Chicago PD has been having an exemplary season 12. The show has earned consistently high ratings on IMDb, with many episodes scoring well over 8.0 with users. It's clear that whatever concern we had regarding the departure of Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) have been quelled by quality stories and compelling acting.
As with any season, however, Chicago PD season 12 has had its ups and downs. Not every episode is going to be hailed as an all timer, and we thought it would be interesting time (winter hiatus) to look at which episodes connected most, and which connected least. Here's what we have at the mid point of season 12.
"Blood Bleeds Blue" takes the top spot
The most acclaimed episode of the season thus far is "Blood Bleeds Blue." The episode marks the lone appearance of Emily Martel (Victoria Cartagena), an officer who seem poised to join IU and fill in for Upton. Her chemistry with Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) was especially strong, but she was killed at the very end of the episode.
The emotional impact of a character dying that we barely knew was impressive, and Ruzek's reaction gave Flueger the opportunity to dish out some of his best acting in seasons. "Bloods Bleeds Blue" sits at an impressive 9.1 on IMDb, making it the only One Chicago episode of the current season to cross the prestigious 9 mark. We get why.
"Pawns" brings up the season 12 rear
The site's selection for worst episode of season 12 is a bit more surprising. "Pawns" brings up the rear with a 7.8 user rating. It's the episode in which Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) work her final case as an officer before being promoted to detective.
It was a major milestone for Burgess as a character, and one that was a long time coming, given that none of the characters, save for Hank Voight (Jason Beghe), are ranked higher than officer. It was a smart move to boost the ranking of another Chicago PD veteran, but fans didn't seem as taken with the way in which Burgess' promotion played out.
Some of it undoubtedly had to do with the tension that it sparked between Burgess and her fiance, Ruzek. The latter voiced concern for the increased danger that Burgess could be exposed to moving forward. Especially given that he had just his friend, Emily Martel, die in the line of duty a few episodes earlier. It was sound, from a story perspective, but it didn't connect the way the show wanted it to. Still an important outing.