‘Chicago P.D.’s Jason Beghe Says Noah’s Case Will Bring Out the “Old Voight”

The Big Picture

• On
  Chicago P.D.,
  Voight’s history of trauma and loss drives him to extreme measures in the pursuit of justice for his city.
• The return of “old Voight rage” signals a dangerous turning point as he grapples with personal demons.
• Voight’s intense focus on Noah’s case consumes him, leading to potentially risky and morally ambiguous actions.

Chicago P.D. is never afraid of putting members of Intelligence through situations that would break anyone, yet they always come out on top, even with some scars. In his career as a cop and the leader of Intelligence, Voight has seen his fair share of bad things, including the death of his son. Yet, he’s always soldiered on and tried to be a better protector of the City of Chicago. However, doesn’t everyone reach a breaking point?

The latest case Intelligence has been dealing with about Noah and a brutal serial killer has affected Voight more than the other members. There has been talk of the return of the “old Voight rage” where he would stop at nothing to get what he wants. Voight has simmered down throughout the years, but seeing Noah (Bobby Hagan) and his boyfriend in that barrel might have reminded him why his ruthlessness might be justified.

Jason Beghe talked to TV Insider about this very personal arc for Voight and what he thinks that means for Voight’s future. He also talked about how long fans can expect the storyline to play out this season, and if there will be a resolution by the end of it. In addressing the return of “old Voight rage,” Beghe dove into what he thinks Voight felt after seeing Noah and Paul’s bodies in that barrel.

“He feels like he failed, but I believe that some things are too hard to confront. And so what happens is—I don’t know if it reads or not, but my choice is that he kind of flips back to what’s considered the old Voight and gets into this kind of savage, “I’m going to f**king kill you” mode. He becomes more determined than ever to catch and bring justice, let’s say, to the offender.”

Noah’s Case Will Be a Season-Long Arc

Voight’s support system is almost nonexistent currently. If Voight is consumed by the rage, he will need someone to pull him back. Below is what Beghe shared about that.

“I think that the only person who really can pull him back is himself. He’s never been pulled back. And I think that rage by definition is something that can’t be regulated — that’s why it’s called rage. So it’ll be the degree to which it’s righteous anger that will be the determinant to how far and to what degree he can pull himself back.”

Beghe revealed that his case would span the whole season, but he wasn’t sure whether it would end with a cliffhanger. “I think there will be a cliffhanger. Whether or not the case is resolved, I think that it probably will be. I’m not positive, but I do believe that there will be a cliffhanger,” he said.

But even as he deals with losing Noah, Voight will have to work on other things. When asked if there was anything about Voight coming up, Beghe shared that this case was everything for Voight.

“This is the background music, no matter what’s going on. This is what’s the theme of his — he’s somewhat obsessed with it. I think he’s going without sleep.”

Chicago P.D. continues next Wednesday at 10 PM ET on NBC. In Episode 8 “On Paper,” Hailey and SVU’s Petrovic team up for another case, but Hailey has reservations about the detective. Past seasons are streaming on Peacock.

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