Chicago P.D. (TV series)
Chicago P.D. is an American police procedural drama television series created by Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead as a part of Wolf's Chicago franchise. The series premiered on NBC as a mid-season replacement on January 8, 2014. The show follows the uniformed patrol officers and the Intelligence Unit of the 21st District of the Chicago Police Department as they pursue the perpetrators of the city's major street offenses. The seventh season premiered on September 25, 2019. On February 27, 2020, NBC renewed the series for an eighth, ninth and tenth season.
Plot
A spin-off of Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. focuses on the fictional 21st District, which houses patrol officers and the department's elite Intelligence Unit, led by Detective Sergeant Hank Voight. The first three seasons and the first half of season four focuses on both the patrol and Intelligence officers, and shifts to focus on the Intelligence Unit from the second half of season four on, after Detective Kevin Atwater and Officer Kim Burgess advance to the Intelligence Unit.Cast
Main
- Jason Beghe as Sergeant Henry "Hank" Voight, the enigmatic and often mercurial chief of the Chicago P.D.'s Intelligence Unit. Despite his brutal, tough exterior and take-no-prisoners approach to police work, he is loyal to the cops and detectives serving under him and highly “dedicated” to the victims of the crimes his unit investigates to the point of committing human rights violations and not respecting the law. He is first introduced in Chicago Fire as a dirty cop who clashes with CFD Lieutenant Matthew Casey after Voight's son Justin causes an accident in which a teenager is paralyzed, and Casey, who was first on scene, had intended to testify that Justin was DUI. He was arrested by Det. Antonio Dawson for trying to have Casey silenced by force, but was later released from prison and reinstated to the police force by Internal Affairs. As a result, many of Casey's colleagues disliked him and Casey's superior Chief Boden has a love-hate working relationship with him. It is eventually revealed in the Chicago Fire episode "Let Her Go" that his dirty cop alter ego was part of an undercover operation to catch criminals and other dirty cops. Prior to taking command of Intelligence, Voight worked in the Gang Unit. His father Richard was a former CPD officer who was killed in the line of duty. Voight is a widower; his wife, Camille, died of cancer some years prior. His son, Justin, served in the Army and was killed in the last episode of season 3 while trying to help a friend. Hank took an interest in Erin Lindsay at 14 and raised her as his daughter.
- Jon Seda as Senior Detective Antonio Dawson, an Intelligence Unit detective who previously arrested Voight for harassment and has since worked alongside him. Unlike Voight, he has limits on how far he will go to get criminals off the streets, as shown by the fact that he asked Halstead to stop Voight from killing anyone while on the hunt for Pulpo, as he did not want it on his conscience. He and his ex-wife Laura have two children: Diego and Eva. He is the older brother of Chicago Fire character Gabriela "Gabby" Dawson. In season 4, he is offered a job at the State's Attorney's Office as Lead Investigator, which he accepts. After becoming disillusioned with the job, he returns to the unit in the first episode of season 5. In season 6, Antonio struggles with recovering from a shoulder injury and dependency on the oxycodone he is taking for the pain. After a dealer he owes kidnaps, beats, and rapes his daughter, Antonio, high on oxy, kills him in revenge. Though Voight and Ruzek manage to cover up the incident as self-defense, and Antonio successfully recovers in rehab, mayor-hopeful Superintendent Brian Kelton later gets the case re-opened in order to take down the Intelligence Unit, and in the season finale, Antonio relapses after Ruzek is arrested after taking the blame for everything to protect him. In the season 7 premiere, it is revealed that Voight found Antonio and checked him into an off-the-books rehab clinic to get him clean again while also protecting his career. It was revealed several episodes later that Antonio resigned and moved to Puerto Rico to spend more time with his family.
- Sophia Bush as Detective Erin Lindsay, a tough Intelligence Unit detective and former CI whom Voight took under his wing when she was a juvenile delinquent. Because of this, she is closer to Voight than the other members of the unit. She has a half-brother, Teddy Courtney, who was taken by a pedophile ring at age thirteen and was found turning tricks in New York City 10 years later. She was in a relationship with her partner Jay Halstead from seasons 2 to 4. Near the end of the fourth season, Lindsay is accused of assault after she sticks her gun down a pedophile's throat in the interrogation room; facing possible dismissal from the police force, she accepts a job offer at the FBI in New York and leaves Chicago.
- Jesse Lee Soffer as Detective Jay Halstead, a brash Intelligence Unit detective who was Detective Lindsay's partner. A former Army Ranger, he is confident in his abilities and sometimes comes across as cocky. He also suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder, shown progressively during Season 5, later seeking therapy for it. He is the older brother of Chicago Med character Dr. Will Halstead. He was in a relationship with his partner Erin Lindsay from season 2 until she transfers to the FBI in New York at the end of season 4.
- Patrick John Flueger as Officer Adam Ruzek, a younger police officer recruited straight out of the academy by Olinsky to do undercover work. He is often portrayed as an overeager amateur who dives head-first into a situation without thinking. His parents are separated and he split time between his father "Disco Bob" Ruzek, a longtime patrol officer with the 26th District, who lives in Beverly, and his mother in Canaryville. He was engaged to fellow police officer Kim Burgess.
- Marina Squerciati as Officer Kim Burgess, a former flight attendant-turned-uniformed patrol officer who was Atwater's partner. She was then partnered with Sean Roman before his departure. Burgess is shot in "Called in Dead" and spends the next episode recovering. She was engaged to Adam Ruzek; the relationship was later broken off because of commitment issues. She later developed feelings for Roman before he moved to San Diego. In season 4, she is offered a job in Intelligence, which she accepts.
- LaRoyce Hawkins as Detective Kevin Atwater, a uniformed patrol officer who was Burgess' former partner until he was promoted to the Intelligence Unit And is now a Detective
- Archie Kao as Detective Sheldon Jin, a tech and surveillance expert. He was discovered to be a reluctant mole working for Internal Affairs sergeant Edwin Stillwell, who has leverage to make him cooperate. He was found murdered in the first-season finale episode "A Beautiful Friendship".
- Elias Koteas as Detective Alvin Olinsky, a veteran undercover officer and a friend of Voight who previously worked with Voight in the Gang Unit. Before joining the force, Olinsky served in the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team stationed in Vicenza, Italy. Olinsky mentions in "Called in Dead" that he has eight confirmed kills in the line of duty. At the end of the fifth season, Olinsky is arrested for the murder of Kevin Bingham, the man who murdered Voight's son Justin, and is later stabbed to death via a hit in prison while awaiting trial.
- Amy Morton as Sergeant Trudy Platt, a sarcastic desk sergeant of District 21, and the immediate superior of the district's patrol officers. Before taking a desk job she was a uniformed patrol officer, and worked with Dawson. She twice passed the detective's exam. Platt is married to Chicago Fire character Randy "Mouch" McHolland.
- Brian Geraghty as Officer Sean Roman, a brash patrol officer who partners with Burgess after transferring to the 2-1 from District 31. He transferred out because of his relationship with Jenn Cassidy, who is now a K-9 officer, to avoid breaking fraternization rules. He has his own private security company on the side. After being wounded in the line of duty, and with the department feeling he would be unable to return to patrol, he resigns and decides to join the San Diego Police Department.
- Tracy Spiridakos as Detective Hailey Upton, a tough former robbery-homicide detective and Erin Lindsay's replacement following her departure to New York. Upton gets transferred in the season 7 episode 18, "Lines", to the FBI Field office in New York City to temporarily fill in for an agent undercover. Hailey Upton has a history of dating her colleagues: Garrett Thomas, her sergeant that meritoriously promoted her to detective, Adam Ruzek, and now she's in love with Jay Halstead.
- Lisseth Chavez as Officer Vanessa Rojas, a rookie and Antonio Dawson's replacement following his resignation. She previously worked in an undercover operations unit.
Recurring
- Samuel Caleb Hunt as Greg "Mouse" Gerwitz, the new tech and surveillance expert for the Intelligence Unit. He served in the same Army unit as Halstead. After he persuaded Voight to get a felony expunged, he resigned from Intelligence to reenlist in the Army.
- Stella Maeve as Nadia Decotis, an 18-year-old former escort and addict whom Lindsay tries and succeeds in helping. She later becomes the Intelligence Unit's civilian administrative aide and was studying to be a police officer. She was murdered by Dr. Gregory Yates in s, episode "Daydream Believer", the conclusion of the season's second SVU/Chicago crossover event.
- Barbara Eve Harris as Commander Emma Crowley, the current commander of the 21st District, who shares a rocky past with Platt. She was replaced by 1st Deputy Katherine Brennan after Voight's involvement in shooting Alvin Olinsky's murderer.
- Kevin J. O'Connor as Commander Fischer, the commander of the 21st District who succeed Ron Perry after his retirement. He was replaced by Commander Crowley because of the district's bad public image.
- Robert Wisdom as Commander Ron Perry, former commander of the 21st District. He retired at the start of the second season and was later killed in the season finale episode "Born into Bad News".
- Josh Segarra as Justin Voight, Voight's son. He was killed in the third-season finale "Start Digging".
- Markie Post as Barbara "Bunny" Fletcher, Lindsay's mother. Lindsay took an FBI job in New York City on the condition that her mother serve no jail time for drug trafficking at the end of season 4.
- Chris Agos as ASA Steve Kot
- Ian Bohen as Sergeant Edwin Stillwell, Voight's new Internal Affairs handler. He was arrested after it was found out that he was involved in Jin's murder.
- Alina Taber as Lexi Olinsky, Alvin Olinsky's daughter. She died from injuries sustained during a warehouse fire in "Emotional Proximity".
- Madison McLaughlin as Michelle Sovana, Alvin Olinsky's daughter who shows up at the end of season two. She purports to be the daughter of a woman Olinsky was involved with when he was undercover, but Olinsky discards the results of a DNA test he ordered to establish his paternity.
- Sydney Tamiia Poitier as Detective Mia Sumner, a new member on the Intelligence team, removed on "The Docks" and replaced by Atwater.
- Melissa Carlson as Meredith Olinsky, Alvin Olinsky's estranged wife.
- Erik Hellman as Dr. Alec Willhite, a doctor at Chicago Med and Detective Julia Willhite's widower, after she was killed by Pulpo in the pilot episode.
- America Olivo as Laura Dawson, Antonio's ex-wife.
- Carl Weathers as State's Attorney Mark Jefferies in Episodes: "Justice"; "Favor, Action, Malice or Ill-Will"
- Zach Garcia as Diego Dawson, Antonio's son.
- Maya Moravec and Ariana Chantelle Cordero as Eva Dawson, Antonio's daughter.
- Nick Wechsler as Detective Kenny Rixton
- Mykelti Williamson as Lieutenant Denny Woods, Voight's former partner who goes to great lengths to ruin his career. He was arrested for bribing a witness in the fifth-season finale "Homecoming".
- Wendell Pierce as Alderman Ray Price
- John C. McGinley as Brian Kelton, a police superintendent who is running for mayor of Chicago with a pro-police platform. He was murdered in the sixth-season finale "Reckoning", later revealed to be by Deputy Superintendent Katherine Brennan.
- Anne Heche as Deputy Superintendent Katherine Brennan, Kelton's initially supportive right-hand whose support for him begins to wane after his extreme pro-police platform and corrupt dealings and campaigning policies and methods start to emerge as he runs for mayor of Chicago. Eventually, she murders him on election night after realizing his inevitable victory would ruin the city, and Voight initially decides to allow her to go out on her own terms by committing suicide in her house. However, Halstead and Upton go behind Voight, and stop her from taking her own life, and arrest her.
- Paul Adelstein as Interim Superintendent Jason Crawford, Kelton's current successor as Superintendent.
- Michael Beach as Darius Walker, a businessman and drug dealer who claims to be doing the local black community good service with his illicit dealings, and Hank Voight's CI.
Episodes
Crossovers
- "A Dark Day" – In the first crossover with Fire, concluding on "8:30 PM", an explosion occurs at Chicago Med, sending the fire and police departments in a race against the clock to find the culprits.
- "Nobody Touches Anything" / "Chicago Crossover" – In the first crossover with Fire and SVU, concluding on "They'll Have to Go Through Me", a routine house fire uncovers evidence of a pedophile ring spanning from Chicago to New York.
- "Three Bells" – In the second crossover with Fire, concluding on "A Little Devil Complex", Firehouse 51 and Intelligence search for the serial arsonist who killed Leslie Shay.
- "We Called Her Jellybean" / "Daydream Believer" – In the second crossover with P.D. and SVU, continuing on "The Number of Rats", a fire uncovers evidence of a serial arsonist suspected of committing rape and murder in Chicago and New York.
- "The Beating Heart" / "Malignant" – In the first crossover with Fire and Med, concluding on "Now I'm God", a member of Firehouse 51 is rushed to Chicago Med for a stabbing while an attempted suicide uncovers four cases of chemo overdose, leading to an investigation that becomes personal for Voight.
- "Nationwide Manhunt" – In the third crossover with SVU, concluding on "The Song of Gregory William Yates", the New York and Chicago police departments hunt for escaped criminal Greg Yates.
- "Some Make It, Some Don't" – In the third crossover with Fire, concluding on "Don't Bury This Case", Severide becomes the prime suspect in a case of vehicular manslaughter.
- "Deathtrap" / "Fake" – In the only crossover with Fire and Justice, continuing on "Emotional Proximity", the prime suspect in a warehouse fire is put on trial.
- "Hiding Not Seeking" – In the fourth crossover with Fire, beginning on "Profiles", Firehouse 51 helps Intelligence investigate a series of bombings targeting members of the media.
- "Going to War" / "When to Let Go" – In the second crossover with Fire and Med, concluding on "Endings", the victims of an apartment complex fire are rushed into Chicago Med and Intelligence races to find the culprit.
- "What I Saw" – In the fifth crossover with P.D., concluding on "Good Men", Cruz helps Intelligence track down robbers who have been using a firehouse lockbox key.
- "Infection" – In the third crossover with Fire and Med, a bioterrorist spreads a deadly virus throughout Chicago.
- "Off the Grid" – In the sixth crossover with Fire, concluding on "Burden of Truth", Sean Roman gets involved in the investigation of opioid overdoses connected to his sister.
- "Emotional Rescue" – Chicago PD Detective Hailey Upton temporarily joins the FBI's New York Team as a part of their interagency training program and finds her methods clash with the Bureau's by-the-book environment.
Spin-off
Production
On March 27, 2013, it was reported that NBC was considering plans for a spin-off of Chicago Fire. Deadline Hollywood revealed that the proposed spin-off would involve the Chicago Police Department, and would be created and executive produced by Dick Wolf, Derek Haas, Michael Brandt, and Matt Olmstead. On May 10, 2013, NBC picked up the show for the 2013–14 United States network television schedule. On May 12, 2013, the show was announced as an unscheduled midseason replacement. The show premiered on January 8, 2014.It came to light in November 2017 that Bush had left the show because of Beghe's behavior behind the scenes. Bush's claims led NBC to open an investigation into Beghe's behavior. On November 21, 2017, Deadline reported that Beghe was investigated for behavior that was considered overly aggressive and may have been sexual harassment. Beghe released a statement in which he admitted to engaging in aggressive behavior and apologized for it.
The seventh season premiered on September 25, 2019.
Filming
The series is filmed entirely in Chicago. The exterior of the station house is the Old Maxwell Street Police Station and is the same location that was used in the series Hill Street Blues. It is located about half a mile from the firehouse location of Chicago Fire at 1360 S. Blue Island Ave.On March 13, 2020, Universal Television production of the seventh season was shut down due to the impact of coronavirus pandemic.
Casting
Cast members include Jason Beghe as the Intelligence team Sergeant Hank Voight and Jon Seda as Detective Antonio Dawson. Actors Tania Raymonde, Kelly Blatz, Scott Eastwood, and Melissa Sagemiller were initially cast as well.However, as the show went into pre-production, the cast began to change. On June 13, 2013, it was announced that Melissa Sagemiller would no longer be a part of the show and Jesse Lee Soffer officially joined the cast as a series regular. On August 23, 2013, Patrick Flueger and One Tree Hill star Sophia Bush joined the cast as Officer Adam Ruzek and Detective Erin Lindsay, respectively. Marina Squerciati joined the cast on August 28, 2013. On August 30, Elias Koteas became a regular. Archie Kao was announced as a regular on September 27, 2013. On October 21, 2013, Stella Maeve was cast in a recurring role as Nadia, a pretty 18-year-old escort who is addicted to heroin and goes through a very difficult withdrawal. Sydney Tamiia Poitier was announced as a guest star in December 2013. On December 20, 2013, it was announced that both Eastwood and Raymonde had departed the series over creative differences.
In September 2016, it was reported that Seda would move to the legal drama spin-off Chicago Justice as a regular. In May 2017, it was announced that Bush would depart the series after four seasons. After Chicago Justices cancellation, in July 2017 it was announced that Seda would move back to Chicago P.D. as a series regular for season five. In July 2017, Tracy Spiridakos was promoted to series regular as Det. Hailey Upton after a three-episode guest stint in season four. On April 19, 2019, NBC announced that Seda would leave the series again at the end of the sixth season.
Reception
Ratings
Reviews
Chicago P.D. has received mixed reviews from critics. Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, gives the drama a 50% rating based on 21 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Rotten Tomatoes gives season 1 a rating of 57% based on reviews from 28 critics.Ray Rahman of Entertainment Weekly gave the drama a favorable review: "It's hard to imagine the series capturing the compelling, can't-watch-just-one magic that makes the Law & Order franchise so marathonable, but it moves just fast enough to keep you from changing the channel in search of an SVU re-run." Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times also gave the series a positive review when it premiered on January 8: "Chicago P.D. is, in many ways, a throwback to an earlier, male-dominated era of crime shows, yet it carves out room for strong female characters who are good at their jobs and taken seriously by their colleagues." Robert Bianco of USA Today expressed disappointment: "When did Wolf's work, which used to show some grace and wit, become this ugly, plodding and crass?"
Broadcast and streaming
- US – Chicago P.D. airs new episodes on NBC. Reruns of the show air on NBCs sister station USA and Oxygen. On USA it airs Mondays from 9am-8pm ET, and on Fridays and Saturdays from 9am-11pm ET. On Oxygen it airs Thursdays from 10am-2am ET. Reruns are aired Tuesday evenings from 8pm-9pm ET on MyNetworkTV and all day Thursday from 11am-3am ET on Ion. Chicago P.D. is also available through electronic sell-through platforms including, iTunes, Amazon Video, and Vudu. The series will be available for streaming on Peacock along with Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Law & Order, ' and '.
- Canada – Chicago P.D. was broadcast on Global for six seasons, then moved to CityTV. Episodes for the sixth season in the Atlantic time zone air three hours ahead of the U.S. eastern/central broadcast due to the time difference.
- UK – Chicago P.D. is broadcast on 5USA in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The first season aired Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. between July 16 and October 22, 2014. Repeats were later broadcast on parent channel, Channel 5, prior to the broadcast of the second season beginning April 8, 2015, From late 2019 the show now airs on Sky Witness.
- Australia – Chicago P.D. premiered on the Universal Channel on November 20, 2014.
- Thailand – It was aired every Saturday-Sunday 11.00pm-12.00am on the นาว 26 under the title "Chicago P.D. มือปราบชิคาโก้"
Awards and nominations