Whoa . . . what a winter finale!

I did not expect any of that to happen nor did I think level-headed Antonio would let things get so out of hand.

I guess it's true what they say -- you never truly know someone.

Admittedly, it's been a tumultuous season, but Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 9 may have been the one to turn it all around.

Despite the horrible events that transpired, I'm feeling optimistic about the show's future when it comes to compelling storylines even if they continue down a dark and miserable path.

Antonio has made a major mess not only for himself but also for his daughter and his squad.

It's one thing to mess up your life and career, but it's another thing to get your family put in the line of fire.

In fact, it's disappointing on Antonio's part.

You chose this job over your family. I hope it was worth it.
Laura Dawson

Permalink: You chose this job over your family. I hope it was worth it.

How many times are his kids going to get kidnapped because of him?

He absolutely deserved the slap that he got from his ex-wife! I would take custody of those kids and limit his visitation until he got his act together again.

Antonio's storyline has been called out for being a cheap knock-off of Severides work-related-injury-turned-addiction on Chicago Fire, and while I agree it's not technically in-character for him, it also provides a contrast to his cookie-cutter ways.

Throughout much of Chicago PD Season 6, Antonio got into scuffles and disagreements with Ruzek because of his desire to do things by the book.

While there's nothing wrong with being in line, Antonio was the kind of person who would pick and choose when to follow the rules and when to break them.

Mostly, he thought it was okay to break them when it benefited him which was beyond frustrating.

Maybe all of this had to transpire for Antonio to learn his lesson?

He proved to be the ultimate hypocrite when his righteous ways went out the door as he tried to score pills, ignored his team, and then ran from them at the drug house.

And he verbally gave Voight the "okay" to go off-the-books and do whatever they could to get Eva back.

Antonio took constant digs at Voight's way of handling things before but then relied on those same unethical methods to get his daughter back.

Still, despite my annoyances with the inconsistencies in Antonio's character, his downfall was hard to watch.

All I know is that if you don't do what this monster says, he'll kill her.
Patrick

Permalink: All I know is that if you don't do what this monster says, he'll kill her.

It just goes to show you that addiction does not care about who you are, what you do, or how much money you make.

You'd think he would know better than to allow himself to become so dependant on oxy because he deals with druggies and dealers on a daily basis, but by the time he goes to the doctor, he was too far gone.

He wasn't thinking rationally, he was just looking to score, regardless of who his behavior hurt.

You saw his indifference and addiction manifest itself in his outbursts and more specifically, the lies he was telling his friends and family.

Burgess' chase down in the alley would have been way more effective had we not seen the outcome in the promos.

This is a great example as to why some folks avoid promos altogether! Oftentimes, they ruin the element of surprise by giving away too much of the episode!

We would have been more surprised if we didn't know that Antonio was going to going to get caught up with his team!

However, getting caught was a blessing in disguise. The moment he wasn't able to score oxy the "legal" way, he went down the illegal avenue knowing damn well that it could be laced with drugs that could kill him!

Voight: What the hell is going on?
Antonio: What do you mean?
Voight: You don't look so good, bro.

Permalink: You don't look so good, bro.

And when he couldn't get his hands on those drugs, he went to buy heroine!

I mean, seriously?

He's lucky his friends picked up on his odd behavior and that Voight, who has been around the block a few times with addicts, picked up on all the signs.

Despite their difference, Voight never turns his back on Antonio.

If he had, Antonio might have been a dead guy.

It was also heartwarming to see the team rally behind him. It's reassuring that they have each other's backs no matter what. They've all gone through their fair share of hardships so they understand.

Sadly, even having his daughter kidnapped wasn't enough of a wake-up call for Antonio to stop cold turkey.

He wasn't even clean when they got the scumbag who kidnapped Eva.

Voight can talk himself out of a lot of things, but drug tests don't lie.

He pulled so many strings to help his friend out, but at the end of the day, their operation was off-the-books so it leaves them in a difficult bind.

How are they going to explain Rizzo's death?

Sure, Rizzo was a scumbag who deserved it, but someone will have to pay for it. If Antonio confesses, he won't be cleared because of the drugs.

My bet is on Ruzek stepping up to cover for Antonio seeing as the writers chose those three -- Voight, Antonio, and Ruzek -- for the final scene.

Ruzek is the one Antonio continuously butted heads with but he can be his saving grace here. He can say that he was defending himself and accidentally pushed Rizzo out.

Antonio taking it out on Rizzo wasn't all that shocking, but my jaw was on the ground as I took a step back and realized just how badly Antonio screwed up that this was his new reality.

Thankfully, Eva survived, even if she was badly beaten and possibly sexually assaulted.

Voight may be a big deal in the city, but trying to have a man with priors released during election season had a marginal level of success.

Everyone knows how important politics are in Chicago. The corruption runs deep and these people will do anything to elevate themselves above the competition.

Seeing all of them turn Voight's request down despite "promises" wasn't surprising.

Since the episode was so heavy and dark, I'll end on a lighter note by addressing Ruzek and Upton.

Despite my initial hesitation towards the couple, Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 9 was the first time I saw real chemistry between them.

From Ruzek's joking about her moving in with him -- eventually -- to the way he picked her up in his arms, you can tell he really cares about her.

It seems like this fling has the potential to turn into something more come the new year, and surprisingly, I'm not completely opposed to it.

Sorry, Burgess.

What did you think of the winter finale? Did Antonio shock you? How do you think they'll get out of this one? Will Ruzek vouch for the one squad member he's never seen eye-to-eye with?

Make sure to catch up before the series returns and watch Chicago PD online right here at TV Fanatic!

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