So much of Chicago PD Season 12 has been a season of personal growth and deep character exploration.
It has resulted in one of Chicago PD’s strongest seasons in recent years, and fortunately for us, that energy will continue as we move forward with the remainder of the season.
When we last spoke to showrunner Gwen Sigan, she discussed what feels like a soft reboot for the series and teased all the exciting new developments to come with the Intelligence Unit professionally and personally.
We were lucky enough to catch up with her again as part of a One Chicago junket to learn what we could expect from the remainder of the season and if the first post-pandemic One Chicago crossover will be as epic as we imagined!
When we last spent time with the Intelligence unit, the new chief, Reid, had Voight and the others in a vice when he let them know that he was aware of Torres’ illegal relationship with Gloria during Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 8.
Now, we’re left wondering what Reid knows, how he knows it, and what type of adversary he’ll serve as to Voight and in intelligence.
But of course, there’s so much more to the season, as we plan to delve into Kiana Cook’s background further, and the season’s MVP, Kim, grapples with new stages in her life and juggling her new position, parenthood, family, and an impending wedding.
We tried our best to cover it all with showrunner Gwen Sigan, so check out everything she has to say below!
Reid has to be one of the most puzzling characters we’ve had on the series for quite some time. What can you share about his motivation and how Voight attempts to get from under his thumb?
Yeah, it’s been fun. He is such a hard-to-read and pin kind of character.
It’s a slow burn. We’re learning slowly who this guy is and what he wants. And now we certainly know he’s got all of this dirt on Voight, which is high-stakes.
He could basically disband the entire unit and potentially put Torres in jail. You’ll see it moving forward that Voight isn’t very comfortable with that relationship and being under somebody’s thumb. As time goes on, we get to learn more about Reid and what those motivations are.
It becomes a cat-and-mouse game between the two of them as they’re getting to know each other, and Voight tries to find out how they can manipulate this man, who we’ll learn is incredibly good at manipulating people.
He’s incredibly good at playing this game, and I think it is one of the more formidable opponents that Voight has faced in some time. He’s like a funhouse mirror version of Voight. Voight is going up against somebody who knows the way that he thinks and is always two steps ahead.
We use this character to talk a lot about whether Voight has changed. Who is Voight? Is he this evolved person that we’ve been trying to make him? Is he the same old Voight, just with a different outfit?
Yeah, the season feels very personal. We’re getting deep into all of the characters. Is that something that will continue in the second half of the season? I know we’re getting some Kiana exploration soon, right?
The first episode back [Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 9]is all about Cook. It’s a very like, adrenalized kind of action ride. But it’s all used to tell the story of who Cook is and where she comes from. We haven’t really gotten to know her background at all yet.
It naturally comes out of the case in a way that’s really surprising to her. I think if it weren’t for this case, we would not meet these people.
We get to meet both her father and her mother in this episode. We get a feeling for the different worlds that Cook belongs to, how that has shaped who she is today, and why she’s a police officer.
It’s a fun one, and Toya [Turner] ‘s great in it.
It sounds fun. I’m looking forward to it!
It also feels like the season of Kim Burgess. She’s had a lot of transition and progress. What challenges will she face professionally and personally in that back half of the season?
Gosh, she’s got so much going on. There are so many transitions that I think she’s been dealing with really well. She’s kind of finding her footing as far as being a detective and being a leader in this unit.
We’ll just see that progress as she naturally takes more ownership and leadership. But she’s also got all this stuff going on where she is being a partner to Ruzek, who’s going through some difficult times in the second half of the season. She’s also being a mother to Makayla, and she’s planning a wedding.
It’s a lot. We’ll see all of that come to fruition a little bit in Episode 16, where she has to kind of not deal with it because these are all things that she asked for.
But I think the reality of change is that many times it can feel stressful, even when it’s good stress, even when good things are happening, it can feel so overwhelming.
It does affect her, and we see how she deals with it through an interesting, different structure in Episode 16. She continues to have a lot of stories to come, and it’s been such a year of change for her.
It has for all of them. But also, this is the first year since pre-pandemic, when we get the big crossover. So what’s the energy been like diving into that? What can you tease about that? Whose life is hanging in the balance? Someone’s, I’m sure!
I know! It’s going to be. No, it’s fun. It’s been a challenge, of course, because these things logistically are hard to make.
But we shot it already. We shot it before the holiday, so it’s coming together. It’s big! I think production value is cool.
It looks really good so far. The cast was all great. There are some really interesting pair-ups. You just don’t get to see these characters together all the time from across the different shows.
It’s interesting seeing people in a different role than they’re usually in and getting to interact. We are all so different, too, with tone and everything. Even being on set and having all the fire guys there who are like a riot and fun and getting to see our characters interact with them differently. It’s been a good time!
What is Torres’ state of mind after losing Gloria, but also the trust of his team a little bit, especially Kiana?
Yeah, he’s the opposite of a good time. He’s definitely going through it this year.
The Gloria stuff was nice to bring back and it had consequences for him. Last year, we got to live in the fun of the romance. But it was also interesting stakes. What an interesting choice for that character to make for this romance.
We teased the why, but this season, you really are going to get more of what it was about the pair of them that attracted each other. A lot of it came from these similar traumas that they could see in each other. It triggers that for Torres when she dies.
In the second half of the season, we see a lot of him subconsciously dealing with some of that and almost going back to his past and childhood.
We get to see that side of the character and his struggle against that. It ends up having to do a lot with his relationship with faith and why that’s such a big part of his life.
He’s just such a good actor, Benny. He just keeps getting better and better. He elevates everything we give him. It’s fun to write and to know we can go into really interesting spaces with him.
Are we going to see Chapman come back at any point? Because we are still hanging with that confession. She dipped out on us after that.
We’re hanging in the balance. Yes, she’s coming back. She’s back in Episode 15.
We will pick that story right back up, see what the time apart has done, and get back into their relationship.
She plays an integral role in the second half of the season and a lot with Reid as well. She, Voight, and Reid sort of become this interesting triangle.
Which upcoming storylines are you most excited about?
A lot of them! I’m really proud of these Ruzek episodes we have coming up. I think Paddy just did such wonderful work. Jack Coleman, who plays his father, is back.
We have this Atwater episode we’re working on right now, which I think is deep and different for him. It shows us a different side of his character.
Val is back for that. I really liked Natalee Linez, who plays her. I’m excited about that. I think the fans will enjoy that one.
Of course, the crossover. Hopefully, everybody loves it because it’s a fun, big, huge action movie.
Over to you, Chicago PD Fanatics. Is there anything Sigan teased that piqued your interest? Sound off below in the comments!
Chicago PD returns with an action-packed and exciting new episode tonight at 10/9c.
Don’t forget to check back in with us for a full review!
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