It appears Patrick John Flueger’s leave of absence from Chicago PD might be shorter than many fans have been anticipating.
Less than two months after word broke that he would be taking a leave of absence from the show, Flueger is back on set filming season 13. Confirmation of Flueger’s return to the set came via his co-star Marina Squerciati, who shared a behind-the-scenes video from the set in celebration of Flueger’s birthday on December 10.
“Happy birthday, my best friend,” Squerciati wrote, sharing a video of the crew and fellow cast members surprising Flueger with a birthday cake and singing “Happy Birthday” in celebration of his birthday. The on-set celebration included Flueger and Squerciati’s co-stars LaRoyce Hawkins and Benjamin Levy Aguilar.
The video marks the first confirmation that Flueger is back on set working on season 13, which is exciting news for fans. When news broke that Flueger was taking a leave of absence, there was no timeline given for his departure or how long he would be away from the show. Given Flueger is back on set, it seems we won’t be without his character for too long. In fact, there’s a chance we could see Ruzek back in action within the first few episodes of the new year when season 13 resumes.
Of course, there is a chance that we could also have to wait a bit to see Ruzek back in action on-screen, as it’s unclear what episode the show is currently filming. Typically, the shows film several weeks ahead of an episode’s release, so there is a chance Ruzek will be missing for multiple episodes still to come. Still, fans can breathe a sigh of relief in knowing that Flueger will be back in season 13, and shouldn’t miss too many episodes.
This is a big relief given how past leaves of absence have gone within the franchise. When Taylor Kinney took a leave of absence a few years back during season 12 of Chicago Fire, he ended up missing the remaining episodes of the season and did not return until the season 13 premiere. Fans had feared that the same could happen with Flueger as the initial reports failed to provide a timeline for how long he would be away from the show.
Thankfully, with Flueger back on set filming, it’s clear Ruzek will return in season 13 and the Intelligence Unit might not be without him for as long as we anticipated!
Chicago PD season 13 resumes Wednesday, January 7 at 10/9c on NBC.