Chicago PD preview: What to expect in season 11, episode 2

Chicago PD opened season 11 on an interesting note. Instead of writing off a major character right away, or bringing in a newcomer, the police drama focused on the difficulty of moving on, and set up an overarching theme for the rest of the year.

The second episode of the season will continue this theme. The synopsis for "Retread" promises a focus on Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger), which fans have been waiting on since the character was shot and nearly killed in the season 10 finale.

Ruzek continues to struggle in PD 11x02

The synopsis reads as follows:

"Ruzek gets mixed up in a case after a late-night poker game is raided; afraid of becoming like his father, Ruzek struggles to stand down and allow Intelligence to carry out the investigation while he remains on leave."

There's a lot to unpack here, especially with the added context of Ruzek struggling to pass his power test. In the season premiere, he revealed that he hasn't been cleared to resume work yet, despite his desire to be back on the job.

The whole situation is complicated by the fact that Ruzek's dad, Robert "Bob" Ruzek (Jack Coleman) was a Sergeant for the Chicago Police Department, and was not known for having the most upright reputation among his peers.

Related: Chicago PD reveals Jay Halstead's real name

Ruzek has spent the last few years struggling with the ups and downs of the job, and his current predicament is probably his most difficult yet.

The IU continues to struggle with a short staff

Chicago PD showrunner Gwen Sigan confirmed that Ruzek would be a huge part of season 11, and this episode in particular, during a recent interview with Hello! Magazine:

""It's been six months of physical rehab, and it takes a lot physically but also mentally to get you back to where you were before. Adam is someone that relies so much on this job – it's part of his self-worth, part of keeping him sane – and he needs the adrenaline and the impact of this job.""

It's been a long time since we've heard mention of Ruzek's dad, and given that he's become a dad to Makayla (Ramona Edith Williams) in the last few years, and has formed a family unit with Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati), the concern about taking on Bob Ruzek's worst tendecies hits especially hard.

It'll also be nice to interesting to see how the IU navigates a case with a short staff, since Ruzek and Dante Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar) are still MIA. We get the sense that a new recuit is around the corner...