Vanessa's sudden exit from the police procedural from Dick Wolf has fans asking, "What happened to Rojas on Chicago P.D.?" and "Will she ever return?"
SUMMARY
- Vanessa Rojas, a beloved character on Chicago P.D., left the show in the season 7 finale, much to the disappointment of fans.
- Her departure was not planned by the creative team and her storyline was not properly wrapped up due to the shortened season caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
- While there is no confirmation of her return, the showrunners have expressed that the door is always open for Rojas to come back, potentially even appearing on other Chicago franchise shows like Chicago Fire and Chicago Med.
What happened to Rojas on Chicago P.D. is one of the biggest questions fans have about the police procedural. Chicago P.D. is the second installment of the Chicago franchise after Chicago Fire but coming before Chicago Med and Chicago Justice.
The series follows the members of the fictional 21st District of Chicago. Detective Sergeant Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) leads the department's elite Intelligence Unit, which consists of Chicago P.D.'s most likable detectives and officers. The series premiered in January 2014 and has seen a rotating cast of main, supporting, and recurring characters come over its 10+ seasons.
One of these characters is Vanessa Rojas (Lisseth Chavez) who first appears in season 7, episode 2, "Assets". Joining a long list of Chicago P.D. characters who left the Chicago franchise, she departs the series in season 7, episode 20, "Silence of the Night".
A former member of an investigations unit, Rojas joined the Intelligence Unit to replace Antonio Dawson (Jon Seda). Rojas grew up in 32 foster homes and was living out of her car when the Intelligence Unit hired her. Hardened, knowledgeable, and adaptable, Rojas was a huge asset to the Chicago outfit. Despite her usefulness to the department, Rojas left the show in the season 7 finale.
Chavez ended up leaving Chicago P.D. because her option was not picked up by the series' creative directors (via Deadline). The creative team did not appear to have plans to wrap up Roja's arc and, thanks to the coronavirus leading to a shortened season 7, the character did not get a proper send-off.
Fortunately, Chavez quickly received another acting offer, for DC's Legends of Tomorrow, where she plays Esperanza "Spooner" Cruz, an alien encounter survivor who now believes she can communicate with the extraterrestrials.
Despite what some may think, Chavez did not leave Chicago P.D. for DC's Legends of Tomorrow. Her release from the police procedural allowed her to accept the role in the CW's Arrowverse spin-off. An irksome issue with Rojas' departure from Chicago P.D.
is that it's never brought up again in the series. Showrunner Rick Eid said about putting Rojas' departure in Chicago P.D. season 8, "We tried to address it in the premiere, but it felt forced." (via TV Line) Sometimes it is easier to ignore an absent character than it is to center a script around their disappearance unnaturally.
Chicago PD Showrunner Says She Wouldn't "Say No" To Rojas Returning
Gwen Sigan is another showrunner for Chicago P.D. and when asked about Rojas returning to the series, she responded positively. Sigan said to Cinemablend:
"I would say the door's always open. I loved her. Lisseth was great. I think that I'll never say no to anything. Who knows?"
While that is not a confirmation by any means, it signals that there is always a chance for Rojas to return, even if it's for only an episode or two. Rojas even appeared in an episode of Chicago Fire and Chicago Med, so the officer could appear in those series as well.
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