Chicago PD Season 11 Episode 2 Review: Retread

The Intelligence Unit shares one mind cell, and solely Kevin Atwater has major possession.

The excellent news is that we principally acquired a reprieve from Hailey throughout Chicago PD Season 11 Episode 2.

However, the dangerous information is that Ruzek opted to be equally as hardheaded all through the installment. Is it the Intelligence Unit or the Anti-Intelligence Unit? Because bless their hearts, a few of our beloved squad members are caught on silly typically.

The second installment was stronger than Chicago PD Season 11 Episode 1. It additionally was evident that the 2 ought to’ve been reversed — this episode would’ve been a neater transition into the brand new season, specializing in Ruzek as he struggled with sitting out of the job.

While it wasn’t a very compelling piece of tv, it might’ve flowed higher if we had first seen this one.

But it was nonetheless a tricky promote, primarily as a result of the collection has turn out to be so redundant that almost all of what they’re presenting is predictable.

While the motion continues to be there, and there is a darkness and depth that may maintain you glued to the display, it is not sufficient to distract from the truth that they’re recycling the identical basic ideas and concepts.

We needed to watch Adam Ruzek behave recklessly, refuse to take heed to anybody, and endanger his job and future due to his involvement in a case he should not have been a part of.

And we needed to watch Voight for the umpteenth time, cowl for one in every of his personal.

Is it a reprieve from Hailey Upton getting entangled in a plotline that includes a coverup? Sure.

However, it is nonetheless the identical storyline, and it is time to put it to mattress.

How usually can we watch one of many unit members do one thing they haven’t any enterprise doing whereas Voight swoops in to cowl their tracks?

We’ve seen this one million occasions. There’s no salvaging this specific plot level or revitalizing it in an thrilling means. The horse is bloodied and useless.

The hour additionally ended as we’d’ve anticipated, too. Nothing good derives from changing into a confidential informant for the Intelligence Unit.

One of the cardinal guidelines of Chicago PD is that confidential informants should die.

Zaco did not have a snowball’s likelihood in hell of surviving the second we realized he was Ruzek’s CI, and the deeper emboiled he was within the case, the extra obvious it was.

It’s due to this stuff that the hour was missing.

Adam, for those who keep there, the one factor you are doing is ending your profession.

Voight

Nevertheless, it was nonetheless good to verify in on Adam Ruzek post-shooting. And as anticipated, he wasn’t doing wholly effectively.

The installment gifted us with some nice Burzek moments and the domesticated life they’ve with each other. It was most likely a thrill for the ‘shippers, who can relaxation assured that they’re going sturdy and appear on the healthiest they’ve ever been as a pair.

It’s a aid to know that Burzek is strong as a pairing, particularly contemplating how disastrously issues went with the opposite ship on this collection.

Ruzek’s life was out of stability, although. While issues had been nice at dwelling, and he was completely happy to be a loving and supportive partner and pa who contently sat by means of lovable household meals collectively, not having the job to return to was consuming away at him.

We’ve identified for a while that Ruzek sees the job as his sense of function, and he hasn’t even thought of a world the place he is not a cop.

Ruzek, with out the job, is like shedding a limb, and he cannot course of it.

The lengthy retread technique of returning to the sphere was taking a toll on him. And whenever you had jackasses like that, the cop who ran the examination, it did not assist issues.

It wasn’t shocking that Ruzek was the type who appeared to battle with the test-taking portion of the retread course of. He’s all the time been a person of intuition and motion.

Related: Chicago PD: Hailey Upton’s Eventual Departure is a Blessing In Disguise

His strategy to the job is about emotions and a pure inclination for it. It is not this factor that he needed to study and examine, however somewhat one thing that got here naturally to him.

But we realized that with out the job, Ruzek is inclined to fill the void that it leaves with harmful issues.

It was disconcerting when he rolled off the bed for a poker recreation in the midst of the night time. But it was even worse when he confirmed up at this seedy bar with a bunch of criminals and hoodlums for some unlawful playing.

The ripoff simply as he gained was an thrilling scene, particularly when bullets began flying, leading to two our bodies.

It was additionally clear from how the Bala brothers ran inside that it needed to be an inside job.

It’s not unusual for unit members to catch circumstances of their off time, however this acquired out of hand when Ruzek could not flip his cop instincts off lengthy sufficient to keep away from firing his service weapon on the scene and chasing after the perps.

Ruzek put himself within the worst potential place seconds into the episode, and that sample continued. It was typically irritating to look at.

If they knew that the bar was a spot that was often on the radar for VICE and others, he should not have been there. It was so unbelievably reckless and felt like character regression for a person who has labored laborious to shed his hotheaded and impulsive nature.

Zaco: I suppose that is what Ruzek’s guarantees appear like.
Burgess: What guarantees?
Zaco: That I would not be dragged into any of this. That he would shield me.

But at the least we may hopefully chalk this as much as Ruzek not being at his greatest after the capturing and needing to be on the job to be at his greatest.

They took a distinct strategy to Ruzek recovering from his capturing, so thankfully, he wasn’t battling PTSD, and it wasn’t extra of the identical because it was for Kim.

And that is a aid as a result of everybody handles issues like that otherwise, and it is nice to see all these sides explored.

It additionally exhibits {that a} man like Ruzek would not face the extent of PTSD that Kim Burgess did and will get by means of a capturing with out the psychological and emotional toll — probably due to his penchant for recklessness.

But a few of his extra irritating traits had been intensified due to all of this.

The hour was mockingly humorous in some ways. Voight getting that cellphone name was hilarious as a result of there is not a single second when he would not need to cowl for some workforce member.

Between Hailey, Jay, and Ruzek alone, it is no surprise his hair hasn’t gone solely white, and that is to not account for all he does on his personal.

At this level, Hank Voight is beginning to really feel like a single dad with many unruly children who discover bother at each conceivable flip (not unfamiliar territory for him, given his experiences with Justin and Erin).

But he cannot even get upset about any of it as a result of they mainly acquired it from him, proper?

But the dearth of communication is the worst factor to occur routinely.

Given that they caught the case, he would’ve carried out higher telling the workforce upfront what was taking place. It would not have modified something since they might have fortunately lined for Ruzek.

But it took him till Burgess saved noticing issues on her personal and urgent him for Voight to inform her the reality as a result of it may probably have an effect on her household.

Related: Chicago PD Season 11 Wishlist

And neither he nor Kim Burgess bothered to inform the remainder of the unit what was taking place even after they all may piece issues collectively.

Hailey having the unmitigated gall to press on the difficulty was hilarious, contemplating she NEVER tells the opposite workforce members about any of the laundry checklist of coverups and crap she and Voight are all the time as much as.

While Hailey was proper for wanting honesty, one thing that ought to all the time be a factor, it was wealthy coming from her, of all folks, to push this concern, and thus, it was annoying.

Ruzek could not keep in the home and lay low for something.

Kim, I’m no good with out the job.

Ruzek

There had been some amusing facets of that — the transition between Kim busting down the Balas’ door whereas Ruzek was pushing a cart within the grocery retailer was price a chuckle.

And all his little home chores on the home whereas he desperately tried to remain tapped into the case was humorous.

But the man wasn’t monitoring down leads on his personal and customarily endangering himself and making an even bigger mess.

Voight was actively attempting to make sure he wasn’t introduced into this investigation and keeping off Internal Affairs. Ruzek confirmed up at crime scenes with neighbors describing him and Hailey figuring out his jeep.

We acquired an insightful second amid all this when he acquired susceptible with Voight about why he is been struggling a lot.

He genuinely fears ending up like his father, which you’ll perceive since his complicated relationship with the person has popped up throughout the collection a number of occasions.

Ruzek lives for the job as a lot as his father did, and the prospect of shedding his function and changing into as a lot of a disappointment as his father with out it scared Ruzek.

The playing was a positive sufficient signal that it was a legitimate concern for Ruzek.

Kim: I’ve acquired you.
Adam: Of course.

I beloved that second between Ruzek and Voight. It has been a very long time since they’ve linked in that means, and it is good to see Voight’s paternal take with among the different characters.

It was additionally beautiful to see Voight interacting with Burgess extra. We not often see that pairing working collectively or partnered up.

We acquired some Burgess and Kevin Atwater, too, which is all the time a blast, besides this time, it felt out of character that Burgess would misinform Kevin about Zaco and the whole lot happening with Ruzek.

The three of them are far too close-knit for that to be plausible. Both members of Burzek speak in confidence to Kevin about the whole lot, and if it comes right down to masking for each other or serving to each other out of a bind, these three are the definition of ride-or-die.

Kim and Voight taking Zaco to the cage was befitting of an hour that revolved round them masking for Ruzek. It introduced again among the old-school vibe of them crossing traces.

Zaco was an clever child, and when you’ve the unit pushing boundaries the way in which they do, it really works higher after they have folks of curiosity who can provide pretty much as good as they get.

Zaco known as them out for the whole lot, knew they had been attempting to guard Ruzek, and organized a strategy to profit them.

But the second he placed on that wire, he was a useless man.

Voight: Whatever is occurring in your head since you acquired shot–
Ruzek: I haven’t got PTSD. It’s the job, I miss the job.

Arben knew one thing was up the second he got here face-to-face with Zaco. If Zaco did not get into that automobile, Arben would’ve discovered one other strategy to shoot him.

The complete situation of the unit shedding Zaco and the feeds was contrived. But Ruzek acquired to point out off his tech expertise, and he acquired to play hero, too.

It was essential to see that he is not somebody with reservations concerning the job or placing himself at risk. He did not hesitate to trace Arben even when he was going right into a tense scenario with out backup within the fast neighborhood or clearing to be on the job.

Despite his want to return to obligation, he risked all of it to avoid wasting Zaco. It exhibits you that Ruzek will all the time be a cop, even when he is not cleared to be one.

It’s not an occupation for him; it is a calling.

I beloved Kim’s reassurances all through the hour. She genuinely supported him even when she was pissed off together with his actions and the dangers he was taking.

We have a extra developed Kim, and it is evident that remedy and time have labored wonders for her.

And whereas it was by no means known as into query that she would not assist and love Adam by means of something, she’s gotten infinitely higher at exhibiting and voicing it. Hence, there is no room for misinterpretation.

Voight: I used to be nearly to name Adam.
Burgess: How dangerous is it?

Even if he by no means acquired cleared and could not be a cop once more, she knew that they’d be okay — issues could be wonderful, they usually’d get by means of it so long as they did so collectively.

Thankfully, that day will not occur, and we can’t have to fret about what different bother Ruzek would get into with out the job.

He acquired his clearance, and the unit will not need to be short-staffed.

But hopefully, he will not internalize guilt over Zaco’s loss of life. And the identical goes for Kim after watching Arben die.

Related: Chicago Fire Review: He’ll Always Be Mouch to Us

It was such a needlessly terrible scene, however alas, this present likes to sprinkle trauma right into a Kim storyline for some razzle-dazzle, like glitter.

The season could also be taking a extra private strategy with the storylines, which does not need to be dangerous.

However, hopefully, we’ll get stronger circumstances that do not really feel redundant.

And since Hailey and Ruzek had been already in timeout, possibly we are able to forestall the others from doing silly and questionable issues within the foreseeable future.

Over to you, Chicago PD Fanatics.

Were you yelling at Ruzek the whole time? Are you loving these paternal Voight moments? What are your ideas on the season up to now?

Chicago PD airs on Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC. It streams on Peacock the next day.

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