Is Adam Ruzek leaving Chicago PD?

“Gone” was a taxing episode for several Chicago PD characters. That said, the character who struggled the most was Adam Ruzek (Patrick Flueger), who took the kidnapping of Makayla (Ramona Edith Williams) as cause to ignore standard police procedure.

There were several instances throughout the episode where Ruzek crossed the line, and other cops had to talk him down. The character’s behavior, coupled with the somewhat bittersweet ending, has led some fans to question whether he will be leaving the show.

Here’s what you need to know about Ruzek’s future with Chicago PD.

Is Patrick Flueger leaving Chicago PD?

Ruzek has openly questioned the merit of his profession in season 9. In an earlier episode, “End of Watch” he was forced to reckon with the fact that the job corrupted one of his mentors, Sal Ortiz (Ricardo Chavira). This dissatisfaction, coupled with a frantic desire to get Makayla back, boiled over in “Gone”.

Not only did the character handcuff and drag Makayla’s uncle Theo from his home, but he got in the man’s face and threatened to kill him if anything happened to his daughter. Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) gives him a warning regarding his inappropriate behavior, but Ruzek is back at it once the team discovers a woman connected to the kidnapping. He nearly gets physical with her after she insults Burgess.

The third and final time he flies off the handle is when Theo agrees to make a ransom drop off with the kidnappers (read our spoiler recap for the full story, it’s a doozy). Instead of following through with the plan, he decides to chase after one of the pick up men on foot.

Burgess chastises Ruzek for making impulsive decisions with Makayla’s life hanging in the balance, and they argue prior to finding an unconscious Makayla in a nearby junkyard.

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The final scene shows Burgess, Ruzek, and Makayla sharing a tender family moment. Burgess goes as far as to grab Ruzek’s hand, but the character pulls his hand away and leaves the room. It’s a saddened note to end an otherwise triumphant rescue, but it does not mean that Ruzek is going to be leaving the show.

The character merely went through a transformative episode, and is going to have to learn to keep his anger under control when handling personal cases. Ruzek is sticking around for the rest of the season; hopefully he can follow Burgess’ lead and follow rules to a larger degree.

While Ruzek is sticking around, the prospective romance between him and Burgess seems less clear than ever. It’s tough to gage whether the Makayla kidnapping brought them closer together or pushed them further apart, and it’ll be interesting to see where their family goes by the season finale.

For the latest Chicago PD season 9 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago PD category at One Chicago Center.