Sean O’Neal (Jefferson White) was never going away that easily. True, the character’s fate was one of the shocking things to occur in Chicago Fire season 10, but the fact that he survived being shot by his father confirms that he’s still got a pivotal role to play.
Sean’s gunshot wound was severe enough to nearly take his life, and were it not for the actions of Voight (Jason Beghe), it looked as though Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) would have happily let him die. Upton is going to have to reconcile this desire with her need to do what is right, and the return of Sean is going to make it extremely difficult.
When we can expect to see the character again? Here’s what we know.
Is Sean O’Neal dead on Chicago PD?
According to the synopses that NBC has released, Sean will officially return in season 10 episode 12. The episode, which is set to air on January 18, will see him re-enter Upton’s life in an attempt to taunt her. This antagonism already existed, but with Sean in a far more dire situation than ever before, he’s got even less to lose.
The synopsis for episode 12 reads as follows:
Sean O’Neal surprises Det. Upton with a call from prison, revealing sensitive information. While Upton grapples with how to keep O’Neal at a distance, the team quickly mobilizes to stop a crime in progress before it’s too late.
The fact that Sean can still dangle sensitive information over Upton, in order to keep her coming back to him, is a smart move on the writer’s part. The character has proven himself to be a well of knowledge when it comes to horrifying local crimes, so it makes sense that he would use what he knows as a trump card.
It’s safe to assume that Sean has something more nefarious planned, but whether that’s a desire to break out of prison or simply taunt Upton for the role she played in his arrest remains to be seen. Either way, the IU will have to be very cautious in their interactions with him.