3 Chicago PD stories we want to see (and 2 we don’t)

Chicago PD is in a transitional period. The police procedural parted ways with a long-running cast member in season 10, Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer), and there’s a distinct possibility that season 11 will see the departure of two more: Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) and Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos).

Ruzek was last seen losing blood in a hospital bed, and Upton has been confirmed to be leaving at some point during season 11. There are lots of directions these subplots can go, so with the show slated to resume production in late November, we decided to break down the directions we want to see in season 11, and the ones we don’t.

We want Adam Ruzek to survive getting shot

Let’s start with the obvious, shall we? Nobody, and we mean nobody, wants to see Ruzek die after getting shot in the season 10 finale. The character has quietly become one of the most essential in the entire show, and the notion of dedicating so much screen time to him the season before just to kill him off would leave a bad taste in fans’ mouths.

Granted, getting shot by a kid will likely bring about some reflecting, especially since Ruzek is now a father to Makayla (Ramona Edith Williams), but we’d much rather get a different version of the character than one who’s six feet under.

We don’t want Trudy Platt to lose her husband

Ruzek isn’t the only one fighting for his life. Mouch (Christian Stolte) was shot in the stomach by a sniper during the Chicago Fire season 11 finale, and the episode ended with him being treated at the same hospital. Needless to say, it was an emotionally devastating moment for Ruzek’s friend and Mouch’s wife, Trudy Platt (Amy Morton).

Platt has always been an anchor for the other characters in Chicago PD, so we don’t want to see what will happen to her if Mouch does wind up kicking the bucket. It would be an unbearably sad ending to one of the most charming and beloved couples in the entire One Chicago franchise.

We want Halstead and Upton to fix their marriage

This one should be relatively easy. Upton will be leaving the show in season 11, as we already said, and it seems logical that the writers would use the sudden departure as an excuse to fix the issues with the Upton and Halstead marriage. Things really fell apart for the couple in season 10, to the point where Upton decided to take off her wedding ring, and given how recently they got married, it was tough to watch.

We could easily see a world where Upton decides to travel to where Halstead is in an attempt to fix their marriage, or perhaps Halstead comes back to Chicago and they decide to move elsewhere to get a fresh start. Either way, missing out on this happy ending would feel like a huge missed opportunity.

We don’t want Ruzek and Burgess to split again

Ruzek and Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) have been through enough! These two have been shot, traumatized on the job, and been forced to work a case in which their daughter was held hostage! It’s been a very taxing couple years for these two, and while they didn’t always handle the stress in the most ideal manner, it’s clear they care for each other.

There were some big steps taken to reconcile at the end of season 10, and an implication that they would be moving forward as a family before Ruzek was shot. Assuming Ruzek survives, we don’t want to see them continue the will-they-won’t-they dynamic the writers have relied on for several years. It’s time for a new chapter in their lives.

We want Hank Voight to start dating someone

Speaking of romance, when was the last time Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) went on a date? The character is very committed to his job, but it’s been a long time since Chicago PD dedicated time to fleshing out his personal life. Hank Voight is getting older, and after the tragic passing of his son, it would be nice to see a dynamic develop between Voight and someone else that suggests he has something to look forward to after clocks out.

At the very least, it would be a nice change of pace. There has been lots of romantic focus on the rest of the IU over the years (just look at the topics on this list), but pivoting to Voight, an unlikely romantic lead, would be an interesting way of keeping the show fresh. Maybe he can call up SVU‘s Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay)…

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