One Chicago questions of the week: Week of April 9

3) Will Olinsky and Voight’s game of cat and mouse result in the ultimate showdown?

“Payback” also had a very significant development in the Hank Voight/Alvin Olinsky storyline with the identification of the eye-witness who saw Olinsky (Elias Koteas) in the area on the night the body of Voight’s son’s killer was dumped. But what at first appeared to be another storyline that would be quickly resolved by Voight “taking care” of the witness took a very different turn when Voight suddenly developed a conscience.

The witness was a recovering drug addict, ex con and someone who Voight and Olinsky could easily set up for another stint in prison. But when Voight was tailing him, presumably to do just that, he discovered that the man was indeed getting his life together and had a supportive family who he was making amends to and chose to tell Olinsky that they could find another way to approach it.

Meanwhile Olinsky has been checking out his retirement options knowing that if he is under investigation and suspicion, his retirement fund will be flagged as questionable. Trudy Platt (Amy Morton) reports to Voight that Olinsky’s retirement is flagged. So now Voight knows Olinsky is concerned enough to check out his options and Olinsky knows that Voight isn’t willing to ruin the witness’ life to save Olinsky.

Olinsky sky then for the first time goes rogue from Voight and plants drugs on the witness and calls in an anonymous tip to get him sent back to prison. When Voight and Olinsky meet up in a bar later, Voight tells Olinsky what happens, Olinsky feigns ignorance and each knows that the other is playing on his own terms now. They may still need each other, but they definitely do not trust each other anymore.

So what is the next step in this cat and mouse game? We know that Voight will do anything to protect Erin Lindsay but will Olinsky stick to his honor code and go to prison for Voight? It certainly doesn’t look like it at this point.

Is Voight willing to go to prison to save both of them or is it horrifyingly possible that Olinsky’s days are numbered? Will it come to the ultimate showdown between Olinsky and Voight? Has Voight finally done the one thing that he can’t lie, cheat, steal or kill his way out of? We have a feeling that the answer may not be far off.