Chicago P.D
Chicago PD Midseason Finale Review – Burden of Proof (1009)
Chicago PD Season 10 Episode 9 delivered a conclusion to Hailey Upton’s multi-episode hunt for Sean O’Neal (Yellowstone‘s Jefferson White), the Chief’s son accused of raping and sex trafficking children, but did it go down the way you expected?
There were only a handful of ways that this could end, and none of them guaranteed that Upton would find the peace she sought, nor would they make her feel any less broken. In fact, I think she’s probably worse off than she was before because now she has to deal with the pain within herself, which is something Sean recognized and even exploited early on in the case.
Sean acknowledged a darkness within Hailey—and while they definitely aren’t kindred spirits in the way he was trying to suggest—he’s not wrong about her inner turmoil that goes far beyond Halstead’s abrupt decision to leave for Bolivia. She hasn’t faced the music because she’s too afraid to go there, but now that it’s over—now that she won—it’s time to face the reality of her own life.
She’s going to have to do some introspective work once she’s no longer riding the high of this case and the silence begins to creep in. She can’t keep numbing the pain with work, no matter how good at it she is—she’s going to have to face the music eventually or it will destroy her.
It’s that same nagging feeling that I suspect Sean felt all these years, which is why Hailey was able to connect with him and, despite being determined to bring him down, understand him. She was also the one that was able to get a confession out of him, even though it wasn’t admissible.
It was chilling to hear Sean open up about his urges and addiction in his own words because we so rarely ever get that from suspects. It’s a direct look inside the mind of a monster who admitted that he tried to fix himself but when he couldn’t, he decided to control what happened and who they happened to. He was a monster that made it clear that he won’t stop unless he’s stopped, which motivated Upton to find the missing evidence to bring the case home. She made it her sole mission to save these girls— because no one else would—and she didn’t care how it happened.
In a way, becoming so heavily invested in this case may have been a bad thing for Hailey, as it once again threw her morals for a loop.
She’s clearly lost, as she was willing to make a case any way she could, even if it wasn’t by the book. She was turning into Voight while facing down the very same problem that forced Halstead to step away in the first place. The lines between right and wrong were blurring, and just like her husband, she found herself in the gray zone, willing to cross a line for what she deemed the “greater good.” It was dangerous, but thankfully, Voight was there to pull her back and remind her that Sean was “in her head.” If they wanted to bring him down, they had to do right by the case. In fact, I’m surprised that Voight even allowed Upton to bring in Sean when the DA said that they didn’t have enough. They were going against the clock, and against the Chief, who was adamant about protecting his son at all costs, so there was the added pressure, but for someone who keeps saying they have to make an airtight case, it was strange that Voight agreed to risk it and see what happens fully knowing that they didn’t have the evidence to hold Sean.
Upton’s morals continued to be questioned when they found Sean bleeding out on the ground from a gunshot wound. Upton told Voight not to call it in and even hesitated to render any aid. Sean may have done terrible things, but it’s not her place to judge or make the call.
In a way, she was just as bad as Sean, who gave himself permission to decide which victims he would pursue and abuse. She was allowing herself to be the judge of the kind of punishment that was being dished out when her job is to find irrefutable proof to make the case and let the courts decide.
I don’t think she’ll be ok with any of her decisions because she would’ve blamed herslef if she let Sean die, but now, she and Voight are the sole reason he survived.
The justice system needs to do its job now and guarantee that he will never see the light of day for all of this to be worth it. And the episode underscored just how flawed the system can be at times, often providing more protection for the suspect than the actual victims.
Sean was a particularly tricky case because he had the backing of his father, who tried to sabotage their case and protect him at every turn, making Upton’s job that much harder. All the evidence that Upton obtained wasn’t good enough. Even when she was able to get a flat-out confession, it was still inadmissible solely based on the way she obtained the information.
CHICAGO P.D. — “Proof of Burden” Episode 1009 — Pictured: Jefferson White as Sean O’Neal — (Photo by: Lori Allen/NBC)
They tried and tried to build an airtight case, meeting dead end after dead end until it was almost too late. When they found the girls, they were mere moments away from dying from a lack of oxygen. If it wasn’t for Upton’s pushing and prodding, the case would’ve had way more victims.
Sean’s whole storyline was deeply disturbing, but the worst part was the revelation that he tried to tell his father, who wouldn’t listen or accept the truth because of how much he loved his son. We saw the Chief scoff at the facts and turn a blind eye simply because he didn’t want it to be true, but the sad reality is that denial can only take you so far until you’re forced to look it right in the eye.
I was convinced Patty was going to end it in the scene where he was drinking and Voight dropped off the files, simply because it seemed as though the reality was caving in on him and there was no coming back from what had been done. In many ways, he was his son’s victim along with all the other innocent children. The fact that he shot his son before seemingly turning the gun on himself was a surprising twist.
The truth is, regardless of his rank, the Chief should’ve never been able to control the case or the narrative in the way that he did—he was too close and it was too personal for him.
It’s unclear if this is the last we’ll see of Sean, but I’m hoping it now forces Hailey to take a serious look at herself and seek out therapy. These cases are mentally and emotionally taxing on the detectives, and I wish the series would incorporate a storyline in which they prioritize their mental health for their own well-being.
This is the perfect time for Hailey to fight through her demons and figure out who she wants to be. She can wipe the slate clean, and though the scars will always be there, she no longer has to carry all of that pain. Hailey can be the cop she wants to be—she can be the one who rises above and does it right.
And I’m truly hoping that we see more of Hailey’s team-ups with Voight. It seems that they are good for each other as they continue to hold each other accountable and ensure that they stay on the right track—when one goes too far, the other one reels them in.
We’ll have to wait until the series returns from hiatus to see how Hailey Upton will cope following such an intense and grueling case.
What did you think of the episode? Do you want to see more multi-episode cases in the second half of the season? Let us know in the comments below!
Following Chicago PD Season 5’s finale, it’s understandable that fans are worried about Adam Ruzek’s fate as it hangs in the balance.
Questions and concerns immediately began popping up, with many wondering if Patrick Flueger is leaving the series.
For now, it’s unclear as the episode that ended the season left things on a bit of a cliffhanger in terms of Ruzek’s health.
During the episode, Ruzek, who was working undercover for months to thwart Richard’s, a white supremacist’s deadly terrorist plan, blew his own cover to Richard’s daughter, Sam, who was trying to skip town after her dad moved up the date for his attack.
Ruzek and the Intelligence team then convinced Sam to inform on her dad and his crew in exchange for immunity for herself and her son, Callum, which she did.
He then advised them to pack up their things and head over to a safe house, which she proposed as a little getaway to Callum. Unfortunately, Cal was so brainwashed by his grandfather that he immediately called him to let him know that his mom was trying to leave.
When Ruzek approached him and saw him on the phone, Cal pulled out a gun. Ruzek tried to diffuse the situation but Cal pulled the trigger, hitting Ruzek in the abdomen. He immediately started bleeding out and collapsed to the ground. Once Sam realized what was happening, she grabbed her son and made a run for it, leaving Ruzek alone to die. Thankfully, he was able to reach Kim Burgess and within minutes, he was in an ambo on his way to Med.
CHICAGO P.D. — “A Better Place” Episode 1022 — Pictured: Patrick John Flueger as Adam Ruzek — (Photo by: Lori Allen/NBC)
Unfortunately, once he went into surgery, the doctors provided no additional updates, though Platt assured a very concerned Burgess that they got to him quickly.
It’s tough to say if Ruzek will survive, especially with so many Chicago PD and Chicago Med exits happening this year, however, Ruzek is one of the fan-favorite characters, so I can’t see him leaving the series anytime soon. He’s strong and he’s a fighter, and he has a lot to live for—he just made things official with Burgess, he’s a father to Makayla, and he’s an integral part of Intelligence.
My guess is that he will survive the surgery, but he’ll be sidelined for a bit and will likely have to go through some rehab and therapy in the same way Burgess did after her near-death experience.
This seems to be a still from an upcoming episode that shows Ruzek still alive post-surgery—though unconscious—with Burgess by his side, which is promising.
CHICAGO P.D. — “A Better Place” Episode 1022 — Pictured: (l-r) Patrick John Flueger as Adam Ruzek, Marina Squerciati as Kim Burgess — (Photo by: Lori Allen/NBC)
While I can’t say anything definitively, I firmly believe that Adam Ruzek is not leaving Chicago PD just yet. And we likely won’t know more until Chicago PD Season 9 returns in the fall.
You can read our Chicago PD Season 10 Episode 22 review right here.
That was a heavy episode of Chicago PD—and it was a heavy case for the Intelligence unit, one that has been building to this point all season.
Chicago PD Season 10 Episode 22 did not play out as I thought it would, but I think it’s safe to say that it didn’t pan out the way any of the officers thought it would, including Adam Ruzek.
Ruzek was working this undercover case for months—and it was grueling, taking a toll on his mental health and wellbeing.
He dedicated so much of his time, spending day in and day out with Richard, Sam and her son, Callum, and away from his own family, only to have absolutely no new information or details about this “plan.”
All he really knew was that Richard was a white supremacist who was trying to push his views onto his grandson, and he was orchestrating some kind of massive plan that would include multiple targets and casualties—it was later revealed the targets were Black elementary school children.
And it was all going to be set into motion one morning when Sam frantically called to tell him she was skipping town because her father moved up the date to that morning. I think Ruzek should’ve realized that it was strange that Richard didn’t call him since he was supposed to be running point on the plan, but he was also so invested that he was desperate to get any information. He knew that this man was dangerous and he needed to stop him at any cost.
So, when Sam threatened to go rogue, he jumped in and blew his cover, which wasn’t ideal, but it was the only option he had at that moment. If he let Sam go, so would his shot at getting any information.
The unfortunate thing is that Ruzek wasn’t paying attention to Callum, or, rather, he underestimated him because he was just a child. He knew Richard was trying to influence Callum, but he didn’t realize the hold he had or how deeply manipulative Richard actually was. Richard also seemingly didn’t trust Ruzek as much as Ruzek thought he did, so there were a lot of hiccups that may have been eliminated if he just kept a closer eye on them. That being said, I can’t imagine living two lives and trying to make sense of all of it in the limited downtime you have left. Ruzek was pulling double duty and he was feeling the pressure of it all.
The only thing that convinced Sam to talk was immunity for her and her son, but again, she was also naive to what was going on with her son when it came to her father. She wanted to protect Callum and do what was best for him, but she didn’t realize that her father had already dug his claws into that boy in a way that was not going to end well.
Sam was suspicious of everyone except her own child, who was the easiest target for Richard as he had his undivided attention and trust and could brainwash him without even lifting a finger.
When they proposed going away for a trip, it was my first thought to follow Callum upstairs to make sure he wasn’t making contact with his grandfather. Why did that not occur to Ruzek? Again, I think he just underestimated that boy because he’s a child, but as Sam mentioned, hate is a thing that’s taught. Callum was taught all these ideologies that his grandfather truly believed, and he didn’t know any better, so he believed them as well.
And when confronted by Ruzek, he sensed danger and took the shot. It was the hardest thing to watch because Ruzek was genuinely trying to help that boy.
He believed in them, he believed in Sam—he stood up for her when everyone suggested that she needs to be punished for her role the plan—and when it came down to it, not only did her son shoot him, but she turned her back on Ruzek and left him there to die.
I was convinced that maybe there was a redemption arc here for Sam, but while she knew what her father was doing was wrong, there was no hope for her. She was already a monster. Her intentions were to protect her kid, but she went about it the wrong way. She made an enemy out of the people that were doing her a huge favor.
CHICAGO P.D. — “A Better Place” Episode 1022 — Pictured: Jason Beghe as Hank Voight — (Photo by: Lori Allen/NBC)
It’s true that Adam lied to her, but if she put those feelings of betrayal aside, she’d realize that leaving him there to potentially bleed out would not end well for her, nor was it the way to keep her son safe.
And the real enemy, her father, was out there and on his way to claim her son, the son that Ruzek vowed to protect above anything else. Why in the world would she ever think she could outrun the truth and that it would somehow make this already terrible situation better?
Thankfully, Adam was able to wipe the blood off of his fingers and reach Kim, though it was tense there for a second and I was, admittedly, very worried about him.
Ruzek went into surgery immediately, and while there’s no word on his condition, I’m of the mindset that if Burgess survived her near-death experience, he will too. And now, they’ll be able to bond over this as I’m sure the trauma of what happened will stick around with him for a while. Kim has already done all the work, so she’ll be able to be a source of support.
Before losing consciousness, Ruzek made Burgess promise that she’d get to Callum before Richard, and she made sure to do right by that promise.
Ruzek has a big heart, and honestly, it’s his Achilles Heel sometimes. That being said, it’s also the reason we love him—Ruzek extends so much care and concern for the children in his life. He bonded with Callum, he saw how special he was, and he couldn’t let anything happen to him.
Unfortunately, the situation got messy rather quickly as Sam took way too long to surrender, and by that time, Richard already found them. Again, I don’t know what lead to such poor decision-making on her part and why she wasted so much time when her father was a constant imminent threat.
Voight arrived in the knick of time to stop Richard from escaping with Callum, but it was clear that this wouldn’t be an easy win for the cops. Usually, when someone is being held hostage, they don’t actually want to go with the person, but Callum did want to go with his grandfather. We saw the extent of how effective Richard’s brainwashing was as Callum agreed that he was ready to die for the cause and had pure hatred in his eyes while staring down the cops who were threatening his grandfather.
And then it happened—the final blow, a shot taken by Atwater. It was a necessary and valid shot, but unfortunately, it also cemented all of Richard’s beliefs right in front of Callum’s eyes.
His grandfather was shot, with no remorse, by a Black police officer. It reinforced everything he’s been taught because all he saw was race. It lit a hatred inside Callum unlike any other. And it was eerie because you could see all of it happening through sheer glances. If looks could kill, Callum’s would burn a hole through Atwater.
It’s going to be hard to reset Callum’s way of thinking now, which is unfortunate. I could see him restarting his grandfather’s operation and finishing what he started, and that’s a terrifying thought.
It’s unclear if this is the last we’ve seen of them, but I hope it isn’t. I hope we see what happens to Sam. Will they walk back the immunity deal? And how will they handle Callum since he did shoot a cop intentionally? The “he’s a child” excuse can only go so far, but it’s evident that this might not be a one-off behavior. Will therapy be able to reverse the damage? I doubt Ruzek would ever press charges, but it’s also a security issue if Callum is simply let go to let all that hatred fester. And where will he go if his mom is arrested? There are a lot of lingering questions.
As for Ruzek, well, I genuinely hope he pulls through. This is not the way to go out, especially after he just made things official with Burgess.
I do, however, think this moment will inspire Burgess to get married to Ruzek when he finally gets better. It’s not only the “life is short” realization (though that surely comes into play), but since she wasn’t his wife, she wasn’t given any information nor was she allowed to go any further. You could see that really took a toll on her considering the strength of their bond.
What did you think of the episode? Are you surprised with how things ended with Richard? Do you think Ruzek will survive?
Dante Torres (played by Benjamin Levy Aguilar) had a lot of important decisions to make when his old life of crime bled in with his new life as an Intelligence officer.
On Chicago PD Season 10 Episode 21, things got personal for Torres, and it allowed audiences to get to know him on a deeper level.
We might feel like he’s been around for a while, but the truth is, he’s still very much the new guy so there’s a lot to explore with his storylines and background.
This one was particularly interesting because it lifted the veil on his past life working for Aritza, a well-known dealer in the neighborhood.
People change, they grow up, and they get their priorities straight—the man that Torres is now and the young man he was back then are not the same. However, the reason he’s a cop is still very much the same as why he agreed to work for Aritza in the first place: to protect his people.
When Torres got the note on his car, he acted immediately and called for backup to help Aritza even if it threatened his new gig. He tried to keep his connection and relationship with Aritza a secret, but he still pursued the case because it was the right thing to do.
Again, Torres is new, so there isn’t that established trust between him and Voight just yet. Torres was sure that he would be fired once they found out about his past—he never considered that Voight would understand and help him keep it in the past.
Voight also wasn’t sure if he could completely trust Torres. When Torres was threatening Vega, Voight stood back and watched to see how he would handle it or if he’d cross a line. It was all new territory for them, but the one thing that was evident is that Voight wanted to believe in Torres. He also saw himself in Torres’ tactics as it felt like something right out of the Voight-playbook.
The moment, tense and nerve-wracking as it may have been for everyone (including Torres, who didn’t know if it would be enough to get Vega to crack), established an understanding between them. Voight realized that Torres was a man he could rely on, who never actually killed anyone and only understood how waterboarding works because he endured the trauma to get out from under Aritza’s grasp. And, in turn, Torres realized that Voight would always have his back when it mattered.
CHICAGO P.D. — “New Life” Episode 1021 — Pictured: Benjamin Levy Aguilar as Dante Torres — (Photo by: Lori Allen/NBC)
The episode also explored Torres’ fractured relationship with Mia. If you’ll recall, Torres was previously responsible for putting her brother, Quico, behind bars, which meant that they were no longer on speaking terms despite knowing each other all of their lives. It underlined just how much Torres has sacrificed to pursue a career with the Chicago police department. His neighborhood and the people in it have all basically turned their backs on him, though he explains that there are some people who respect and trust him; he’s either the hero or the enemy— there is no in-between.
Torres is basically going through the same situation that Atwater faces time and time again with his community thinking of him as a traitor rather than someone who simply wants to serve and protect and prove that not all cops are bad cops.
Mia ended up being the one who sent Torres the note as she felt guilty for inadvertently causing Aritza’s death. She explained that she needed money so she took a job for a rival leader, Sergio Navarro, and thought that all she had to do was flirt with Aritza. Instead, she ended up luring him to his death.
Thankfully, by cooperating with the cops, she was able to avoid any charges, which was honestly kind of surprising since she still played a role in the murder.
While Torres vowed to protect her and keep her safe, she made the smart decision to leave Illinois as she was staring down a life of crime. There was nothing good waiting for her here and she would likely benefit from a fresh start. And though Torres didn’t want to let go, it was for the best. Sometimes, you can’t reconcile two parts of your life—and that’s why so many people date their co-workers on this show!
We’re learning so much more about Torres, and though I liked him from the get-go, I appreciate him even more now. He’s also a welcome shake-up to the team and someone that offers a different perspective on things.
He was the reason that they found out that Upton was missing in the previous episode, and she made sure that he understood that she was there for him if he ever needed it. Everyone on that team has gone through it in some way or another, so they understand what this job can do to a person if they don’t have the proper support. I’m glad that there’s a team camaraderie here that extends to the new guy!
The upcoming episode is the season finale, and we’ll finally get closure on the undercover gig that Ruzek has been working! How do you think it will all go down?
Did you enjoy the Torres-centric episode?
Featured2 weeks agoPat Sajak Kicks Off Final Run on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Season 41
Netflix2 weeks agoWho Is Mel’s Father in ‘Virgin River’?
Virgin River2 weeks agoWhat Happens to Mel and Jack’s Baby on ‘Virgin River’ Season 5?
Featured2 weeks agoWhen Will the Holiday Episodes of ‘Virgin River’ Premiere? See the Trailer Now
Virgin River2 weeks agoWill There Be a Season 6 of ‘Virgin River’? And If So, When?
Virgin River2 weeks agoVirgin River Season Finale Review – Labor Day Carnival (510)
Virgin River2 weeks agoVirgin River Review – Angel’s Peak (509)
Virgin River2 weeks agoVirgin River Review – Trial By Fire (505)
1 Comment