Dante Torres cannot catch a break. He was introduced as the heir apparent to Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer), but he has proven to be anything but. Both men display bravery in the field, but Halstead tried to play things by the book, whereas Torres has gotten into one morally complicated mess after another.
The biggest mistake of Torres' career, thus far, has been starting up an affair with informant Gloria Perez (Yara Martinez). The season 11 arc came and went, sparing the rookie cop of an ugly fate, but Gloria is back just in time for the fall finale, and it does not bode well for Torres' future with the IU. That's actually an understatement: it doesn't bode well for Torres' future as a person.
PD star teases 'worst case-scenario' for Torres
Think we're exaggerating? The man who plays Torres, Benjamin Levy Aguilar, said as much during a recent interview with TV Line. The actor spoke on the precarious situation Torres finds himself in at the moment, especially since fellow officer Kiana Cook (Toya Turner) has found out about his covert romance.
So what's at stake for Torres heading into the fall finale? Well, according to Aguilar, everything:
"It’s the worst-case scenario. He can go to prison. He can die. He can lose his badge. He can get other people [from] his team in prison."
Doesn't get much worse than that. Especially since Torres and Kiana Cook have developed a bond throughout season season 12. The two clicked in the latter's first appearance, and now Aguilar feels there is a distinct break due to the secret that his character is harboring.
Dante Torres is putting other IU officers at risk
"Definitely something kind of gets a little broken," he explained. Aguilar also spoke on the tension that his character will be carrying throughout the fall finale. He told the outlet that Torres is fearful for the safety of Cook, given that she's one of the few characters privy to his relationship with Gloria.
Unfortunately, Cook is not the only officer who has been out in harm's way by Torres' actions. Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) will also be trying to cover for him, which puts both her life and her own career at risk.
Chicago PD has always been good at setting up dramatic stakes, especially when it comes to finales, but the Torres conflict is one of the most precarious situation fans have gotten to see in a long time. It is rare to come across a PD scandal that doesn't directly involve Hank Voight (Jason Beghe), and yet, here we are. Hopefully Torres and the rest of the IU make it out of the fall finale in one piece.