Chicago PD said bye to its new officer after one episode (here's why)

Chicago PD needs officers. There's no two ways about it. The season literally opened with Trudy Platt (Amy Morton) stating that the IU can't be short-staffed for a long period of time, and that Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) was going to need to find replacements.

The episode 'Safe Harbor" introduced one of these replacements: Danny Alvarado (EJ Bonilla). The officer looked capable enough in the field, and was more than game to follow Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) through a pretty harrowing case involving abused refugees, but looks can be deceiving.

Alvarado was arrested at the end of PD 1103

CHICAGO P.D. -- "Safe Harbor" Episode 11003 -- Pictured: (l-r) EJ Bonilla as Danny Alvarado, Patrick John Flueger as Adam Ruzek -- (Photo by: Lori Allen/NBC) /

It turns out that Alvarado is not the kind of officer that Voight and the rest of the IU want to associate with. Burgess discovered that Alvarado sexually assaulted one of the refugee women they had been trying to protect, and then ordered her murder. You read that right.

Not only is Alvarado not going to continue with the IU, but he's going to prison for a very long time for his heinous actions. It was a shocking development for a character we never really got a good feel for, and now that we know what he was up to, he ranks among the most despicable officers in the history of the show.

Alvarado's exit brings things back to the central issue of the premiere. What is the IU going to do with one less officer than usual? Well, the reason Chicago PD felt so comfortable writing in Alvarado as a one-and-done character is because Dante Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar) is coming back.

Dante Torres will return in Chicago PD 1104

CHICAGO P.D. -- "Escape" Episode 11004 -- Pictured: (l-r) Benjamin Levy Aguilar as Dante Torres, Yara Martinez as Gloria Perez -- (Photo by: Lori Allen/NBC) /

Torres has missed several episodes, including the season 10 finale and the season 11 premiere, and his absence has been chalked up to his desire to care for his mother. He's been on furlough for over six months, but the promo photos for the upcoming episode confirms that he is going to back in the mix full-time.

Torres has had his professional struggles, namely his decision to waterboard a suspect during an interrogation, but he's absolute saint compared to Alvarado, and it will be nice to see him back in action for the second half of season 11.

It'll also be nice to know that Alvarado is going to be going anywhere, anytime soon.

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