Amid questions about Hailey Upton's replacement, Chicago PD season 13's latest police officer is revealed in a brand new behind-the-scenes image. Just a season after Chicago PD's last big exit with Jesse Lee Soffer's Jay Halstead, Intelligence once again went through another massive loss in the season 12 finale when Upton bade her farewell. Tracy Spiridakos entered One Chicago after Erin Lindsey's departure, but while she wasn't an original character, she quickly became a fan-favorite. This makes it tricky to find her successor.
On her Instagram, Toya Turner debuts the first look at her Chicago PD season 12 character, Kiana Cool, who is a brand-new police officer. Check out the image below:
In the image, Turner is dressed as a police officer on duty. She's in a patrol car, suggesting that she's filming exterior scenes when the Chicago PD season 12 set image is taken.
How Turner’s Cool Impacts Chicago PD Season 12’s Story
More Platt Stories May Be Coming In Chicago PD Season 12
Turner's casting in Chicago PD season 12 comes as the show searches for its next Intelligence member. Considering Cool's rank when she officially debuts in the police procedural, it's highly likely that Wolf Entertainment and NBC are still in the process of figuring out who will fill the void that Upton left when she decided to move out of Chicago. Aside from being the most veteran member of the team, it's also worth noting that Spiridakos' character became extremely close to Hank Voight in recent years, which is making the process extra difficult.
While she isn't part of Intelligence (yet), Cool's arrival will bring some big and necessary changes to Chicago PD season 12. For starters, Toya's casting signals the return of patrol officer stories which were once integral to the One Chicago series. Both Kim Burgess and Kevin Atwater started as uniformed personnel until Voight essentially promoted them to be part of his team upstairs in the precinct. Since then, that aspect of the show slowly died down. Secondly, Cool's introduction could lead to more Trudy Platt-centered stories, which is a much-needed change, considering how great her character is.
Ultimately, Turner joining Chicago PD season 12 is a great way to reinvigorate the series. Dick Wolf's One Chicago franchise is entering a particularly exciting year, with all shows under the banner emerging from some massive changes. Cool may not be Upton's replacement, but she can be an integral character in bringing the police procedural back to its glory days.
