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'Chicago P.D.' Season 8 Episode 2: Will Upstead survive? Fans rage over long wait as NBC show returns only in 2021

'We got a billion teases about #Upstead and then #OneChicago comes back for only two weeks before going on break and we got barely any scenes of them? #notcool,' a fan tweeted

Spoilers for 'Chicago PD' Season 8 Episode 2

Two episodes into Season 8, 'Chicago P.D.' went on its winter break. And while fans are upset they have to wait till January 2021 for the show to return to find out how Kevin Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins) works out the discrimination he is facing, #Upstead shippers are more pissed after that 2021 promo. At the end of Episode 2, NBC aired a quick promo of what to expect when the show returns and fans are fuming.

Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) is in a serious conversation with Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) about going to the FBI. The teaser ends with her telling him, "You know, you can ask me to not take it."

Viewers of the show who ship Halstead and Upton – together #Upstead – are livid to say the least. "We got a billion teases about #Upstead and then #OneChicago comes back for only two weeks before going on break and we got barely any scenes of them?! #ChicagoPD #notcool," a fan tweeted. "#ChicagoPD gives me that #Upstead preview and I got to wait until January to see how it turns out?! You mean January 2021? That January?!" another added. 

Upton and Halstead are a thing long time in the making - three seasons to be precise. Upton replaced Erin Lindsay (Sophia Bush) on Intelligence and as Halstead's partner. But right from the first moment of their pairing up, while Lindsay was missed, Halstead and Upton worked well together. The romantic aspect did not come until last season, but even so, the two detectives have had a tension bubbling underneath. When she crossed over to 'FBI', the duo confessed they missed each other - which had fans confident that the Upstead ship will be sailing when the show returned with Season 8. Only to be disappointed to know that they have to wait more for them to actually confess their feelings for each other. Well, mostly Halstead.

And so, fans are urging Halstead to "take his shot" while he has the time. "THIS IS FOR JAY: DUDE. I DONT KNOW WHAT ELSE TO TELL YOU. PLZ OPEN YOUR EYES. HAILEY IS PRACTICALY BEGGING YOU TO TELL HER TO STAY. YOURE LITERALLY THE BIGGEST REASON SHE WOULDNT TAKE THAT JOB! SHOOT YOUR SHOT BRO. #Upstead #ChicagoPD #8x03"

Viewers just know that something hot can be brewing here. "you know jay is dying inside when he can’t even fake a proper smile for her because the thought of losing her scares him so much #chicagopd #upstead".

Halstead might have been holding back all this while, but will this situation push him to put himself out there? Will he tell Upton how he truly feels about her? 'Chicago PD' will return with new episodes on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, on NBC at 10/9c. Till then, keep rooting.