And just like that Vanessa Rojas is in, and Antonio Dawson is out.

Voight and the rest of Intelligence glossed over Antonio's departure on Chicago PD Season 7 Episode 3 in a truly infuriating manner.

In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, Voight mentioned that Antonio was moving to Puerto Rico to be with his family.

That's it.

If that sounds wildly out of character, well, that's because it is.

Antonio's whole family -- his son, daughter, and ex-wife -- are all in Chicago.

And his whole life outside of his family was rooted in Intelligence.

Rojas: Am I in the right place?
Platt: Only time will tell.

Permalink: Only time will tell.

You'd think that to overcome addiction, he'd want to be near his support system.

The only good thing is that at least his off-screen exit is consistent with his sister Gabriela Dawson's (Monica Raymund) exit, who also moved to Puerto Rico when she left Chicago Fire.

Ultimately, the reason Antonio is leaving isn't what has fans so upset.

It's that Antonio, a character who has been with the series since its inception, deserved better.

He deserved better from his team, his friends, and from the writers of this series.

Related: Get Comic Con HQ via Prime Video Channels to Stream Original Series, Past Comic-Con Panels & More!

If they could properly tie-up Dr. Rhodes' storyline on Chicago Med, there shouldn't have been any hesitation when it came to Antonio's storyline.

Showrunner Rick Eid never ruled out Antonio's return, so maybe it was a contractual failing, and there's still a possibility Antonio will make some guest appearances in the future.

Or maybe, when ratings slip because the show has lost two of its best and brightest -- Antonio and Al -- they'll bring him back.

It's happened before.

As soon as Burgess erased Antonio's name off the white-board, Intelligence completely forgot about him and focused on their newest recruit, Rojas.

They wasted no time assigning the new girl to Intelligence.

Rojas made a lasting impression when she and Atwater joined forces while infiltrating a dangerous gang together on Chicago PD Season 7 Episode 2, but I didn't think it would happen so soon.

31 Friendships That Weren't Ruined by Love Triangles

Start Gallery

Voight remained skeptical of Rojas throughout much of the episode, especially because the first thing she did on the job was ignore Atwater's commands to call for back-up which resulted in a suspect's death.

But while Rojas' first day was riddled with mess-ups, none of them were any different than what we've seen from more season Intelligence officers.

Voight was unnecessarily angry at her for causing additional paperwork as if that was somehow worse than anything Ruzek, Antonio, and Halstead did combined.

Rojas' flub paled in comparison.

At least Voight attempted to keep up the hardass appearance to the new detective.

Deep down, we all know he's a softy for his team.

Rojas: He don't look too happy.
Atwater: That's just how he looks.

Permalink: That's just how he looks.

When it comes to deciding whether or not someone vibes with Intelligence, I'd agree that Upton is a good judge of character.

Her strongest asset is that she doesn't beat around the bush; she tells it like it is no matter the outcome.

Voight appreciates that kind of honesty.

And despite a bad start, Rojas had a few things working in her favor.

For starters, she had street smarts which, as Voight pointed out, isn't something that can be taught.

She was able to connect with Karla in the interrogation room and crack her based on her experiences with vultures who prey on vulnerable women.

She had the cigarette burns to prove it.

The second thing working for her was her impeccable instincts.

Upton had a point when she said instincts could get you killed, but having someone on the team who knows what to do versus having someone who is trying to always do the right thing makes a huge difference in the moment.

Those instincts allowed Rojas to penetrate Alexa's circle when Ruzek couldn't, and they also saved Karla's life.

Had they waited a few more minutes, Alexa would have killed Karla the same way she killed her other drug mules.

Upton's advice to Rojas about Intelligence being a more collaborative environment compared to being a beat cop or a detective was solid.

Rojas was thrown into boiling water. She was working a case before she even got her badge number processed.

So, yes, they'll have to work out the kinks. It may take a bit before she finds her place within a team that hasn't welcomed any new members for quite some time, but it's possible.

With Roja's introduction there's more of a balance between the male and females in the unit.

We needed a little more girl-power.

It was nice to see Upton and Burgess work alongside each other, and with Upton now offering to be Rojas' roommate, maybe it'll kickstart some strong female friendships.

I'd prefer that over the constant regurgitation of love triangles.

Did anyone notice how upset Upton got when Voight tried to split her and Halstead?

Tell us how you really feel, Upton!

The case-of-the-week gave an interesting perspective on women who get into the game.

Foster care is bad when you're in it, but it's worse when you age out. Cause all of a sudden you're out in the world and you ain't got nowhere to go. And these predators come in all shapes and sizes and they find you.
Rojas

Permalink: Foster care is bad when you're in it, but it's worse when you age out. Cause all of a sudden...

It's rare to see a woman running the show without answering to a man, and it's even rarer to see her preying on young, broken women that she turns into drug mules.

Alexa was smart, which is how she remained under the radar for so long and why it was hard to pin anything on her.

She also had a group of loyal women who felt indebted to her; she helped them get out of a dark place and provided them with a life worth living.

How could they not repay the favor?

Alexa took advantage of them knowing they didn't have anyone else looking out for them.

If that wasn't disgusting enough, she even branded the women.

When Karla stabbed her, I didn't even feel bad.

Karma's a B.

As we all very well know, continuity has never been Chicago PD's strong suit.

There was no mention of Ruzek's legal issues, and while we know Voight took care of it and got him off the hook, it's odd that no one in Intelligence inquired about it.