The Revolving Door: 3 Shocking Replacements For Hailey Upton In Chicago P.D.'s Intelligence Unit
Contents
The Succession Crisis: A Complete Biography of Upton's Replacements
The departure of Tracy Spiridakos’s character, Hailey Upton, at the end of Season 11 created the biggest vacancy in the Intelligence Unit since Sophia Bush’s exit as Erin Lindsay. What followed was a swift and dramatic succession of new characters, each with a brief but impactful tenure.- Detective Hailey Upton (Played by Tracy Spiridakos)
- Role: Detective in the Intelligence Unit, replacing Erin Lindsay.
- Tenure: Season 4 (guest) - Season 11 (series regular).
- Departure: Left the Intelligence Unit at the end of Season 11. The actress has since secured a lead role in the upcoming USA Network series *Anna Pigeon* (2026), making a return to *Chicago P.D.* highly improbable.
- Detective Emily Martel (Played by Victoria Cartagena)
- Role: First official replacement for Upton. Detective and friend of Adam Ruzek.
- Tenure: Season 12 Premiere (Guest Star).
- Departure: Killed in the line of duty during the Season 12 premiere, marking a shocking and immediate end to the character’s run.
- Officer Kiana Cook (Played by Toya Turner)
- Role: Second replacement for Upton. Officer in the Intelligence Unit.
- Tenure: Season 12 (Series Regular).
- Departure: Reportedly departed ahead of Season 13, leading to the search for a new series regular.
- Officer Eva Imani (Played by Arienne Mandi)
- Role: Third replacement, confirmed for Season 13. An ATF Task Force Officer.
- Tenure: Confirmed as a series regular for *Chicago P.D.* Season 13.
- Status: The newest addition, set to bring a "loose cannon" dynamic to the team.
The Shocking One-Episode Stint of Detective Emily Martel
The Intelligence Unit’s first attempt to fill the massive void left by Hailey Upton was short-lived and brutal. The Season 12 premiere introduced Detective Emily Martel, played by veteran actress Victoria Cartagena. Martel was not just a random new face; she was introduced as a friend of Adam Ruzek, which immediately tied her into the existing fabric of the team and offered a potential for deep, personal storylines. However, in a shocking twist that set a dark tone for the post-Upton era, Detective Martel was killed off by the end of the very same episode she was introduced in. This rapid departure of Detective Martel (Victoria Cartagena) served a clear narrative purpose: it immediately established that the replacement role is cursed and that the Intelligence Unit is operating in an environment of extreme danger. The death was a harsh wake-up call, emphasizing that Voight’s team is perpetually understaffed and constantly facing mortal threats. It also provided a quick, dramatic exit that avoided the slow-burn character development often associated with new additions.Kiana Cook: The Warrior Nun's Brief Tenure in Intelligence
Following the tragic loss of Emily Martel, the Intelligence Unit quickly brought in Officer Kiana Cook, played by Toya Turner, as the next series regular to take on the daunting task of replacing Upton. Toya Turner, an actress known for her role in *Warrior Nun* and for previously appearing in other One Chicago shows like *Chicago Fire* and *Chicago Med*, brought a fresh energy to the squad. Her character, Kiana Cook, was initially introduced not explicitly as Upton’s direct replacement, but rather as a necessary addition to the depleted team. The writers took a different approach with Kiana Cook’s backstory compared to Upton’s. While Hailey Upton's complex history was often revealed through trauma-induced flashbacks, Kiana Cook's character was given a more immediate and thorough exploration, focusing on a complicated family history involving her parents. This signaled an effort to integrate her more smoothly into the team dynamic, giving her character depth from the outset. Despite this promising start and a full season of development, reports indicate that Officer Kiana Cook (Toya Turner) is also departing the series ahead of the highly anticipated Season 13. This second rapid turnover confirms the Intelligence Unit is in a state of flux, unable to stabilize its roster since Upton’s exit. The constant churn of new detectives highlights the show's focus on the team's instability and the difficulty of finding a permanent fit for Voight's demanding unit.The New Era: Eva Imani and the ATF Connection in Season 13
The latest, and arguably most intriguing, development in the Hailey Upton replacement saga is the casting of Officer Eva Imani for *Chicago P.D.* Season 13. Actress Arienne Mandi, known for her work on *The L Word: Generation Q*, has been cast in the series regular role, signaling a major shift in the team's composition. Eva Imani is described as a new officer from the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) Task Force. This is a critical distinction, as she is not a standard CPD detective but a specialist from a federal agency, suggesting a new kind of jurisdiction and case focus for Intelligence. Her character is also described as having a military background and being a "loose cannon," which immediately draws parallels to the intense, boundary-pushing methods favored by Voight and Upton herself. The introduction of an ATF officer as a series regular is a creative move that allows the show to explore new topical authority areas, such as gun-trafficking and organized crime with a federal scope. This move away from a direct CPD replacement suggests the writers are embracing the idea that no single detective can truly fill Upton's shoes, opting instead for a character who brings a completely different skill set and dynamic to the table. Fans are eager to see how Eva Imani (Arienne Mandi) will interact with the remaining core members, particularly Voight and Atwater, and how her "loose cannon" style will either clash with or complement the Intelligence Unit’s already aggressive methods. The fact that the character is a series regular for Season 13 suggests the show is finally committing to a long-term replacement after the brief, dramatic stints of Emily Martel and Kiana Cook.The Enduring Legacy of Hailey Upton and the Future of Intelligence
The revolving door of replacements—Emily Martel (Victoria Cartagena), Kiana Cook (Toya Turner), and now Eva Imani (Arienne Mandi)—underscores the enduring legacy of Detective Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos). Upton had the near-impossible task of replacing the beloved Erin Lindsay, and she ultimately carved out her own unique, if troubled, place in the unit. The current Intelligence Unit shakeup is a clear sign that the writers are using the vacancy to inject new life and unpredictability into the show. The choice of an ATF Task Force officer for Season 13 suggests a move toward more federal-level cases and a fresh dynamic that shifts away from the internal conflicts that defined the Upstead era. For fans, the constant change is a source of both frustration and curiosity, keeping the question of who will finally stick as a permanent member of Voight's elite team alive and central to the show's narrative. The future of Intelligence hinges on whether Eva Imani can finally break the cycle and become the stable, long-term partner the unit desperately needs.
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