This Wednesday on Chicago P.D. (NBC, 10/9c), Upton and Burgess partake in some girl talk… about the fact that the former is dating the latter’s ex-fiancé!
But work comes first, so when their undercover gig takes a troubling turn, Upton and Burgess “have to put their differences aside,” star Tracy Spiridakos (Hailey Upton) tells TVLine. The episode gives viewers “a deeper glimpse into Hailey and Kim, and she and Kim sit down and have a conversation about everything.”
Below, Spiridakos previews Burgess’ reaction to the romance and weighs in on Halstead’s potential feelings for his partner.
TVLINE | The official description for this episode says Burgess and Upton go undercover, but before they do, Burgess learns that Ruzek and Upton are dating. What can you say about Burgess’ reaction to that discovery?
Well, she’s not happy about it. [Laughs] Then throughout the episode, [they have to] put all that stuff aside and work together to get out of a situation that they’re in. That gives them a chance to bond.
TVLINE | We haven’t had a lot of Burgess/Upton one-on-one time.
Yeah, it’s really great. It’s a really strong, female-focused episode. I’m really excited for everybody to see it. We had a really great time shooting it. I’m thrilled to see it myself. I haven’t seen it yet, but I think people are going to like it.
TVLINE | The relationship with Ruzek this season has really opened up some layers in Upton’s character. Do you feel like she has become more vulnerable as a result?
I think she surprised herself in certain moments of feeling vulnerable. The episode where Ruzek decides to take the fall for Antonio, we get to see that vulnerability come out, especially in the moment where she goes in to talk to Voight. That comes out of feeling helpless and lost and not knowing what to do to help this person… But I think it surprises her, the vulnerability. She tries to keep her guard up and tries to not let that affect her, and clearly it has.
TVLINE | What was your reaction when you found out they were going to have Upton and Ruzek pursue a relationship?
I was excited to see what was going to happen with it. We didn’t know [it was happening], either. We all found out when we were reading it. We were like, “Oh, OK, sure!” It’s TV, and we’re telling these stories, and there’s the drama that arises within that, knowing that there are going to be some conflicts that come through that. So I was looking forward to seeing what happens with it and where it all goes.
TVLINE | Was there any concern about upsetting the “Burzek” fans?
Oh, sure! The relationship between Upton and Ruzek, there wasn’t a build to it. It just kind of happened, which I think was intentional. As it happened, I was interested to see what people were going to say about it. [Laughs]
TVLINE | Do you, as an actress, feel torn between the two pairings? Or are you like, “Well, I’m playing Upton, so I’m automatically rooting for Upton and Ruzek”?
I don’t know that I can take a side on anything with that. I’m just kind of along for the ride, and whatever they write, I’m excited to play and to tell the story. It’s fun working with Paddy [John Flueger]. He’s hilarious, and so there’s a lot of laughing that we do on set. It’s all good!
TVLINE | At moments, this love triangle is more like a love square, because you also have Halstead. After he found out about Hailey and Ruzek, it felt like there was a lot of hidden meaning in his conversation with Hailey. It felt very loaded.
I think you’re right. I think Hailey and Halstead have a very tight connection, they have a really strong bond, and she usually talks to him about everything. They kind of know the ins and outs of each other’s lives, so the fact that she held this back and didn’t tell him about it was something that she felt bad about. That was one of my favorite scenes. I definitely loved at the end of the episode when they talk about it. It was very charged. I think just based on how close they are and the bond that they have, it felt like a charged moment.
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