. Together. Jay will fight for Hailey – no matter what he must do. And Hailey, she will fight for Jay, because she has finally found that one person who will not abandon her when things get rough. Who will stick by her side, and figure it out, somehow. And Hailey is going to hold on with both hands and never, ever let go.
Forever. It’s a thing now. It’s out in the world. Forever.
And if that’s what the show is going to be from now on, the two of them supporting each other, Kim and Adam learning to be parents and cops as they make their way back to each other, Kevin getting a love interest, and maybe some, interesting characters coming into the unit, so be it. I’m ready for this next step in the Chicago P.D. journey.
Things I think I think:
- Two episodes in a row with Voight intros? What have I done to deserve this?
- The way Jay and Hailey are so synchronized will never not give me a thrill.
- Also, can we also get a thing proving Jay remembers he has a brother? For me?
- “If we stick together,” my ass.
- Did this guy really say “Thank you for your sacrifice” to Kim?
- Is he a robot?
- And is the doctor delivering the news to the girls a robot too?
- They could have a done a more fun episodes focusing on the interrogations, a la NCIS: Los Angeles last week. Just saying.
- Just thinking about the fact that Voight, Hailey and Jay are in this together gives me a headache.
- JAY
- HALSTEAD
- TALKING
- ABOUT
- MARRIAGE
- “Do you think I should turn myself in?”/”No”
- Glad they made it THIS explicit.
- I wanted more, but I’ll take this. I absolutely will.
- The boss ass way Hailey handled that interview. I shouldn’t be cheering for her giving the FBI the workaround, but dang it, she’s the best.
- “Can you come home to me now, please?”/”That’s all I want.”
- AND THE I LOVE YOUs.
- Upstead IS that couple.
- One of the best things about this convo is that it feels like this truly follows through from last episode. Hailey kept a secret, they had a talk when Jay found out, Jay shut down, Hailey confronted him and then …Jay paused, processed, and reassessed his attitude because the truth is, they work better together. That’s some A+ relationship stuff right there.
- Also, man, adorable Hailey at home is my aesthetic.
- They found Roy. Now this is getting interesting.
- FBI guy has been around for 5 minutes, but he already knows Jay is a good guy and loves Hailey. WE LOVE TO SEE IT.
- HELP HIM, JAY.
- HELP HIM.
- Voight Defense Squad, where you at? Because this is exactly what you said I was crazy for suggesting would happen.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Chicago P.D. 9×08 “Fractures”? Share with us in the comments below!
Chicago P.D. airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC.
You made yourself laugh when you mention that this show has Kim, Adam, Kevin and Trudy remind the writers
I will admit that I let this show and Magnum P.I. become very important to me because of how they portray veterans in a positive light and saws how we can make positive contributions to our communities. Also they both show veterans having stable positive relationships. It hit home again yesterday when another veteran (Kenneth Santiago) killed himself on the national mall in front of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. On average 20 veterans commute suicide each day and so to me and other veterans I personally know who watch the shows, it’s important to see positive representation. This all leads me to the fact that Jay & Hailey together is of supreme importance to me personally. Jay acting like himself again was a great relief because the writers had him acting completely out of character the last few episodes. Every interaction with Hailey this episode was perfectly in line with his previous actions, and yes they are back in perfect sync again. They move as if tethered together at the waist by a rope. Hailey’s statement about forever being a long time however gave me pause, but I know it must have been important to get clarity from Jay about forgiving her for lying to him. As for Voight I understand your desire your desire to have his charter written off. I too want to see the show reflect what should be happening in the actual police forces around the country. I however don’t see them writing anyone off the show. Additionally whomever is writing the show right now continues to write these individuals out of character, first Jay, now Voight. There is no way Voight would have left Roy’s body there after it took Jay two minutes to figure out how to track Voight movements and go looking. If Jay did it, someone else could too. Voight has been around too long and squirmed his way out of too many situations to just hope that no one else would put two and two together like Jay did. Especially since there was an investigation. So the FBI should have never found that body. Big whole in the story because he has already removed a body from the silos before when he killer his sons murderer. Now Jay is put in an impossible position, because even if he agrees to help take Voight down it will mean admitting that he and Hailey committed several felony’s. While the FBI could make deals with Jay & Hailey to keep them out of jail, they would not be able to remain police. The show would be over for all three of them, so unless they are all leaving the show the writers must have some outlandish way of getting them all out of this situation. The most interesting thing to me will be seeing how Kim reacts to knowing that Roy is dead. Will she feel relief and not care about how it happened or will she feel rage because the three of them kept it from her? I also want to see more of Trudy because she is so underutilized, as is Kevin.
My favorite show, take out Hank!! I’m done watching.. I can watch soap opera on Chicago fire,😡
Tired of Jay an Hailey soap opera. Give them a daytime show. Move on from them. Let Kevin, Kim, an Ruzek and the desk sargeant more opertunies to shine. I love this show!
No Voight. No damn show. What the hell kind of article is this shit!! Jay and Hailey have really gotten on my nerves. Has the author of the show forgotten that Hailey practically ordered the hit on Darius Walker?? Hailey killed Roy. Hank is the best thing going for this show. Seriously without him the show would be nothing.
Voight has been deciding who lives and who dies for one decade, and he’s never been held responsible for it! Always an innocent paid for his sins (did you forget Al?) In Roy’s death, he was solely responsible, because he could have taken him into custody! Would give relief to Sam Miller, who is anguished to do justice for her son! And do you know what I thought the worst part of Voight? He’s sympathetic to her pain, comparing it to the his son’s death! How could he do that? If he had already done “justice” by killing and burying the Justin’s killer? And Al being punished for it, have you forgotten? I don’t! I think it’s time for Voight to answer for his mistakes! I’m sick of it!😡😡
Voight is Chicago PD don’t see him being written off, is he unconventional? yes does he hop between the lines of legal and illegal? yes but the whole premise of the show is just that a cop willing to do anything to get justice! Every single member of that unit has done something illegal. Jay turning on Voight to help the FBI would be reckless voight at this point is guilty of hiding the body Hailey actually pulled the trigger there’s no way she should get immunity for that and all the other things she’s done and let’s not forget that her character is very similar to Voight’s. Turning on Voight will probably lead to an investigation on the whole unit or atleast it should. The episodes this season all seem to lead towards and end for the unit but the show has one more season makes no sense to get rid off the main character. In terms of the hailey and jay relationship over them since before they were even a thing, they’re boring and lack spark and chemistry, honestly Jay’s behavior this season is annoying and it’s all because of the relationship with Hailey…One of them should be the one to leave, possibly Jay his character in my opinion has plateaued, all his episodes seem to center around the relationship with Hailey..JMO
I’m ready for voight character be written off the show. This is one of my favorite shows, it will be even better without voight.
I agree with you and I loved your review. Also, I do love Hailey so much. She is the best! Thank you for sharing your toughts with us.
We will find out DNA doesn’t match!
I absolutely love Voight. I watch the show because of him. If he’s written off I’m not watching it. I want to see justice at least in the movies. We live in a society where criminals have more rights then upstanding citizens 😡
Make it easier to find the comment box. When they got rid of the first crooks Voight was working for they lost the momentum to eventually get him out of the show. Without Hank there just isn’t a good enough storyline cuz Burgess and Adam don’t want to go back together. They need to do something for Atwater. That whole burial thing has been done before when the got rid of Al which they shouldn’t have. They can can blame him and think they know he did it but it’s not gonna work. The ficus has always been about him
I agree. Take Hank out…im done..There is no show without Hank. Losing Erin hurt…losing Al hurt..and i miss Antonio prob the most. But there is no way you can get rid of Hank..may as well just cancel the show.
I dont know who would in there right mind would even speak on taking out the lead character sergeant hank voight? He is the one who fights for his team him and adam, yes i think he is wrong for barrying the jerks body but he was sticking up for his people!! Let the get rid of the other cop who has been an asswipe since the beginning of the show
Getting rid of Bought would be a huge mistake. Lots of viewers would be lost. Chicago PD always has lots of plot twists and turns and this need to be another major one. Make it happen! Keep Bought, Jay and Hailey, get rid of the robotic, boring FBI guy (by any means necessary)!
Totally disagree. There is no ChicagoPD without Voight. Jay’s holier then everyone attitude is getting old and the way they have changed Hailey from a tough cop into a panic attack cry baby is sickening. Hailey was o.k. with being shady when she had Darius Walker killed and when she hid drugs in the guys car. Jay was o.k. with being shady when he was pretending to be someone else with Angela, the wife of the guy that got killed in jail or when he went off the deep end after the fire that killed his father. It’s TV anything can happen but the odds of them getting rid of Voight right now are slim to none.
As a previous poster indicated, if Jay cooperates with the FBI, Jay and Hailey would no longer be police. The show is not losing 3 characters. I see 2 ways out. 1) The Intelligence Unit works to frame a dead man for Roy’s death, Roy’s friend. They do not have to conclusively prove this. They just have to make a strong enough case that no prosecutor could bring charges against Hank or Hailey. 2) Hank turns himself in. North tells him “I don’t want to arrest you. I will give you immunity for Roy’s death if you work as my CI to take down your friends from the social club.” Scenario 1 is most likely and what I expect. Scenario 2 could lead to some very interesting possibilities.
Without Hank Voight you have no show and I would no longer be a fan of CPD. He has made lots of mistakes as all people with tough jobs do. He has shown kindness in situations that surprised me. Hank is a complex character, not many actors could be believable in this important role.