The Chicago P.D. Season 4 Scene That Went Too Far
Inviting viewers to hit the mean streets of Chi-town each week alongside the detectives and uniformed cops of the city's vaunted 21st District squad, "Chicago P.D." has been a reliable ratings generator for NBC since it debuted in 2014 (via TV Series Finale). During its nine-season run, the series has seen the elite crime-fighters of the department's Intelligence Unit tackle everything from a Colombian drug cartel to city-wide gang warfare to serial killers, arsonists, and other high-profile offenders.
As with any network series in the police procedural genre that manages to keep audiences faithfully tuning in week after week for nine years, the series boasts a popular ensemble cast of relatable characters for viewers to root for and follow. Highlighted by regulars like Intelligence Unit leader Hank Voight (Jason Beghe), Detective Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer), and Officers Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) and Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger), the series appears in no danger of losing steam, earning a respectable 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. But that being said, not every episode or storyline always clicks with fans, and we're taking a quick look at the one development on "Chicago P.D." in Season 4 that seems to have gone too far.
Sophia Bush's Season 4 exit from Chicago P.D. was a shock
Entering the "One Chicago" slate of shows in a 2013 episode of "Chicago Fire," Sophia Bush's Intelligence Unit Detective Erin Lindsay first turned up on "Chicago P.D." in the series' pilot episode, "Stepping Stone," in 2014. Working cases alongside her 21st District teammates in a total of 84 episodes, Bush's character combined the vulnerability of a woman with a troubled past with the determination of someone committed to forging a better future for herself by achieving her detective's badge.
During her four seasons on the show, Bush earned a reputation as a competent, street-wise investigator and quickly became a true fan favorite. But as it turns out, the Season 4 finale would be Bush's last appearance on the show, leaving loyal Lindsay fans in the lurch after her unexpected exit.
Posting on Reddit about this unwelcome plot twist, u/theghostwhorocks said they were caught off guard by the beloved star's departure, writing, "She's such an integral character on the show. The relationship between her and Voight, stuff with her and Halsted [sic], the multiple arcs building her up and her backstory...losing that is a huge blow."
Redditor u/chickenwinged also felt severely disappointed at her departure, writing, "Whaaaat.. she was basically the main character and her and Hank's relationship [is] a huge part of the series. I'm shocked." So while the show continues to perform strongly in her absence — it's been renewed for a 10th season (via Deadline) — this was the one development in Season 4 of "Chicago P.D." that some fans thought was simply beyond the pale.