Chicago P.D
Chicago PD Review – Sympathetic Reflex (1006)
Chicago PD has over-delivered with every single episode this season, but there’s something particularly special about the Atwater-centric episodes, including Chicago PD Season 10 Episode 6.
Atwater episodes may be few and far in between, but the writers go the extra mile for LaRoyce Hawkins… and he never drops the ball, always giving a performance filled with so much heart, soul, integrity, and most importantly, empathy.
Anytime the storyline focuses on Hawkins’ character, I know we’re in for an exceptional ride from start to finish.
I don’t even care that the series pushed aside Upton’s takedown of the chief’s son for trafficking underage girls because this episode was so solid.
It all started when Atwater and Torres responded to a carjacking. You would think it’s a run-of-the-mill case, particularly in Chicago these days, but that couldn’t be further from the truth as the man was dragged by the carjackers for miles and ended up dying in Atwater’s arms.
Remember Atwater’s powerful speech about empathy he gave at the kickstart of the episode? This is where it comes into play.
While Intelligence didn’t know much about the offenders, they were able to pinpoint the car that they drove to a wealthy man’s home in Lakeview, where, upon arrival, they witnessed a tussle between three men.
One of the men got away, while the other two ran into an alley with a dead end, which is where Atwater cornered them. And here’s where it got really problematic—Atwater tried to de-escalate the situation but neither one of the men was receptive, with the older Black male whipping out a camera to document the cop who was willing to shoot and use the “fearing for his life defense. Eventually, the white teen, visibly shaken, lunged at Atwater as a shot was fired off. The teen was hit in the stomach as the Black male fled.
It was clear that the teen, who we later find out was Johnny Chaffey, the son of a prominent and wealthy man in Chicago, was innocent and manipulated by the other male, who remained unknown for a good chunk of the episode.
Unfortunately, Johnny wasn’t able to fill in the blanks for CPD or corroborate Atwater’s story because he died after being rushed to the ER. And it was a death Kevin did not take lightly.
Atwater is a good cop, so being there while two men took their final breaths and not being able to do anything about it was devastating to him. Moreso, he was even more upset by how quickly the situation escalated, for absolutely no reason, when all he wanted to do was hear their side of the story. Atwater did his best to avoid this outcome, later informing IRT that he kept his finger off the trigger, which Johnny pressed when he lunged at him.
It may have been his gun, but it wasn’t his fault. He even tried to point it away from Johnny.
Of course, none of that mattered because it was his word against a rich, notable, white man, so it didn’t look good for the “crooked cop.”
One of my issues with Atwater storylines, no matter how solid they are, is that they always revolve around the same race issue, but this time, it was reversed as a white teen was slain by a Black cop, which put Atwater in a new headspace where he was confident in himself and not shaken by the public scrutiny or perception of a situation they knew nothing about.
Johnny’s father, who couldn’t fathom that his son could do any wrong, asked the public to support him now in holding a Black cop accountable the way they do white cops, but honestly, it would’ve been nice if he tried to get the facts or even showed any remorse for losing his son; it all seemed to be this huge publicity stunt and takedown that, quite frankly, was racially motivated. He wanted to play the card so badly, but Atwater wasn’t interested in going down that road because he knew what happened.
There was one point where I considered Andrew to be the man who was responsible for manipulating these kids/teens into carjackings. Johnny’s poor mother was the only one who actually looked heartbroken and simply wanted to know what her son’s last words were.
Naturally, CPD wanted to avoid the legal circus that Andrew was threatening, so the chief advised Atwater to simply say that it was a synthetic reflex—he accidentally shot Johnny, but honestly, the nerve of them to even ask him to lie.
Atwater trusted the process, and most importantly, he trusted the police work. He’s not a sellout, so he definitely wasn’t going to go down for something he didn’t do, no matter how much everyone around him wanted that version of the story to be true. Truth is, he wanted the version where Johnny survived to be true, but that wasn’t the reality. And god, I love that Atwater stood his ground and maintained his innocence as he rightfully should. He doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk.
Instead of allowing the situation to throw him off his game, Atwater was more motivated than ever to find the unidentified Black male who instigated and captured the video because that was the actual person responsible for his death.
Obtaining the information required a lot of patience. When they tried to get answers from Cam, he escaped in the stolen BMW and eventually drove his car off of a bridge. He didn’t survive. And it was likely the guilt of killing a man and not being able to free himself from Oscar’s grasp that sent him over the edge.
Eventually, Torress went undercover—some of his best work to date—to subtly coax Oscar into talking while they were in lockup. It was a masterfully played operation as they knew Oscar wouldn’t resist talking about his big “get,” entrusting Torres with the location of the phone—the key to Atwater’s freedom.
I actually don’t buy that Oscar would fall for that plan. He was smart and knew how to evade police and stay off the radar, so I don’t think he’d ever trust a dude in lockup that easily, but it is what it is.
The juicy twist was that Carlita, the unenthusiastic gas station worker, was Oscar’s “girl” and had the phone in her possession the whole time. She seemed remorseful, but only after Atwater made it clear that Oscar did not care if she went to jail so there was no point in protecting him anymore.
Once they had the footage, there was no denying that Atwater’s recollection of the incident matched up to the video play-by-play.
It cleared him in the eyes of CPD, but it didn’t make him feel better.
The truth is that Atwater was deeply affected by Johnny’s death as he would’ve done anything to prevent it.
Though he didn’t have to, he felt a personal obligation to pay his parents a visit, and while the father pretty much told him the video doesn’t change anything and slammed the door in his face (kind of to be expected based on his previous behavior), the mother was much more receptive as all she wanted was some closure. She never once blamed Atwater or tried to bring up the issue of race—she simply wanted him to connect on a human level and “fill in the blanks,” as Atwater put it.
It was that final scene that brought the whole episode together in a beautiful way as Atwater informed her of her son’s last words, emphasizing that she raised a good boy who was just trying to help and got caught up in a mess that cost him his life.
It’s all a reminder that just because something seems like one thing on the surface doesn’t always mean that’s the case. We could all use a little more empathy when it comes to each other.
And I hope the chief remembers all of this when Intelligence ropes him in on his creep of a son!
Chicago PD Season 10 Episode 16 took it back to the basics—the dark and gritty vibe, the cage, and Voight going rogue for all the right reasons.
And that was all part of the plan—Jesse Lee Soffer’s plan, that is. The actor, who played Jay Halstead for 10 seasons, jumped into the director’s seat, told Hello that he wanted the episode to have an “old school PD vibe.” And that it did. There’s honestly no one who knows the show better than the man who has been on set making the magic happen in front of the screen for a decade.
It’s safe to say, Halstead’s first time directing was impressive, delivering yet another compelling hour of television—and cementing my belief that this truly is one of Chicago PD’s strongest seasons to date.
There was also something so poetic about putting Voight at the center of it all and giving him his own badass moment that involved him taking down two of Arturo Morales’ henchmen singlehandedly, bringing Julia back home, and ensuring that he sought the case through from beginning to end—with Morales finally getting what was coming to him and seeing a life sentence.
Once the jury verdict was announced, you could tell Morales was frazzled as he was sure that he had it in the bag. Little did he know, Voight was on the case, and unlike ASA Chapman, he was willing to bend the rules to get the right outcome.
It’s why Hank Voight has withstood the test of time—despite some questionable approaches over the years—as the hero that Chicago not only wants but needs. For the most part, he makes the city a better and safer place. He gets the bad guys any way that he can. The reputation that he has is there for a reason, and while many might not agree with his decisions and tactics, he’s also respected for a reason. He’s resourceful and provides results, and isn’t that what you want from the men protecting you?
Some of the best episodes of PD are when they go off-book. It might not always be what’s right in the eyes of the law, but it is what allows them to do the job that they are so good at. Why would he want to blow his own operation before he even had a shot at proving himself? If he went by the book, he would’ve cemented Julia’s fate and Morales’ case would’ve been rescheduled, allowing for the possibility that justice would never be served and that a dangerous and violent man with zero regard for other human beings would walk away.
CHICAGO P.D. — “Deadlocked” Episode 1016 — Pictured: (l-r) Jason Beghe as Hank Voight, Tracy Spiridakos as Hailey Upton — (Photo by: Lori Allen/NBC)
Voight couldn’t just stand around and allow Morales to get away with killing yet another person.
I’d think Chapman would be grateful that someone is willing to do the dirty work considering how much this case meant to her personally, but I’m not surprised she’s weary and feels complicit. She wants the verdict and the charges to stick, and if anyone found out what Voight did, that might not happen.
I’m a little bummed that the end result wasn’t a bonding night of drinking and letting loose between Voight and Chapman because, let’s face it, they both need it. And they complement each other so well, even if we veer away from making any romantic connections and keep them strictly as peers who see eye-to-eye. Chapman can stand her own against Voight, which can’t be said for many people, plus he respects the hell out of her.
There’s a good vibe there, so hopefully, they can find their way back to being supportive colleagues who can depend on each other when the pressures of the job get too much. Voight needs someone outside of his own unit—and who is a little closer to his age and mindset—to decompress with! Chapman isn’t Al Olinksy or Antonio Dawson, but she’s gone through her fair share of hardships, and she’s a good person to have in your corner.
Torress and Hailey definitely played a role in helping bring down Morales and find Julia, but it was very much Voight’s show, as he even went dark before going into the safe house, which is something that others would have gotten in trouble for in the past, and that could’ve ended terribly. The decision seemed to stem from his desire not to drag anyone else into a situation that may be held against them in the future, but I do hope he realizes that he can always count on his team—whenever and wherever. They all try to do their best, but if there’s one thing they—and the audience—know all too well is that when it comes to the law, things are never really black and white; we always operate in that gray area, and they’ve gone above and beyond to navigate it the best they can while making decisions that they can live with.
The case was a bit of a race against the clock—not just because of the jury deliberations but also because of Julia’s condition. Morales’ men never planned to return her in one piece, so they didn’t care that she suffered blunt trauma to the head and lost too much blood, which meant that Voight needed to act quickly if he wanted a positive outcome. He was looking for any way in, and he found it when they stumbled upon Ochoa’s cancer-stricken brother at the stash house filled with copious amounts of cocaine. Voight knew he found Ochoa’s weak spot, and he was eager to exploit it at any cost, though, it’s important to note that this was all just a front—Voight never intended to hurt Felipe, they simply used him as a bargaining chip. Voight may take shots, but he never drags down an innocent person to get what he needs.
As a longtime fan of the show, I truly enjoyed seeing Voight kick some ass. It proves that there are still plenty of stories left to tell where his character is concerned—and even though he’s an ever-evolving human, he won’t apologize for being his authentic self. Also, Voight policing in a dress shirt? Chef’s kiss!
Chicago PD fans, there’s a bit of a wait until new episodes return to NBC.
The police drama will not air a brand new episode tonight (March 8, 2023) as the show goes on a several-week hiatus yet again.
The last episode, Chicago PD Season 10 Episode 15, also the drama’s milestone 100th episode, aired on March 1, 2023, but the next installment, Chicago PD Season 10 Episode 16 won’t premiere until Wednesday, March 22.
There’s no official title or synopsis for the episode, but it is going to be a special as it marks Jesse Lee Soffer’s directorial debut. Soffer exited PD earlier this season in hopes of getting some time behind the camera, and it seems to be paying off as the teaser reveals that fans are in for a wildly good episode.
It kicks off with a jury member informing Voight that he’s been threatened by the suspect’s men, and unless he delivers a “not guilty” verdict, they are going to kill his loved one.
“We’re here to help,” Voight assures him before going to Hailey Upton and revealing, “the second that trial is over, they will have that woman killed.”
Intelligence urgently races against the clock to find the missing woman and save her life—we even see Voight kick in some doors and shout “where is she” as he interrogates someone.
How will it all pan out? We’ll have to wait until later in the month to find out!
For now, check out the trailer for the next episode below:
Chicago P.D. airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC.
WATCH: Nick Gehlfuss Sings Touching Song to ‘Fake Brother’ Jesse Lee Soffer
Chicago PD kicked off yet another multi-arc episode, this time bringing back Samantha Beck, a prior kidnapping victim, and her father, Richard, back into the fold.
A quick refresher—we met the Becks on Chicago PD Season 10 Episode 12 after Sam was kidnapped and her father refused to pay the ransom to get her out of the bind out of fear of incriminating himself and his criminal activity.
It’s a case deserving of a follow-up since it was very intriguing, so I’m glad that we’re looping back to it to dig deeper into the fractured father-daughter relationship and their shady involvements.
Ruzek, who was spending the day with Makayla, Atwater, and Jordan, responded to a crime scene that was initially assumed to be a murder-suicide. Immediately upon entering the premise, he knew something was off, and it wasn’t long before he realized the family was poisoned by someone making meth in the “abandoned” building next door.
Surveillance footage from the street connected the crime back to Samantha, who was seen near the unit on several occasions. But since they didn’t have any actual proof of her stepping foot inside, Ruzek decided to go undercover to get something they could charge her with.
Honestly, if I was Samantha, I’d be a little more skeptical of a random guy who just showed up, saved me from a potential rip, and asked for a job, but it’s clear that she’s also desperate for someone to talk to and rely on.
Right off the bat, Ruzek picks up on the fact that things between Samantha and Richard are not exactly on good terms. Samantha doesn’t fit into the drug world. She’s a good mother, so her involvement in dealing meth is questionable. Eventually, Ruzek realizes that she doesn’t have much of a choice as her whole life is connected to her father. He owns her—and everything she has, including her income stream. She has no way to free herself from his grip no matter how much she might want to.
And that’s why she’s so eager to bring Ruzek into the fold because he seems like someone she can trust and rely on. He’s there for her, constantly making sure she’s okay and offering a shoulder to cry on if she needs it.
When Ruzek went undercover, he never thought it would get this personal or that he’d feel compelled to save Samantha, but he knows that none of this is of her own making. He sees through what’s going on and wants to help her, but unfortunately, it’s not possible without burning himself.
The line between personal and professional bleeds, even more, when Richard invites Adam for a little chat to underscore that he’s a white supremacist (Adam agrees that they’re on the same team though we know that couldn’t be further from the truth) as Ruzek promises to keep tabs on Samantha and update Richard on everything she does. It’s extremely weird, but if Adam wants to earn his trust and not raise any flags, he has no choice.
And unfortunately, he’s going to be in it for the long haul. On the day of the deal, Adam is pulled away when Sam runs into a problem with her son Callum, who is being brainwashed by his racist grandfather. Once again, we see the personal and professional lines blend as Adam has no choice but to stick by Samantha and help her, which means he’s unable to provide any insight into the deal going down.
CHICAGO P.D. — “Blood and Honor” Episode 1015 — Pictured: (l-r) LaRoyce Hawkins as Kevin Atwater, Patrick John Flueger as Adam Ruzek — (Photo by: Lori Allen/NBC)
Their only hope of getting anything is through Samantha, so Adam must stay undercover a bit longer and get closer, working her in any way possible.
It’s also the exact reason why they tell you not to let it become personal when you’re undercover because it’s going to pain Ruzek to turn her in. He knows he can’t save her since she’s dealing meth—especially meth that killed a whole family—but he’s become quite fond of her and truly feels sorry for the predicament she’s been put in.
How will Ruzek handle it?
Will he find a way to tie Richard to the drugs or does he have to bring down Samantha since she spearheads the whole operation? And even then, would she ever turn on her father? My gut tells me she’d take the fall simply so that Callum would have some family around.
Then again, despite the loyalty, she also hates him enough at this point that she might be willing to put him away to save herself and her little boy.
Of course, Ruzek, being a father, also has a soft spot for Callum, the young boy who is so impressionable and caught up in the dangers and darkness of a situation that life has dealt him, much like Makayla. These are two kids who don’t deserve the cards that were dealt.
The episode ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, and with a hiatus until March 22, it’ll be a while before we see how things resolve, especially since the upcoming episode doesn’t feature Samantha at all. I guess this is what it must feel like to be undercover for a lengthy time.
There was a brief mention of Burgess’ mental health between Ruzek and Atwater, and it’s nice to know that she’s finally being open about her struggles and trusting her partners enough to confide in them and seek out their support. We all know she and Atwater go way back, so he deserves to know what’s been going on.
What did you think of the Ruzek-centric case? It’s kind of nice to see him get the spotlight without Burgess.
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