Chicago PD blew our collective mind in the episode "Open Casket." We knew that Deputy Chief Charlie Reid (Shawn Hatosy) was going to be a difficult adversary to take down, but we didn't expect him to cause as much damage as he did prior to the season 12 finale.
Not only did Reid get two IU members fired, but he got the entire unit shut down pending further notice. We have never seen a situation more serious than this, and Chicago PD stars Patrick John Flueger and Marina Squerciati emphasized this point during a recent interview with TV Insider.
Reid has successfully dismantled IU
The stars, who play Adam Ruzek and Kim Burgess, respectively, told the outlet that the season 12 finale will continue to push the show into "uncharted territory." The stakes have never been higher, and the team has never had to make due without the resources of the police department. "Reid is in every corner and crevice of the city, so we have to be careful that he doesn’t [discover] we are on his trail," Squerciati said. "We’re in uncharted territory. For the first time ever, we see Voight at a loss."
She's not wrong. The promo for the season 12 finale, titled "Vows," shows a stunned Voight watching on as people around him clean up the IU. It's rare to see the veteran officer at a disadvantage, but we also know that he's going to do whatever it takes to make things right and nail Reid. Even if, as Flueger put it, Reid has severely diminished the capabilities of the team.
"Reid is taking us apart piece by piece," the actor asserted. "It's less 'Where do things stand?' and more 'Who’s left standing?.'" Ruzek doesn't have it as had as Burgess and Dante Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar), the IU members who were fired, but he's still in a bad spot.
Ruzek has been demoted within the CPD
"Some of us will lose our badges," Flueger said when asked about his character. "And the rest, as I understand it, will be bumped significantly down to jobs normally reserved for PO’s fresh from the academy." To make matters even worse, Reid's reputation and position of power within the Chicago Police Department means he can keep a close watch on the former IU team and ensure they don't disobey orders while on the clock.
We've no doubt that Voight and the rest of the gang will prevail. It's their show, after all, and we know they are coming back in season 13. What remains to be seen, however, is what the cost of nabbing a fish as big as Reid will be, and who will be forced to make a sacrifice to ensure that Reid is taken off the streets for good.
Chicago PD season 12 finale airs May 21 on NBC.