Chicago PDseason 12, episode 5 wasted the opportunity to fix a problem that has plagued the series for years. The police procedural originally featured both patrol officers and detectives working for the Intelligence Unit, but in recent years, it has focused exclusively on Intelligence. However,Chicago PD’s season 12 castincluded new hire Kiana Cook (Toya Turner), who first appeared in the season premiere as an officer called to the scene of Martel’s murder who then helped Ruzek get safely away from the scene and assisted him with the investigation and the pursuit of the killers.
This story again left Voight short-staffed, as Martel was intended as a replacement afterHailey Upton leftChicago PD. Although Voight needs to fill that seat, the remaining staff seemed to work together well in the next two cases, suggesting that it wasn’t as urgent as it seemed to hire someone new for Intelligence. Thus,Chicago PDcould have continued to have patrol stories featuring Cook. However,the series went in a different, more disappointing direction with her character inChicago PDseason 12, episode 5.
Cook Is Promoted To Be With Intelligence In Chicago PD Season 12, Episode 3
After Only Two Appearances, The Series Is Again Short On Patrol Officers
Cook’s promotion came at the end ofChicago PDseason 12, episode 5. She returned to the series at the beginning of the episode, looking for Ruzek, but when he was not available, she took Torres with her to the scene of a 911 call, leading to the two of them finding a teenage girl’s body submerged in water by some woods. Cook and Torres' partnership on the case led to him continually peppering with questions about why she had returned to patrol.Cook was annoyed, but didn’t realize that Torres was vetting herfor a position with Intelligence.
Chicago PD Season 12’s Ending Repeats Its Most Shocking Twist After 10 Years
The Chicago PD season 12 premiere ended with a tragedy, which seemingly parallels one of the most devastating surprises from the pilot episode.
It wasn’t until the end of the episode that Torres revealed the reason for his incessant questioning, telling Cook there was an open position if she wanted it.Cook accepted the position but was surprised that Voight had accepted the idea of her joining the team, as she assumed all higher-ups were like her previous boss,who demoted her because she was a whistleblower who spoke up about his laziness. However, she was glad to be part of a real team again.
The Choice To Sideline Development Is Disappointing
Cook’s promotion made sense, storywise. Intelligence is short a person, and Cook demonstrated high intelligence, intuition, and an ability to establish rapport with an extremely difficult suspect. However, her promotion means thatChicago PDis again sidelining patrol stories. This is disappointing, as no main character has been a patrol officer since season 4, when Burgess was promoted to Intelligence. Since Burgess' promotion,Chicago PDhas used patrol officers only as minor characters who introduce the case to the detectives rather than having any storylines involving them.
While Cook’s promotion is well-deserved, it didn’t have to occur so quickly inChicago PDseason 12.
Cook’s introduction as a patrol officer was exciting because it meant a return to these types of stories. However, she was promoted quickly, meaning thatChicago PDintends to continue with its habit of sidelining patrol in favor of Intelligence-centered stories. While Cook’s promotion is well-deserved, it didn’t have to occur so quickly inChicago PDseason 12. Instead, Cook could have remained a patrol officer for a while and occasionally helped with Intelligence cases, leading to a promotion later in the season.
Why Chicago PD Needs To Bring Back Patrol Stories
They Are An Essential Ingredient For Future Success
Keeping Cook a patrol officer would have added some excitement that could last into a potentialChicago PDseason 13. Additionally, this would allowChicago PDto go back to basics, as it included patrol stories in its earliest years. These old stories were part of what made the series so popular. They offered different types of stories than they could do using only the Intelligence Unit, andcharacters like Burgess and Atwater were fleshed out while they were in patrol, making them more relatable long before they arrived at Intelligence.
Trudy is an interesting character who is often sidelined because she doesn’t go out into the field.
The best reason forChicago PDto keep patrol stories alive is that it gives Trudy (Amy Morton) something specific to do. Trudy is an interesting character who is often sidelined because she doesn’t go out into the field. The closest she has come recently to her role in earlier episodes is demanding that everyone organize their supplies better. Trudy deserves a better storyline than that, and ifChicago PDhad fully included Cook as a patrol officer, it would have given her one.
Chicago P.D.
Cast
Chicago P.D.: This police drama, set in Chicago’s District 21, follows the distinct units within the Chicago Police Department—uniformed officers addressing street crimes and an Intelligence Unit tackling major offenses such as organized crime and drug trafficking, capturing the dedication of those who serve and protect their community.
