'Chicago P.D.' season 7: Can we expect Jon Seda to make a cameo in the next episode to explain Antonio Dawson's departure?
Jon Seda announced his departure from the 'Chicago' franchise when 'Chicago P.D.' ended its sixth season before summer. Last time he left 'Chicago P.D.', it was to join the short-lived spinoff, 'Chicago Justice'. When the legal drama got canceled after one season, Seda went back to 'Chicago P.D.'. However, this time, Seda has left the show, for good (so far, at least) and though fans hoped we might see him one last time in the season 7 premiere, his character, Antonio Dawson's departure happened off-screen. In the episode, we find out that Voight took Antonio to an off-the-books rehab after we saw Antonio relapsing at the end of last season.
According to Cinema Blend, however, that's not where Antonio's story ends. The showrunner, Rick Eid, told the outlet that fans will find out what happened to Antonio in the third episode, which will air this Wednesday. This would mean that the writers plan to give an explanation that's more permanent to explain why Antonio will not return to Intelligence and this could be the catalyst that makes Voight bring in Vanessa Rojas to the team. But this leaves us to wonder. How will the writers permanently write off Antonio Dawson?
It is possible, that like Erin Lindsay, we are told that Antonio moves away -- giving the writers freedom to bring back the character should the actor and writers both agree on it. If that were the case, either Antonio moves somewhere with his daughter when she goes for college. Most likely, Antonio might decide that he has enough of the police life and leave the force altogether. When the character left for 'Chicago P.D.', his absence was explained as Antonio being wary of how disturbing their cases get. The writers might just pull on this thread and Antonio might decide to leave Chicago and follow his sister, Gabby Dawson (from 'Chicago Fire') who had left the Chicago FD, firehouse 51 at the beginning of 'Chicago Fire's' Season 7, to go to Puerto Rico.
Then there's the more morbid route the writers might take. Perhaps Antonio could overdose and lead to some devastating news being delivered to the Intelligence Unit onscreen -- but to us, this seems unlikely. Antonio is a favorite character who has been part of the franchise since 'Chicago Fire'. The viewers and the writers would very much like it if Jon Seda could come back for future cameo appearances.
'Chicago P.D.' airs on Wednesday nights on NBC.