It’s not often we’re able to write a positive story on a Hollywood show, but every now and then, one comes along that surprises us. And the season 12 premier of Chicago P.D. did just that. They absolutely deserve kudos for their poignant and powerful portrayal of police bravery and sacrifice.
Episode 1, “Ten Ninety-Nine” introduced a new character, Officer Emily Martel (Victoria Cartagena), who joins main character Officer Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) on patrol after being on mental leave following the death of her partner.
At the end of the episode, viewers got a glimpse of how dangerous the job of an officer is:
Martel: So, what's our over-under?
Ruzek: Over-under on what?
Martel: How long before Voight picks up another scene? I'll put 20 on three hours.
Ruzek: Yeah, I'll take the over. Get some sleep.
Martel: I'm starting to get used to it now. There's something about the pace. There's a-- there's a buzz to it.
Ruzek: Yeah, a buzz of anxiety.
Martel: No, adrenaline. You can't be scared. You just--you got to go. You got to move. It's good. Thank you for, uh, pulling me up. I was beginning to think I'd never be in the field again.
Ruzek: You're welcome. You deserve it. Are we having a moment right now?
Martel: We're having a moment. Stop! Two shots.
Ruzek: Hold on, hold on, hold on. Where the hell did those come from?
Martel: I don't know.
Woman: What's going on?
Ruzek: Police! Ma'am, go back inside, right now!
Martel: Hey, you see anything?
Ruzek: Martel, you good? Martel?
This may be fiction, but it’s an accurate depiction of how things can change on a dime for our heroes in blue - how their loved ones never know if they’ll be coming home each day or night. And, how despite the hate and criticism they receive in our anti-cop culture, they’ll still put their lives on the line to protect us.
Episode 2, “Blood Bleeds Blue,” picks back up at the scene, and despite Martel lying dead on the ground, Ruzek can’t cope with what he’s seeing and denies reality:
Ruzek: Emily? Emily? Emily! Hold on. Come here. It's ok. Hold on. Hold on. 50-21 Ida, 10-1, 10-1, officer down. We're on the 4500 block of West Mackenzie. I don't have eyes on the offender. I do not have eyes on the offender. I need cars right now.
Dispatcher: Copy, 50-21 Ida. Will notify.
Ruzek: I got you.
Dispatcher: Backup en route.
Ruzek: Emily, can you talk? Em? Emily?
Cook: CPD! Drop that weapon!
Ruzek: I'm police! I'm police!
Cook: Drop the weapon!
Ruzek: Get down! I'm police. Get down! Get down. Shots came from that blue house back there. Are you responding?
Cook: No, I was writing a parker, and I heard the call. I heard the shots.
Ruzek: Can you see anything? You have eyes on the offender?
Cook: No, nothing.
Ruzek: Stay low! Stay low! I'm Ruzek, intelligence. Shots came from that blue house. You see?
Ruzek: All right, listen, this is what we're gonna do. We're gonna put her in your car, all right? We're gonna take her to Med in your car. We're not waiting for the ambo. We need to go right now.
Officer: Tommy, come here. We're using our car.
Ruzek: Easy now. Easy, easy, easy. You're gonna be all right. Watch her head.
Officer: I got her.
Ruzek: Now, you listen to me. You keep working on her. You hear me? You keep working on her. I don't care if she-- you just keep working.
Officer: We got her.
The introduction of Officer Kiana Cook (Toya Turner) was also significant. Turner’s own father is an officer, so her respect for the job and her talent as an actress combine for some incredible scenes as she and Ruzek work together to capture the suspect.
There’s no race baiting. No race wars. No claiming black officers are hated by everyone and shunned by their fellow officers. Just a completely unified team coming together for a common cause, which is a nice change of pace for a Hollywood show.
After the suspect ends up dead, and Ruzek saves the suspect’s child, the reality of the entire ordeal finally hits Ruzek and we get a glimpse of the emotional aftermath:
Ruzek: 50-21 Ida, I got an officer down. I need ambos. I got a tender two-year-old. It's all right, man.
Voight: Hey, man.
Ruzek: You're ok.
Voight: Adam, it's over. It's safe. You saved him. Hey?
Ruzek: Well done, Officer.
Cook: You too, Officer. You too.
I’m not crying, you’re…okay, I’m totally crying. Well done, Chicago P.D. Well done.
Unlike other shows that try to vilify the police, it’s obvious Chicago P.D. actually works with real-life officers and understands what these heroes go through. As Flueger told TV Insider about the scene:
Brian Luce, one of our producers and our tech guy, 21 years on the job as a police officer, told me that the curb is the police officer’s park bench. And when you see an officer sit down like that to try and take a load off, it’s like everybody knows what’s going on... You can just arrive on scene, and if you see somebody sitting like that on the stoop, not moving, not running around doing their job, there’s a reason for it. And he called it the police officer’s park bench. That made my eyes wet just when he said it. So it was kind of an important part of the episode.
Showrunner Gwen Sigan added:
I think any time that you have a police show and you remind yourself as a writer and also the audience that they are police and that they are going in doors every single day, that they don’t know what’s on the other side, and there is always a threat of danger and violence and a threat to your life, it keeps that reality to it and that authenticity. And so it will be something that I think all of our characters are affected in some way by…
This show is exactly what our ACAB culture desperately needs. Keep up the great work, Chicago P.D.
