P.D.‘s showrunner reveals there’s a heartwarming detail in that final scene between Voight and Devlin.
After Chicago P.D.’s emotionally-charged Season 13 midseason premiere explored the dark origins of the beloved Intelligence Unit commander Hank Voight (Jason Beghe), longtime showrunner Gwen Sigan is dropping some fascinating lore about that intense confrontation between Voight and his blackmailer.
Voight has been on one heck of a side quest this season after receiving a mysterious photo of himself in a hospital bed as a child with a crude threat written on top — “Resign or this goes public” — paired with a headshot of his late father, Richard Voight, with the scathing message: “Your father, the abuser.” Voight isn’t one to be toyed with, so it didn’t take long for him to discover that his blackmailer was none other than Internal Affairs District Commander Devlin, whom he recently scorned by forcing his hand to get the Intelligence Unit back.
The one problem? Voight had blackmailed Devlin with actual damning evidence against him, while Devlin had his entire story wrong. After inviting Devlin to his office, Voight revealed that his father was a loving man who’d only done his best to temper his son’s anger management issues: Voight landed in the hospital after one of his many “vicious” fights, which he was known to seek out.
Voight told Devlin that his dad, Richard Voight, had never laid a hand on him and had only encouraged him to channel his aggression into tracking down criminals. But Devlin wasn’t budging, demanding Voight’s badge if he wanted to preserve his father’s CPD legacy. But as showrunner Gwen Sigan was keen to explain, Voight wasn’t letting go of that badge anytime soon.
P.D. showrunner reveals an easter egg within Voight’s negotiation with Devlin
Chicago P.D. viewers were on the edge of their seats as Voight approached Devlin with grave sincerity. “You see this badge holder? It was my dad’s, I mean, he wore it every day of his life until he was killed in the line of duty,” Voight explained. I’ve worn it every day since.”
“Sometimes I slip up, but a lot of the time, I can feel him with me. If I didn’t feel my father near me right now, you wouldn’t live through this day,” Voight concluded with a sudden bite. “Do what you want. But right now? Right now, you should get the hell out of my office.”
Sigan tells NBC Insider that the P.D. crew hadn’t expected the scene to reach such intense heights, but once Beghe started exploring Voight’s headspace, it took on a new tone. Sigan then revealed that the moment held even more weight thanks to a unique prop used for the scene.
“There’s this beautiful detail about his badge,” Sigan explained, revealing that the sentimental badge holder was borrowed from a member of production. “That actually is somebody’s father’s badge holder that works on the show. And so, there was this really beautiful real-life thing that also fed into it.”
Gwen Sigan breaks down one of her “favorite scenes” with Jason Beghe
Aside from the heartwarming inclusion of a P.D. crew member’s actual heirloom, Sigan says that Beghe’s understanding of Voight’s headspace and motivations sealed the deal in creating an unforgettable performance.
“The tone of it was different than I first imagined, but, like, ten times better once we got it on its feet,” Sigan told NBC Insider. “I think Jason just really understood the scene, understood every single moment. He added so much… and the fact that you could just read all of that internal thinking on his face, I think, was the feat.”
Sigan continued, “It’s been really nice. I think it’s added a lot of depth. It’s been fun for Jason to play… That may be one of my favorite scenes I’ve seen him do.”
