Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 22 Review: Reckoning
Lizzy Buczak
at
.
Well, there's no turning back now.
After a rocky season, Chicago PD went out with a bang!
On Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 22, Intelligence faced off against soon-to-be Mayor Kelton, and it was brutal from start to finish.
Kelton's rise to the top didn't just threaten Intelligence's existence, it also threated to end Ruzek's career.
The IRT and Internal Affairs was closing in on Ruzek for covering up a murder done by Antonio while he was high.
The most frustrating thing about this episode had to be Voight's inability to learn from the past.
Though the case was different than what happened with Alvin Olinsky, we've been here before.
The odds were stacked against Intelligence from the getgo.
Just like in Olinsky's case, Intelligence was playing catch-up and operating from a place of fear and anger.
And the end result? Ruzek behind bars.
And know what happens to cops in jail. It doesn't end well.
Voight didn't have much of a plan to clear Ruzek and Antonio nor did he get any input from the rest of the team.
He just assumed they would fall in line because of blind loyalty, but it's unfair to ask them to sabotage their own careers without giving them the full story.
When all is said and done, they would be the one to pick up the pieces.
Since none of Voight's extreme measures worked, someone handled the situation by killing Kelton, the newly elected Mayor.
I bet Upton regrets saying that "Kelton's time of reckoning" was coming.
Halstead: Besides, I'm going where you go.
Upton: Yeah?
Halstead: Yeah. It's hard to find a good partner.
I say someone because it's unclear who committed the crime. Was it Voight or Antonio? Or is someone framing them both?
Maybe it was Brennan. That would at least give her character some kind of meaning.
However, the "who-dun-it" boils down to two Intelligence members.
Voight mentioned he was going to Kelton's place right before while Antonio popped a pill sometime before the killing.
They both had a motive as they were boxed into a corner, though I'm leaning towards Antonio being the one who pulled the trigger.
Upon meeting his CI, the guy mentioned that if you hang around criminals long enough, you become them.
I found it was a weird thing to say regardless of Antonio's current predicament, but looking back at it, I realize it could have been massive foreshadowing that Antonio was about to do something wildly out of character.
Antonio then watched Ruzek nobly take the fall for him.
Say what you want about Ruzek, but Ruzek is a team player who risked his career and his future to help out one of his own.
He took his arrest in stride while Antonio couldn't even bring himself to own up to his mistakes.
Antonio could have stepped in and done something since he did have something to use against Heller, but instead, he sat back quietly because he refused to bring Heller's family into it.
Voight put an unbelievable amount of pressure on Halstead, especially because he never really explained what was going on.
Even when Ruzek got arrested, it seemed like none of the detectives really knew what he did wrong.
But it was nice to hear Voight tell Halstead to "do it right" when he takes over.
Lord knows that would have saved all of them (and us) a lot of headaches.
Related: Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 20 Review: Sacrifice
When Chicago PD Season 7 premieres, Halstead will likely be the interim squad Commander.
Their first order of business will be to figure out who killed Kelton but regardless, it'll be difficult for the unit to take down one of their own.
Kelton was such a slimeball.
Cold-blooded murder is never justified nor is it encouraged to take care of a problem, but Chicago is a better place without Kelton in it.
He had some nerve to stand there in front of a whole city and preach about a better Chicago after orchestrating a murder and committing so many other heinous crimes.
Seeing Ruzek, a man who fights for justice, locked up while hearing Kelton's speech made me angry beyond belief.
Halstead and Upton had a few borderline romantic moments that I didn't necessarily care about.
If Ruzek and Upton couldn't have a relationship with it interfering with their careers, why should Halstead and Upton? Same rules apply.
Platt is this show's consistent saving grace.
I had to wipe away some tears as she led Ruzek downstairs and warned him about keeping his head down in prison.
And Ruzek kissing her on the cheek to assure her he'd be fine even though he was internally freaking out was hands down the best and most emotional moment of the episode.
And by this time tomorrow, your worst enemy will be the Mayor of Chicago.
Heller
Kate was absolutely useless throughout the episode, and I fully expected that Voight would find her dead after Kelton realized she was snitching on him.
What did you think of the finale?
Who do you believe shot Kelton?
Will Intelligence be down three detectives come next season?
Be sure to watch Chicago PD online and comment below!
Lizzy Buczak was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in June 2021..
