Warning! Spoilers ahead for Chicago PD season 12, episode 6, “Pawns.”Chicago PD season 12, episode 6 finally promotes Kim Burgess but simultaneously highlights its years’ worth of failures. Hank Voight’s Intelligence has gone through a series of massive changes in the last several years. After Jay Halstead’s disappointing Chicago PD season 10 exit, his former partner and ex-wife, Hailey Upton followed the next year. While One Chicago is used to its cast constantly changing, Voight losing its two most veteran members greatly impacted Intelligence’s operations. If there’s any silver lining to these departures, however, it’s Burgess finally getting to move up the Chicago Police Department ladder.
For months, questions about who would replace Upton plagued Chicago PD season 12. Early on, Intelligence introduced and then killed Emily Martell, who was supposed to be the newest member of the team. By Chicago PD season 12, episode 6, “Pawn,” Burgess is already in the final step of the process of being a detective, as she goes on her first fieldwork carrying out her future responsibilities. Ultimately, she secures the role, which is great news for her and Voight’s team. In the process, however, Kim’s promotion emphasizes all the storytelling failures of the show in the last several years.
Chicago PD Never Established How A Detective’s Work Is Different From An Officer’s
All Intelligence Unit Members Have Operated Similarly
A big part of Burgess’ final step in the promotion in “Pawns” is about learning how to change her approach to a case from being an officer to a detective. Per the personal request of Deputy Chief Reid, Detective Suarez shadows her in what can be deemed as the practical side of the exam. They respond to an incident, where Burgess was tasked to call the shots. However, after years of being an officer, she still needs to make a conscious effort to focus on her new job as a detective — something that Suarez keeps on reminding her of.
In Intelligence, Voight is the leader, which means that he calls the shots.
That includes handling evidence and relegating duties to her subordinates. All of these changes make sense, but in Chicago PD, they don’t matter because the show has never spent any time establishing the differences in responsibilities between an officer and a detective. Aside from being being different ranks in the organization, Chicago PD has not explicitly established their roles. In Intelligence, Voight is the leader, which means that he calls the shots. The rest of the team can come up with actionable ideas, and occasionally, some of them would defy orders. That said, ultimately, he always has the last word.
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While Voight does have a clear right-hand person, which includes Alvin Olinsky, Antonio Dawson, Jay Halstead, and Hailey Upton throughout One Chicago’s run, everyone else functions the same way when responding to a crime scene. Because of this, it’s difficult to truly care about Suarez’s instructions to Burgess in Chicago PD season 12, episode 6. For viewers, as long as the suspect is caught and the case is solved, there’s very little to no investment in these protocols because they have never mattered in the show’s 12 seasons on the air.
Chicago PD Stagnated Its Officers For Years
There Haven’t Been Any Promotions Within Intelligence Until Burgess’
Aside from the specific changes that come with Burgess’ promotion, the fact in itself already emphasizes perhaps the biggest issue with Chicago PD‘s storytelling in the last decade. When Suarez asks how long the long-time Intelligence officer has been on the job, she says 13 years. By the time the procedural premiered in 2014, she and Kevin Atwater were already patrol officers who were under Trudy Platt. Burgess was actually the last person to be called up from being a uniformed officer until Kiana Cook was promoted in Chicago PD season 12.
Being called up to be part of Intelligence from being on patrol gave the show a variety of stories to tell in its earlier years. It also made it easier to be invested in characters such as Burgess and Atwater because they are both homegrown. Unfortunately, this is a lost cause now. What makes this worse is that the One Chicago series has stagnated its officers for years, even though all of them are capable of moving up. Had it not been for Upton leaving in the Chicago PD season 11 finale, Burgess’ promotion may not have happened.
They Have Been Waiting For A Promotion Longer Than Burgess
Out of Voight’s veteran Intelligence members, Burgess was the last one to get promoted to an officer in Chicago PD. Despite that, it’s difficult to argue that she isn’t the most worthy of the detective spot in the group. For starters, while both Adam Ruzek and Atwater are great in their jobs, none of them are able to call out Voight when he’s teetering on the edge like Burgess does. This is an essential part of the role of Intelligence’s deputy and is something that Dawson, Halstead, and Upton all did well.
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While Burgess’ promotion is totally justified, it opens up questions about when Chicago PD will move Atwater and Ruzek up the department’s ladder. Both have been very supportive of their teammates’ newfound success in her role in Intelligence, but it’s difficult to ignore that they have been stuck in the same position longer than Burgess was. At the very least, Chicago PD needs to promote either Ruzek or Atwater in the foreseeable future so Intelligence has a more balanced dynamic, especially since both Torres and Cook are also officers.
How Burgess’ New Detective Role Impacts Intelligence In Chicago PD Season 12
The Pressure On Burgess Could Impact Her Upcoming Wedding
As previously mentioned, Chicago PD has done a bad job of establishing the difference between an officer and a detective beyond how they rank. Unless the show will harp on this moving forward as Burgess gets settled into the role, it’s highly unlikely that this will have an impact on how things are done in Intelligence. As long as Voight remains their leader, their operation will remain the same — something that even Suarez points out to Burgess at the end of their case.
Outside of work, Burgess’ new expanded role in Intelligence could have an indirect impact on her upcoming wedding, which is something that has been a long time coming.
It’s curious, however, if there will be some changes in the smaller dynamics within the team. While both Ruzek and Atwater have expressed their support for Burgess, her promotion would give her the power to dole out mandates that they would have to follow. Chicago PD may use this to create friction in the group in the name of drama. Meanwhile, outside of work, Burgess’ new expanded role in Intelligence could have an indirect impact on her upcoming wedding, which is something that has been a long time coming.
A spinoff of Chicago Fire, this police procedural drama follows the detectives and the uniformed patrol officers of the Chicago Police Department as they work to crack cases and put criminals behind bars.
- Cast
- Jason Beghe , Marina Squerciati , Patrick John Flueger , LaRoyce Hawkins , Amy Morton , Jesse Lee Soffer , Tracy Spiridakos , Jon Seda
- Release Date
- January 8, 2014
- Seasons
- 12
