Detective Kim Burgess may be on the way.
One of the biggest questions throughout the series’ many seasons was when one of the core three (Atwater, Burgess or Ruzek) would be promoted to detective.
After Halstead and Upton left and Martel died, the intelligence service dropped all detectives.
It’s time for someone to step up, and while we’re fervently hoping that Detective Kevin Atwater is on the horizon, we’re certainly not disappointed that Burgess is that man.
Frankly speaking, Chicago PD Season 12 has been striving for excellence in terms of content, delivering uninterrupted episodes since the premiere of Season 1.
In addition to the show being strong overall, it’s been a great season for the female characters so far.
We get more Trudy face time, which we’ve been craving for a long time.
Nina Chapman gave a stellar performance in Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 4, evolving her character and creating a fascinating arc for Voight.
The season begins with the introduction of Martel, and her subsequent death sets the pace for the season, leaving a lasting impression on us despite the brief time we have with her.
Chicago PD Season 12 Has Been a Strong Season So Far for its Female Characters
The addition of Kiana Cook brings a welcome breath of fresh air to the series. It breathes life into the series and makes “Intelligence” feel like it’s finally in place.
So, of course, after missing a few productions and sometimes being stuck in the background, it’s time for Kim Burgess to shine in the best possible way.
Burgess’ promotion from patrolman to potential detective is a fantastic trajectory for one of the series’ strongest characters.
It seems that after attending conferences and other such events for a while, Burgess has been trying to advance her career.
Everything else has been smooth sailing for her, as she’s gotten over some of the trauma of the shooting, her family life is intact, and her engagement to Ruzek marks her happily ever after .
Now, professionally, she can have everything she wants, as she successfully completed every aspect of the detective test except one.
Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 6 is titled “The Pawn,” which already hints at a conundrum Burgess will face, whether she’s one of the pawns in question or is forced to use someone as a pawn.
Burgess is just one step away from becoming a detective, and she’s excited about it, until she’s faced with a challenge that tests her morals and everything she stands for.
As infrastructure, policing comes down to who you are and who you know.
Work and work ethics aren’t the only determining factors in who advances and who doesn’t.
What you are willing to do, who you are willing to associate with, and things of that nature are also important factors in determining how far you can go and how you can go.
“Pawn” is already fascinating in its portrayal of what it’s like to be in law enforcement for women trying to advance in the field.
We already know through Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 5 that a cop as good as Kiana Cook dares to challenge her partner’s shortcomings in the field that put many people in danger, but she Demoted from a respected position in a tactical unit to a police officer.
Detective Suarez questions Burgess’ moral stance on case
Now, the obstacle between Burgess and her promotion as a detective is a ride-along with a fellow detective who encourages her to do things Burgess finds inappropriate.
One of the best features of this season is the subtle representation of female law enforcement officers in the field.
This Kim Burgess-centric hour seems designed to explore that more deeply from another angle.
In the promo, we hear Detective Suarez, played by Orange Is the New Black, and the late East New York great Elizabeth Rodriguez tell Burgess that a ride was the key to her becoming a “shining new kid.” Detective’s obstacle.
Sounds simple, right?
What problems might arise with a ride?
Suarez at least won’t make it easy for Burgess.
No matter what situation Suarez and Burgess work together, we see Suarez taking the lead a little bit and putting pressure on Burgess.
From the promo, Suarez wants to put pressure on a woman who might have some valuable information about the case they’re working on.
Suarez wants Burgess to use children as pawns
When the woman did not appear to provide information immediately, Suarez suggested that Burgess exerted extreme pressure on the woman and used her children as leverage.
This seems like where the episode’s title might come into play: The woman’s child is the pawn in getting her to cooperate with the police, while the woman herself is the pawn in a larger game to solve the case.
Burgess is a mother who is fiercely protective of her children and familiar with the risks of almost losing them twice.
Asking someone like Burgess to use her children as leverage goes against everything she’s against at this point in her life and career.
While this seems a far cry from the way they used to handle things in the intelligence community, it’s not something Burgess would have liked.
Worse, at no point did the fate of Burgess’ career hang in the balance based on what she did or didn’t do here.
It seems she and Suarez are facing this issue now, but Burgess is willing to stand firm and wonder if they could do things another way.
Other members of the unit are still supporting roles in King’s case
It will be interesting to see how others influence this case and installment.
Some photos show Burgess talking to Voight, which makes you wonder if she was asking for his advice on handling the Suarez situation.
We also see a few stills of Burgess and Ruzek in the locker room. She may confide in her fiancé about what happened and how she feels about it, and he always has her back.
The photos suggest they’ll be dealing with a tough murder case, as we see Voight crouching over a gruesomely bloody corpse.
We also see Burgess at a crime scene, and she’s looking very much like a detective these days.
For those of us who have become die-hard Kiana Cook fans, this is the first time we’ve seen her as an official member of the unit, and it looks like she’s joining the plaid club too!
We see her sitting next to Ruzek, rocking a flannel.
Their desks appeared to be close together, and the two seemed to mirror each other as they listened intently about the investigation.
It would visually demonstrate how well she would fit in with the unit, don’t you think?
Burgess, teaming up with Suarez and Atwater, likely won’t be in the hour, and since we don’t see him in promos or stills, one has to wonder if Cook and Ruzek will be as good as they were in ” Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 2.
If that’s the case, bring it with you! What a badass duo they are!
Chicago PD returns with all-new episodes on November 6th!
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Over to you, Chicago PD fanatics.
Are you excited for someone to finally become a detective?
Are you happy to be gold?
