Warning! Spoilers ahead for the Chicago PD season 12 premiere.
Hailey Upton's Chicago PD season 12 replacement gets a devastating fate in the premiere. Just a year after Jesse Lee Soffer's disappointing exit as Jay Halstead, Hank Voight's Intelligence once again had to bid an important character goodbye. Heartbroken, and burned out from what was happening in both her professional and personal life, Tracy Spiridakos' Upton sought to have a fresh start prompting her to leave Chicago. After getting the blessing she wanted from Voight, she moved out of the Windy City for a new adventure. This left Intelligence, however, further undermanned and in desperate need of a new detective.
Chicago PD, like the rest of the whole One Chicago franchise, isn't new to cast changes. Over the years, Voight's Intelligence team has seen its fair share of character departures — some even worse than what happened with Upton. That said, her exit was particularly difficult because of how it impacted the team and its leader. Without her, not only did Voight lose a detective in an already slim team, but he also lost his deputy and closest confidante. So Chicago PD season 12 needed to introduce her replacement, and it did but with a big twist.
Intelligence Replaces Hailey Upton With Emily Martel
Chicago PD Season 12 Starts With Martel Already Part Of Intelligence
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In the Chicago PD season 12 premiere, "Ten Ninety-Nine," Intelligence is back in business working to solve as many cases. While the team has always committed to making sure that they help serve justice as efficiently, the influx of work in the 21st District is motivated by Voight trying to keep himself as busy as possible. Because of this, the rest of the squad has no choice but to follow his pace.
This is where Upton's replacement — Emily Martel is introduced. Not much is known about the character played by Victoria Cartagen, considering that the focus of the episode is on Voight working himself to the ground. That said, by the time the premiere picks up, it has been a month since she joined. Martel appears to also have a previous connection with veteran Intelligence member, Adam Ruzek back when they were still at the Academy.
Chicago Fire Season 13 Kills Emily Martel In The Premiere
Martel Dies In The Line Of Duty
Despite being new, Martel is clearly capable of her job. She also has a great rapport with people who have been in Intelligence for a while, such as Kevin Atwater and Dante Torres. Because Kim Burgess is absent throughout the Chicago PD season 12 premiere, however, it's uncertain what their dynamic is. Unfortunately, before the One Chicago police procedural can even flesh out the character and gauge whether she deserves to be Upton's replacement, Martel is killed. Her death happens at the very end of the Chicago PD season 12 premiere, as she and Ruzek respond to an incident.
The outing ends on a cliffhanger, which means that the aftermath of the incident will be addressed in episode 2. Similar to how Jules' death impacted the team in Chicago PD season 1, expect that there's a bigger case at play here. However, aside from what lies ahead for Intelligence with regard to work, Martel's death also means that Voight will have to choose someone new to fill the spot that Upton vacated. It seems like another challenge for the show, but this story's progress is by design, considering One Chicago's true plan to replace Spiridakos' character.
Martell's Death Paves The Way For Upton's Real Replacement In Intelligence
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After months of speculation, showrunner Gwen Sigan has confirmed that Intelligence will promote one of the officers to be its next detective. This means that the pool of Upton replacement now only has Ruzek, Burgess, and Atwater. Somehow, this makes sense, considering how Voight's team operates. While it has welcomed outsiders in the past, the latest being Torres, there's usually an intricate storyline that leads them to eventually join Intelligence. The news of promotion is great because it has been years since any of the existing squad members moved up in their professional careers.
Ultimately, this is a much better route. Aside from being its most senior member, Upton was also Voigh't's deputy, and that isn't an easy job. It was vital that she was able to call out her superior at times when he was on the cusp of operating beyond legal lines in Chicago PD. Considering Voight's demeanor, he wouldn't listen to a new member just because they have a higher rank than his trusted officers. At the end of the day, he would still be keen on believing Ruzek, Burgess, and Atwater for that.
