Chicago PD continues to deliver the goods in season 12. The police drama not only benefited from the recent One Chicago crossover, but a focused, character-driven approach that has yielded some of the best episodes in recent memory.
It's been fun to see the veteran characters change over time, and come to the realization of what's important to them. We have watched Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) and Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) get engaged, and Kevin Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins) become the change he wants to see in his community. The episode "Street Jesus," however, presented us with an unexpected throwback to the mindset Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) had in the pilot.
Hank Voight quoted himself from the pilot
The character largely took a backseat to Atwater throughout the episode, but he delivered arguably the most notable line of dialogue. Atwater spent most of "Street Jesus" trying to hide info from his commanding officer. He didn't want to implicate his friend, Hype, in a local murder, so he refrained from mentioning Hype to Voight.
This backfired, of course. Atwater eventually came clean out of necessity, and Voight took it in stride. He admitted he was disappointed in Atwater for hiding the truth, but reminded him that making tough calls should fall to him. "That's not how things work around here.... You tell me the truth so I can lie for you," Voight explained.
This exchange, while powerful on its own, takes on additional meaning when you realize Voight said the exact same thing during Chicago PD's pilot. He explained that people told him the truth so that he could be the one to lie for them. Bringing this morally ambigeous line back was not on our 2025 bingo board.
The character insists on making the tough decisions
It's fascinating to hear season 12 Voight take this stance. The character was introduced as a menace in many regards. He tried to take out beloved Chicago Fire character Matt Casey (Jesse Spencer), for crying out loud. He's softened over the years, but he has always been able to call upon this killer edge when needed.
Voight's willingness to bend and break the rules is what drove Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) away in season 9. The character was forced to partake in a blackmail scheme that saved Voight as well as his wife at the time, Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos). He did it, but he flipped Voight's infamous line about lying for other people against him. Then, he left.
We're curious to see whether traces of the old Voight will pop up during season 12, or whether the exchange was Atwater was merely meant to be a nod to the pilot for die-hard fans. Either way, we dug it.