Chicago PD has always managed to grab the attention of viewers with its engaging plot. Its popularity is evident from the fact that Chicago PD has aired almost ten seasons comprising a total of 192 episodes till now and continues to entertain the viewers. This series has seen many characters entering and exiting.
But the abrupt exit of the character of Antonio Dawson, played by Jon Seda, was quite surprising and heartbreaking for most of the viewers. They were eager to know the reason behind this. Antonio Dawson was quite a popular character who won the hearts of the viewers with his charming personality. He was second-in-command in the Intelligence Unit. He had appeared in Chicago Fire as well as Chicago Justice.
Antonio was a man of high morals and principles. He worked with Detective Sergeant Harry Voight. So when such a popular character made an abrupt exit from the show, viewers were left shocked. They expressed that Antonio should have been given a proper send-off. We will tell you what exactly happened to Antonio in Chicago P.D.
Who Played The Role Of Antonio Dawson In Chicago, P.D?
The character of Antonio Dawson was played by Jon Seda. He had earlier starred in a few movies, including Selena, The Pacific, The Sunchaser, etc. Before Chicago, P.D Seda had starred in NBC’s Homicide: Life on Street. His role as Detective Paul Falsone won him lots of appreciation.
Seda began his journey as Detective Antonio Dawson in 2012 when he first appeared in Chicago Fire. In 2014 he joined Chicago P.D. He also appeared in Chicago Justice. Seda has always managed to win accolades for his perfect portrayal of Antonio. Antonio was part of the Vice Squad before entering the Intelligence Bureau. Antonio’s character went through both personal and professional ups and downs.
His wife Laura abandoned him as she didn’t want him to continue this dangerous job. He was appointed by Hank Voight. We see Antonio and Voight confronting each other several times during the season. Their friendship and conflicts remained an integral part of the Chicago P.D series.
What Happened To Antonio in Chicago, P. D?
Antonio’s exit from Chicago P.D left fans quite confused. They were quite invested in his character due to the emotional upheavals he goes through during the entire series. Antonio, along with Voight and Ruzek is out to hunt his daughter’s kidnapper. When he finally manages to reach the kidnapper, he fails to control his anger and pushes the culprit to his death. Ruzek decides to cover up the murder and takes the whole responsibility on himself.
Antonio requests him not to do so, but Ruzek is adamant and goes behind bars. Antonio is left emotionally drained. His shoulder pains are at their worst. The last scene of Antonio in Chicago P.D shows him sitting in his car, consuming a pill, as he comes to terms with guilt and grief over Ruzek’s decision.
However, viewers saw in Season 6 how Antonio had started developing an addiction to painkillers due to a shoulder injury. But it was assumed to be an addition of a new shade to his character. No one anticipated that drug addiction would be used as a reason to send Antonio off the series.
When Antonio didn’t make an appearance in Season 7, fans were left curious. Finally, Voight (played by Jason Beghe0) reveals that Antonio was badly struggling with his drug addiction. Now Voight and Antonio shared a very close bond.
Hence Voight decided to help his friend by sending him to a rehabilitation center. Antonio is mentioned later in the episode titled ‘Familia,’ where we get to know that he is now living in Puerto Rico and spending time with his family. So this is how one of the most popular characters of Chicago P.D met an abrupt end.
What led to Seda’s exit from the show?
Now many fans started speculating that Seda and the creatives had some issues, and hence he was shown the door. But in an interview with Deadline, Seda cleared the speculations by stating that there were no personal issues involved in his exit from the show.
It was a mutual decision as both he and the creatives of the show felt that his character had reached a dead end. There was nothing much left to explore. Seda said that he was fine with this as he didn’t really desire to see his character dragged without any progress.
Fans, though, weren’t elated with this justification. Many felt that the creatives could have worked on other angles to bring life to Antonio. They should have shown him overcoming his struggle with drug addiction. Even if they wanted his character to end, then it should have got a proper ending, not an abrupt and unexpected one.
Will Seda return to Chicago P.D.?
Even after quitting the show, Seda has received love from the fans of the show. He, too, has kept in touch with the cast and creatives of Chicago P.D. One of the producers of the show mentions that the door is always open for him. They all love and adore him, and he is welcome to join them anytime.
But this looks unlikely as Jon Seda is now busy with NBC’s La Brea- a disaster-based show. La Brea is getting good ratings and has already been renewed for a second season. Hence fans of Antonio Dawson should not expect his return to the show.