Chicago PD season 6 midseason report card: What worked, what didn’t?

What’s next

The primary issue for Chicago PD to handle will be Antonio Dawson (Jon Seda), covering up that he just killed a guy, and dealing with his drug addiction. This isn’t Intervention, so it’s worth watching to see how much time the show spends on the addiction part and allowing him to go through his recovery process. Or will the writers handwave it and have Antonio back to normal in an episode or two?

Seda could play that story, just like Jesse Lee Soffer could’ve played Halstead’s therapy out last season, but it depends on how much the writers want to explore those issues and take time away from the cases of the week. They should take the leap, but will they?

Ruzek’s growth professionally has been interesting this season, going from a man who nearly sold out his team last year (albeit against his will) to one who couldn’t fight harder for it. With so much focus now on his relationship with Upton, this could be one of his biggest seasons. And to be fair, there’s potential in the Upton ship if Chicago PD is willing to slow its roll and flesh it out a bit more. How will Upton react if Ruzek tries to help Antonio?

The big news to look forward to is the return of Ray Price later this season. Wendell Pierce is such a good actor, and his chemistry with Jason Beghe is everything that the Voight and Brennan (Anne Heche) interactions want to be. Keep an eye on how he complicates things, and Pierce’s talent on its own will take things up a notch. Maybe he’ll set fire to this political subplot that’s been waiting for a big spark so far this season.

What did you think of the first half of this Chicago PD season? Give us your thoughts about the first nine episodes in the comments, then tune back in to NBC on Jan. 9 for the winter premiere!