The season premiere of Chicago PD was not the typical opener we’ve seen over the past four seasons, but it makes it clear that a new chapter has begun. Here’s my recap and review.
The episode opened with a moving tribute to Erin Lindsay’s time on the show, from her first appearance to the end of last season. Focusing on the two most important men in her life, Hank and Jay, it was emotional no matter how many times you watched it.
The story then moves to Hank, who admits that Erin’s absence will be a mess and that things won’t be the same. It feels like he’s speaking not just to her, but to us, the audience, trying to work through just how confronting that loss is.
When Hank gets a call about a gun exchange, the team assembles to take it down, but things don’t go as planned. While chasing the suspects, Halstead hears someone screaming and finds Upton with a girl who has been shot.
They rush the girl to Med and hold on to a small hope that she’ll recover, but she doesn’t make it. The worst part is that the bullet came from Halstead’s gun. The media, the community, and Alderman Ray Price (Wendell Pierce) all push hard to get Halstead fired, and even the new CPD reform package doesn’t help.
Hank and the team search for the one suspect who can clear Halstead, with only one real clue: the suspect should have a stomach wound. It takes time to track him down, and leads to some very uncomfortable scenes, including Ruzek and Atwater questioning two kids.
The team gets help from former squad member Antonio Dawson, who goes undercover, finds the suspect, and turns him in, finally getting Halstead out from under the hateful media storm Price created. Even after he’s cleared, Halstead still apologizes to the girl’s mother and returns her daughter’s necklace.
Meanwhile, Burgess is back, and she’s got a new man in her life. Ruzek finds out the hard way when he tries to buy her another beer and asks her out again.
Antonio is officially back with CPD after getting bored at the State’s Attorney’s office. Yeah, we could say that.
As I said at the beginning, this episode feels like the start of a new chapter for the series. Erin is gone, and things are changing for Intelligence, just as Hank tells Jay that she’s gone and they need to move on.
I really enjoyed this episode. The performances from Beghe and Squerciati were terrific, and Mykelti Williamson and Wendell Pierce were great as well. The writing was strong, too. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.
You can catch Chicago PD on Wednesday nights at 10/9c on NBC.
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