Reviewer Rating: 4.85/5.0
4.85
The adrenaline-pumping highs and lows of Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 2 are an experience in themselves.
Just seconds after the shocking Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 1 aired, the hour kicked off at a relentless pace.
It’s not until the end credits roll that the film slows down, allowing Ruzek and the audience to process what has happened.
Chicago PD is one of the best parts of the series, and there’s still a lot to deal with.
‘Chicago PD’ Season 12 Episode 2 is an unforgiving moment
We’re not kidding when we speculate that the series feels like it’s getting a revival, a soft reset that’s centered not just on the characters and this unique unit we love, but on what they do best and how they execute it .
While it’s still early days, Chicago PD Season 12 does want to pay homage to the show’s characters.
Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 2 kept me glued to the screen for an entire hour as Ruzek and the Intelligence Unit worked overtime to search the city for Darrow in hopes of bringing him to justice and rescuing his two-year-old children.
However, as much as I appreciate Paddy Flug setting the tone for one of his best performances to date, the opening moments are hard to watch.
We watch in real time as Ruzek struggles to keep Martel together while deflecting shots from an unknown assailant.
It was an agonizing ordeal, with Ruzek holding Martel like a child and desperately trying to apply pressure to her head, as if there was still hope that she would survive the headshot, which he didn’t. Pieces of her brain.
Even as the arriving police took her away and put her in a car to be taken to the hospital, her body was completely paralyzed and lifeless, and it was an emotional ordeal for her.
Martel’s death has ripple effects
We all knew Martel was long gone, but at that moment, Ruzek was still in a state of denial anyway, until the calm in the storm, when Atwater had to tell his brother—his intelligence family — There is no news of Martel’s departure.
No, Martel wasn’t a character we’d been familiar with for a long time, and perhaps, for some, her death didn’t make any difference.
Cartagena does a great job breathing life into the character in her short tenure, and the other actors totally convinced me that she’s grown close to them in her time off screen.
The weight and depth of her death and what happened to her was felt, especially for a unit that was already scarred.
Trudy was ecstatic when she heard someone in the unit had been involved in a shootout and taken to the hospital.
You can see her heart drop as she struggles to keep everything in order, and the scene where she hesitates to tell Walt makes little sense.
They’ve been through so much lately, and this is just one event that re-traumatizes them all (or the first time they experience losing one of their own, as in Torres’ case).
Voight: I need you to focus. We don’t have time to feel.
–Chicago PD S12E02
But Ruzek spends most of his time carrying the weight of Martel’s death, searching for a suspect from the moment it happened but never having a chance to process or feel anything until the end.
In Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 2, he still had her blood on his skin and fingernails.
The direction, shots, and sequences of Chicago P.D. are top notch
I really enjoyed the camerawork and direction this season.
As Ruzek gets lost in what’s going on, he constantly experiences the tunnel vision effect, which is actually a form of psychedelics.
Many of the techniques used throughout the hour make it feel immersive, bringing us right into this moment with all the other characters and never allowing us to leave.
Ruzek is our touchstone for the hour, though Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 2, to its credit, does an incredible job of focusing on him while still balancing the other characters.
Again, Flueger does a great job taking us through so many stages and perfectly encapsulating what first responders feel in these moments.
He went through one of the worst things at work, but he had to keep calm and keep going.
Ruzek’s improvement is reflected in his ability to handle crises
The moment is a poignant nod to his growth, as the perpetually hot-tempered man who often loses his temper or becomes overzealous pursues Darrow as the many elements of this horrific family situation unfold.
Happily, it wasn’t Ruzek who made the comment about refraining from revenge, but Voight echoed that sentiment to Reed, explaining why intelligence needed to stay on board and what was needed to save this innocent child method.
Voight: We need restraint, not revenge.
–Chicago PD S12E02
Much of Ruzek’s growth stemmed from him becoming a family man.
Burgess and Mack grounded him, so even if he couldn’t answer Kim’s call (although she most likely knew the truth about Martel by then), he could see a picture of her and Mack on the screen to ground himself a little.
While King wasn’t there to stop him and Atwater was scheduled to stay in the hospital, he found a new person to serve as his anchor on Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 2.
Kiana Cook is the best new addition to the Chicago Police Department since Torres
Kiana Cook is a force to be reckoned with and will be a great addition to the series and unit.
From the moment she arrived she brought tremendous energy and proved to be the kind of person you want to be by your side when things get tough.
Without hesitation, she springs into action to help Ruzek – and they quickly jump into the heat of the pursuit, quickly making friends and partners, and working together so effortlessly that you’d think they’d Have known each other for many years.
Cook was excellent at his job, tenacious and fearless, not reckless but surprisingly restrained.
She takes a bullet in the back of her vest without blinking twice, and somehow, unlike Torres in the last issue, who also gets hit by a car, not only survives, but is still strong enough to keep aiming, in the process Shoot Darrow.
Cook is born for wisdom
Cook fits seamlessly into Intelligence without feeling like she’s a replacement for anyone because she’s a different type of character.
Maybe this is just the type of addition the unit needs, because if her behavior with Ruzek is any indication, she has a calming effect, like she’s someone with an energy to match.
It would be interesting to know why she was tactically moved to patrol.
If “Chicago PD” Season 12 Episode 2 was her audition for “Intelligence,” then, just like Torres when she first arrived, she’s a sure bet.
Ruzek: Well done, officer.
Cook: You too, officer. The same to you.
–Chicago PD S12E02
Disturbingly, Martel’s death was not just a result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but also a family.
Research has consistently shown and supported that domestic calls are the most dangerous calls law enforcement can respond to, illustrating their prevalence and unpredictability.
Domestic situation leads to bloody massacre
Darrow attempted to murder his ex and planned to take his children with him to kill them in an attempt to keep them forever.
Since there’s no respite in this case, we take Torres to the streets, another great opportunity to show off his street prowess from the perspective of finding one of his sons, Nate.
One of the most unexpectedly funny moments was when he was on the basketball court holding 100 points with a kid who perfectly delivered an Elvis quip.
It’s puzzling that it’s not revealed to him by Voight or anyone else that Nate has a weapon and that he’ll stop at nothing to use it if it means getting rid of his father, but Torres also adapts well to this Condition.
This case reveals what each intelligence member does best
In Nate’s defense, Torres, driving a beat-up Chevy and wearing his signature crisp white T-shirt, jeans and power, didn’t scream “cop” but “strange danger.”
Although it’s heartbreaking to witness another of our beloved characters staring down the barrel of a gun, Torres’ handling of Nate is superb.
Despite Atwater’s limited abilities, he was put to good use. Obtaining relevant information and lending a soothing voice to victims is Atwater’s pinnacle, a perfect demonstration of his compassion and empathy.
The hour also gave Trudy, who has always been criminally underutilized, another role, which was nice to see. It reflects her hen-like nature as well as her skills at managing her desk and keeping track of information.
Voight, there are some subtle ways that he’s affected by this death and everything else.
He immediately sprang into action and wanted to take to the streets, but he referred to his team members affectionately, from reminding Ruzek they would “feel it” later to affectionately calling Torres by his first name.
But he’s committed to getting this right because he knows that when most law enforcement hears that one of their own has been murdered, they play by the rules when it comes to tracking down those responsible.
Voight wants to take the best, most appropriate route because he knows his team can’t let the desire for revenge overwhelm everything else.
It feels like we have a new version of Voight, which is fascinating.
‘Chicago PD’ Season 12 Brings the Heat
Reed is also charming.
Based on the Chicago Police Department’s history with authority figures, we’re conditioned not to trust this man.
Plus, Sean Hatosy is great at playing complex and sometimes outright bad guys.
But Reed was sincere, dedicated and helpful. What should we do?
Chicago PD is firing on all cylinders this season, and each installment is better than the last.
We hope it keeps up this momentum, although so far it hasn’t encountered any issues.
Over to you, Chicago PD fanatics. Let’s discuss it!
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