We’ll see the return of Trudy Platt in Chicago PD Season 12.
It’s no secret that Trudy is a fan-favorite character, and aside from our love for Trudy, the only thing all Chicago P.D. fans can agree on is that the show has underutilized her for multiple seasons. .
Here’s Why Chicago P.D. Season 12 have Make it her year. We’re all watching Trudy Pratt’s resurgence.
Trudy Platt has been the backbone and secret weapon of the Chicago Police Department
The incredible Amy Morton brings so much to the role, and Trudy resonates with audiences because of her performance.
At this point in the series, Trudy Platt is as important as Voight himself.
As the series’ strong nest mother, Trudy’s presence is crucial to the series and its other characters.
She brings a lightness and balance to the story and has a way of making the other characters root for those rare moments when we get a glimpse of the unique connections she forms with each character.
In many ways, because she spent most of her time on the space station, she served as a beacon for the intelligence community.
It’s a low-profile role on the show, but an invaluable one – especially in recent seasons where Trudy’s appearances have been sporadic at best.
Voight still needs a partner who can balance him out when necessary
Voight has always been a character who needed some foil to balance him out in some ways.
The key to the continued growth of the Chicago Police Department, which often reflects real-world scrutiny of policing, is that there has to be some kind of moral compass.
In previous seasons, Voight had a best friend, companion, and partner in Olinsky, but he was someone Voight could respect.
If Voight can’t listen to, or at least consider, other people’s values and opinions, Olympus gives Voight someone he can avoid when necessary.
Olinsky couldn’t tame the beast that was Voight, but he knew how to control and minimize Voight’s characteristic chaos.
That’s something Voight can only get from his peers.
Dawson serves as a foil and moral compass, and is also very good at challenging Voight.
Later, Horsted assumed the same role.
Throughout Chicago PD Season 11, it’s clear that Voight respects, deeply cares for, and trusts Haley.
But Voight still lacks a true companion with whom he can regularly connect, especially as he becomes more distant in many ways.
Trudy is Voight’s only constant
Voight has been floating around for many seasons since Olinsky’s death, finding someone to watch in this regard, whether it’s Samantha Miller or Asa Chapman.
However, when it comes to a true companion who he trusts deeply, who can challenge him and serve as his voice of reason and necessary foil, Trudy is the best and most consistent character to fill the role.
She’s already doing that, and no one else can legitimately check all of those boxes in a realistic way that’s true to the character and the series.
We’ve officially lost one of our intelligence members, our last detective, and Voight no longer has a “second one” to fill in some of the gaps created by Haley’s absence.
We absolutely support Kevin Atwater’s promotion in this area.
But this is the perfect time to increase Trudy’s appearances this season.
If Voight is likely to close himself off again after losing Haley, no one can keep him on an even keel like Trudy, and she’s the one who knows him best.
Essentially, she was his most consistent “person” over the past few decades.
Increasing Trudy’s screen time is a logical step towards balancing female and male characters
Unfortunately, we’ve discussed Hailey Upton’s monopoly of screen time many times, and her departure gives the show a glaring hole.
This role should be filled by some other major character who is often cast aside more often than others, like Atwater, or characters who have recently failed on screen, like Ruzek.
We all support this because we love these characters and think they deserve more screen time.
However, they are also men, and with Upton gone, only Burgess remains the leading female member of the intelligence community.
Burgess can take on a lot, and she’s proven that through many episodes and episodes, but we still need more balance in that area.
Chicago PD would be better off focusing on underutilized and familiar female characters
Not only do we need to keep women in the series, but it would be better if it’s a character we already know deserves more screen time.
We’re still not sure if Bojana Novakovic’s Joe will return for the new season in any capacity.
But even if she returns, she’ll likely have a cameo or recurring role. Frankly, it feels like Joe’s work is done now that Haley has left Chicago.
But she’s also a polarizing character who doesn’t interact much with other characters besides Hayley, so having her immersed in the unit feels a little uncomfortable.
Now we know Toya Turner will be joining the cast as Kiana Cook in a series regular role; at least there’s the promise of more women, and it’s unlikely they’ll solidify anyone else in a similar role.
Even as a series regular, Cooke wouldn’t have been able to get that much characterization, and one does have to wonder if she would have been stuck in the character rotation pattern the series adopted for budgetary reasons.
Restoration Patrol should eventually include Trudy again
Regarding Chicago PD season 12 character Kiana Cook, we know she won’t be Upton’s replacement.
She’ll be a patrol officer, meaning the series is finally returning to its roots and split into two factions, intelligence and patrol.
Fans have been craving it ever since Burgess officially joined Intelligence and left the Patrol.
Trudy doesn’t have much to do without patrolling, and the series has struggled to integrate who is one of the best characters.
With the patrol element, it not only goes back to basics in a way that feels like it reinvigorates the series, but it also brings the focus back to one of the series’ strongest characters.
Trudy and Burgess’ relationship is special and easily one of the most underrated relationships on the show.
It’s also the strongest female dynamic in the series besides Erin and Nadia.
Female friendships are more important than ever
The show is severely lacking in close female friendships and connections.
Whenever we’re even remotely close to them, they’re slowly forgotten, as was the case with Hailey and Vanessa Rojas’ brief dynamic.
Sadly, Hailey and Kim’s friendship isn’t exactly strong on screen, although we do get great moments with Trudy every time they choose to show it.
But with the transformation of the cast and the show’s reintroduction of Patrol, this season is an entirely well-deserved return for Trudy.
Hopefully the series will feature some strong female energy as well.
It’s the perfect setup for a new season to reinvigorate the series – one that could be one of the most powerful new chapters in some time.
Over to you, Chicago PD fanatics.
Do you think Chicago PD Season 12 will be Trudy Platt’s season?
Will they correct Trudy’s underutilized issues?
Let’s take a listen and see!
