Warning! Spoilers ahead for FBI: International season 4.
FBI: International’s season 4 premiere shows the storyline thatChicago PDdidn’t after Jay Halstead exited. Jesse Lee Soffer joined theFBI: International season 4 castas Wes Mitchell, a former LAPD officer who is now working with the Fly Team in Budapest. This character is the first major role that Soffer has landed since leavingChicago PDat the end of season 10.Mitchell was supposed to stay only to solve one case but accepted Vo’s suggestion that he takes over leadership of the unit, which is why he’s there now permanently.
Mitchell and Halstead are not supposed to be the same person, which means that Soffer has played two different roles within theOne Chicagouniverse. However, Mitchell has some similarities to Halstead, most notably his willingness to do anything in the name of justice for those he cares about. Mitchell’s backstory is also somewhat similar, though it does one thing thatHalstead’s disappointing exit fromChicago PDfailed to do after Halstead left the unit.
Jesse Lee Soffer’s Wes Mitchell Moves To Take On A New Job In FBI: International
FBI: International’s introduction of Mitchell is in his home environment in Los Angeles, where he is working as an FBI agent and struggling to hold onto a dysfunctional relationship. Theepisode follows him from there to Budapest after his partner was wounded during a gunfight with some robbers who he traced back to Hungary, and throughout the hour he struggled to adjust to Fly Team procedures instead of doing whatever he wants to get the case solved.
Chicago PD Can No Longer Fix Its Worst Character Assassination After Upton’s Exit
After Hailey Upton’s exit, NBC and Wolf Entertainment can never fix Chicago PD’s worst character assassination for an Intelligence member.
This introduction stands in marked contrast with Halstead’s exit. In season 10, episode 2, Halstead decided he was going to go to Bolivia to help catch a cartel leader there, after which he was never seen again. Halstead supposedly moved from Bolivia to elsewhere in the world on another mission, and when it was clear he wasn’t coming back, Hailey divorced him. However, Halstead updates were all given through dialogue and the character never appeared on-screen living his post-Intelligence Unit life.
How Soffer’s Mitchell Is Different From Chicago PD’s Halstead
Despite Some Similarities, They Are Not Supposed To Be The Same Character
Mitchell and Halstead are not the same character, although Mitchell’s backstory of having been an LAPD officer for 10 years seemed like a subtle nod to Soffer’s previous character, considering that he had been inChicago PDfor 10 seasons. Both characters are passionate about justice and protecting the people they love, but Mitchell is far more hotheaded and willing to break the rules for a good cause than Halstead was.Mitchell’s desire to strongarm local police and belief that anything goes in the name of justice for Mike is more similar toChicago PD’s Hank Voightthan to Halstead.
This personal story underscores how insulting Halstead’s exit was to the character, as he kept moving from place to place and virtually abandoned his wife, which didn’t fit the way Halstead was as a husband to Hailey Upton.
FBI: International’s Mitchell is similar toChicago PD’s Halstead in that he left his job and family behind to go to a foreign country. However, Mitchell’s relationship was already on the rocks when he left for Budapest. Had his partner not broken up with him, he likely would have returned Stateside to attempt to work things out after the case ended. This personal story underscores how insulting Halstead’s exit was to the character, as he kept moving from place to place and virtually abandoned his wife, which didn’t fit the way Halstead was as a husband to Hailey Upton.
Filming Halstead’s life after he left the Intelligence Unit would have required Jesse Lee Soffer to returnat least several times more after his character left Voight’s team. This was not possible because Soffer had already decided to leaveChicago PDand thus there was no opportunity to film these post-Intelligence scenes. This is not unusual inChicago PD. TracySpiridakos' character’s fateremains somewhat of a mystery afterUpton leftChicago P.D.and drove away in search of a better job at the end of season 11.
Jesse Lee Soffer has returned to direct two episodes of Chicago PD after he has left the show. But he has never appeared as Jay Halstead since season 10.
Upton’s departure makes it even less likely thatChicago P.D.will ever provide a reasonable explanation for what happened to Jay after he left Intelligence. Now that Upton and her ex-husband are both off-screen, there is no urgent reason to explain Halstead’s absence or even mention him. Thus, Halstead’s post-Intelligence life will always be left up to the audience’s imagination. The actor has moved on and is now starring inFBI: International,so there is no hope whatsoever that Halstead’s character will be redeemed after his exit story.
FBI: International
Cast
FBI: International follows the elite agents of the FBI’s International Fly Team as they travel globally to protect Americans. The series focuses on their complex missions, navigating international law, and challenges posed by various jurisdictions, demonstrating the high-stakes nature of their work.
Chicago P.D.
Chicago P.D.: This police drama, set in Chicago’s District 21, follows the distinct units within the Chicago Police Department—uniformed officers addressing street crimes and an Intelligence Unit tackling major offenses such as organized crime and drug trafficking, capturing the dedication of those who serve and protect their community.
