Chicago PD has been hiding its main season 12 villain in plain sight

Chicago PD is a case of the week show by and large. Likes its One Chicago peers, though, Med and Fire, the show does typically set up a few plot points that take longer to resolve. A case that spans a few different episodes. A decision by a character that takes weeks to make. Or a villain that takes an entire season to vanquish.

Chicago PD has some of the best villains in the entire One Chicago franchise. It helps that the show deals with the most sordid subject matter, meaning villains can be as gnarly and cunning as one can possibly imagine. And we're excited to confirm that the next major PD villain is someone you already know well.

Deputy Chief Reid made a chilling offer to Voight

Charlie Reid (Shawn Hatosy) is the character that the IU will have to overcome in season 12. The Deputy Chief for the Chicago Police Department was introduced in the episode "Ten Ninety-Nine," and has remained a consistent, albeit minor presence throughout 2024. He appeared in two more episodes prior to "Penence," but it was the fall finale where he made his true intentions clear.

After the IU scrambled to protect Dante Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar) for getting involved with drug lord Gloria Perez (Yara Martinez), Reid sprung into action and siezed his opportunity. He sidled up to Hank Voight (Jason Beghe), who protected not only Torres but Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati), and made it clear that he wants to be "friends" moving forward.

"Friends" in this context could not have a more nefarious meaning. Reid knows Voight's reputation, and without saying it, he knows he can scratch the surface and come up with dirt on the veteran IU leader. Voight does not have a spotless record, as anybody who has watched a few episodes of PD can attest to.

Reid seemingly has plans to blackmail the IU

Reid asked lots of questions about the Torres situation throughout the fall finale, and the fact that he alluded to using information he's dug up in "another way," suggests that he doesn't intended to turn in the young cop or Voight. He wants to play a subtle game of blackmail with the IU, and use what he knows (or at least, thinks he knows) to bolster his own power in the department.

There's always a bit of a double standard when it comes to Chicago PD, given that Voight and the IU team have definitely done some shady things in their day. They've even blackmailed federal officers to get out of trouble. When its someone new coming in, though, and targeting the occasionally crooked cops we know and love, that's different.

We can't wait to see how the team handles Reid when PD returns on Wednesday, January 8.