Critic’s Rating: 4 / 5.0
4
I can’t decide which character displayed their growth best this season: Burgess or Ruzek.
They’ve both had strong enough seasons that it feels like the season has been theirs for the taking, and Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 20 was another example, giving us more insight into their family life and growth.
Ruzek is such a family man, and nothing has put that into perspective as much as Chicago PD Season 12.
Catching Cases in the Off Time
It seems Chicago PD isn’t tired of having intelligence members catch random cases while off duty.
This time, we had the endearing opener of Ruzek with his father, checking in on Disco Bob and trying to ensure that he had handled all of Bob’s business.
I loved how the top of the hour showcased Bob having a bad day. You could tell he was out of it and didn’t recall much of anything, which contrasted nicely with the hour’s close.
It’s a subtle but evocative snapshot of what it’s like for loved ones who are dealing with a relative battling Alzheimer’s and dementia. Every moment can be different than the last.
We were also able to piece together how faithfully Ruzek sees his father from his sweet exchanges with the nurse.
But then we were catapulted into an icy spring evening and a bizarre situation: Ruzek was following Frank on a bridge despite debating whether he should.
Ruzek from ten years ago would’ve pursued Frank without question, without ever stopping to weigh the consequences, so little moments like Ruzek talking to himself and having an internal debate over whether he should go home or investigate are markers of how much he’s evolved over time.
Ruzek’s Attachment to Cases Reflects His Placement in Life
He has a family to consider and rationalizes better than acting purely on impulse.
The rest of the bridge situation felt similar to that Hailey-centric — Chicago PD Season 9 Episode 13, where she encountered a car crash while jogging and ended up in the lake.
Ruzek’s attempts to talk Frank down from his suicide attempt on the bridge were nerve-wracking and ultimately futile when, despite his best efforts, Frank fell to his death.
This series loves to traumatize the heck out of its characters for no good reason, and Ruzek having to watch that man fall after losing his grip on him, thanks to their bloodied hands and Frank’s flailing, was too much.
Nevertheless, Ruzek persisted, and we had more intensity when he had to race off the ice before he, too, plunged into the river along with Frank’s body.
Ruzek’s attachment to cases often reflects his current situation, and anything involving children or fathers can get under his skin.
He showed Frank’s wife so much grace. Truthfully, I probably would’ve hauled her in after she slapped me in the face if I were him. Screw her grief.
And he was especially precious with the baby. I love it when Dadam comes out. He’s so great with kids, and one has to wonder if he and Burgess may consider having more sometime down the road.
Ruzek Wanted to See the Best in Frank During a Straightfoward Trafficking Case
But because of the nature of this case he was determined to learn that Frank was anything other than a sleazebag who visited warehouses where a criminal like Dimitri trafficked young girls.
Alas, Frank was the worst, and maybe Ruzek can feel less bad and traumatized over watching that man plunge to his death after learning the truth.
Interestingly, Ruzek wanted to see the best in Frank while investigating that case, while simultaneously fearing the worst of his father when hearing about the bank situation.
But we’ll get to that in a few moments.
The case itself was straightforward, but its more interesting components were connected to Ruzek’s interest and reactions more than the case particulars.
They operated with a skeletal crew, as Atwater and Kiana weren’t present, sadly, taking their mandatory (and increasingly prominent) breaks from the episode as part of that budget-cutting measure.
The Skeletal Team Was Noticeable and Felt During This Installment
I felt their absence. Voight and Torres barely had presence during this one, and Trudy was there for a blink-and-you-miss moment. So the hour was primarily Burgess and Ruzek.
It’s great for them as a unit both at work and home, but it still sucks when the team element is lacking during episodes.
Voight gave some cursory lines but took the backseat, and a scruffy Torres had me wondering if he’s still battling depression and insomnia.
The baddies were attempting to whoop Ruzek’s ass at every turn, and it definitely made you miss Kevin because when he’s around, you don’t see that happening as much.
Ruzek held his own against the bad guys, though, particularly during that harrowing moment in the room that prompted Kim to go feral and bust down that door to get to Ruzek.
It was one of the best moments of the hour. She also had her badass moment of shooting out the tires in that truck when the girls tried to escape.
Burzek Have a Strong Presence This Season
And let’s not forget how no-nonsense she was with Steve during that interrogation. Burgess really is on her Queen Sh*t. Love that for her!
As much as both of them can hold their own and carry an episode, it was one of the roughest yet regarding feeling the difference from the series benching half the team.
But it wasn’t the case that held interest as much as Ruzek’s battle with juggling his personal and home life this season. You feel the weight of what it’s like for him as a father, son, spouse, and officer in everything he does.
It’s such a grounded and real journey for him, and they’ve depicted much of it well.
He was stressing out about the bank stuff, which sometimes almost distracted him from the case. Poor Burgess knew it was getting under his skin and could only offer support.
Disco Bob’s Arc Is Heartwrenching But Beautifully Executed
Disco Bob hasn’t always been on the up and up, so it was easy to worry that he placed some bad bets and maybe owed a loan shark or something, and didn’t remember.
Instead, we had something far more beautiful; he took out all of his money before he returned to Chicago and put it in a trust for Mack.
As he nears the end as a cognizant person, Bob has expressed his love for family, his pride in Adam, his excitement over the wedding, and his devotion to his granddaughter. And if you weren’t at least moved a little bit by that ending, are you even a human?
Oof, those final moments triggered a girl’s allergies.
Over to you, Chicago PD Fanatics. How did you feel about this Ruzek-centric episode? Let’s discuss it!
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