Chicago PD Season 5 Episode 16 Review: Profiles
Lizzy Buczak
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There's no better way for Chicago PD to celebrate its 100th episode than with a Chicago Fire crossover. After all, that's where everything started!
And since main characters Voight, Antonio, and Halstead also got their start on the series, it's only fitting that they get some significant screen time during this celebratory event.
Although really, there isn't much to celebrate on Chicago PD Season 5 Episode 16, as it focused mostly on the dangers of social media.
Intelligence wasn't just dealing with a case surrounding "fake news," they were dealing with a situation of "fake Twitter and Instagram."
Antonio's role as a strict parent punishing his daughter for having dual profiles, one of which had photos of her drinking at some party when she was supposed to be studying, was a bit refreshing.
We know these characters have families and children that they naturally want to protect, but we rarely see them in parent mode or struggling to juggle both responsibilities of being a parent and a homicide detective.
And while it's understandable to get upset over two profiles because it seems like she's hiding something – honestly, who has time to keep up with two separate accounts – it did seem like a bit of an overreaction. I guess that's the cop in him.
That's not your profile? Under a fake name so I can't monitor it?
Antonio
Saying she's "someone he doesn't even recognize" was a harsh punishment for the crime.
In the end, Antonio seemed to be getting schooled on social media 101, which seamlessly tied into the case-of-the-week.
Antonio assumed Ava lied based on one picture but then turned around and even encouraged Intelligence to post a picture of the suspected offender. Immediately, the public jumped to conclusions and crucified this man for a crime he didn't commit.
Related: Chicago Fire Season 6 Episode 12 Review: The F is For
Who cares if the suspect was eventually cleared when his name and arguably, his family's, was dragged through the mud? Antonio didn't even have the nerve to say sorry for it.
I admire Antonio for his righteousness most of the time, but this was very out of character.
Ava informed him that one could not, "decide who I am based on a picture or how people react to a picture," which may technically be true, but it's not how it works in the real world, honey.
Often, your social media is someone's first impression of you, and first impressions are everything.
What you put out stays on the internet forever; we have to be mindful of the message we are sending out at all times.
It's easy for the social media generation to forget that because we're programmed to overshare, judge, and pretend our lives are better than they are.
You can't trust the internet, it always looks worse than it is.
Ava
The sole purpose of social media is to paint a picture that we want people to believe; to convince people that the lives we display are real.
And oddly enough, that was the central focus of the case – someone's reputation being ruined based on a few senseless sentences on social media that someone wanted to be true. Or in other words, fake news.
It's really scary how someone can ruin your life, your career, and your relationships just by making a few false accusations.
Halstead: Nice house for a journalist. I thought journalism was supposed to be extinct.
Upton: Well, depends what kind. Still a hell lot of money if you make the news entertainment.
They always say don't believe everything you read on the internet and that rings very true in this case.
Even worse was the fact that this man was cleared of the charges, but his publication didn't want to be associated with him because of the "bad press" so they cut ties.
Considering the previews made it seem like it would be a very Platt-centric episode, I found myself a little disappointed that she was just a vessel for a more substantial story.
I like to believe that most of the Chicago TV shows pride themselves on being somewhat accurate. Like most shows, they "elevate" things for the sake of entertainment but that explosion was way more than just a stretch – no one would have been able to survive that, not even Platt!
Did you see the force with which she was thrown when the bomb went off?
The two journalists on set were both badly injured, with the target succumbing to her injuries, yet Platt just got up after a few minutes and walked right out of there.
Platt may be a tough cookie, but she's not that tough.
Seriously, if one more person asks me if I'm ok they are not going to be ok.
Platt
However, it was nice to see her somewhere, anywhere other than behind the desk for a change. She's such a spunky character with so much to offer and her capabilities often go underused.
I also wish they didn't make her wake up right away; fans knew there was nothing at stake because they would never kill Platt off. We didn't even have a chance to be worried.
There were a few moments that stuck out to me.
Shepherd's Pretty Little Liars-inspired web, which led Intelligence back to the victim, Sherri, revealed some obsessive tendencies, which she also picked up on while he was still a reporter and kept referring to the victim as "beautiful." Creepy!
I was also fascinated by the police station's handling of a bomb-scare. It's not something I've ever really thought about, so it never occurred to me that they have to shackle prisoners and evacuate them.
I can't be the only one who thought the bomb would be a fake and then ended up surprised that the suspect truly tried to take down the police department. That's proof that he's super delusional.
Nothing's dead until we pronounce it.
Voight
The series found a way to bring Antonio and Brett together, which will be dished out fully in part two of the two-night crossover.
I'm surprised that Antonio wasn't opposed to sending his on-again-off-again girlfriend and his sister in on such a dangerous and "unorthodox" mission.
They are the only two who have crossed paths with the suspect's assistant and have enough access to clone his computer.
Voight's team may be used to his shady calls, but Fire is, understandably, a bit more restrained, mainly because it puts two of their paramedics at risk.
What if things go sideways? Can Voight guarantee they'll be protected? Shepard is a dangerous man who will do anything and has nothing to left to lose.
Will there be more bombings before the crossover is finished?
Make sure to watch the conclusion on Chicago Fire Season 6 Episode 13 and watch Chicago PD online!
Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Lizzy Buczak was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in June 2021..
