Chicago PD Season 9 Episode 1 Review: Closure
Jasmine Blu
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Cover-ups are stressful as hell!
You would think the majority of Chicago PD Season 9 Episode 1 would focus on whether or not Burgess pulled through after her harrowing ordeal as she fought for her life.
But instead, most of the hour was an exercise in anxiety as Voight and Hailey scrambled to cover their tracks, staying one step ahead of their unit while also working with them to "find Roy."
What we've learned from this tribulation is Hailey wasn't prepared to ride with the Big Dog on the dark side of the law after all.
It's a fascinating development when you consider the amount of time the series poured into the Dark Hailey/Mini-Voight thing she had going on for some time.
When it all comes down to it, Hailey can't handle the extreme stress of doing things so off-books that she could go to prison and lose everything.
When it's all said and done, Hailey isn't about the Voight/Olinski life, after all. She was damn near having anxiety attacks at every turn. Have we ever seen Hailey this stressed out?
And as we followed along, you couldn't blame her. A girl had to pour a little extra something special in her cup of tea while watching to calm nerves.
The problem with going off books and doing things the dirty way is that you're constantly looking over your shoulder and having to get ahead of anything that could expose you.
The premiere picked up where Chicago PD Season 8 Episode 16 left off, which only made everything more intense when you consider there was no space to react or think for too long. They never took their foot off the gas here.
Hailey went from killing a man to heading to the crime scene a couple of hours later and acting as if she didn't know what was going on the whole time.
She was already in a state when Halstead seemingly declined her proposal (more on that later), and she took a shower, washing the blood off of her hands.
But then she was paranoid for the rest of the hour about the others finding out about her and Voight's incident. Meanwhile, Voight proved why he's the GOAT and how he isn't new to this but true to it by remaining cool, calm, and collected the entire time.
Hailey: What are we doing?
Voight: Stop.
Hailey: What the hell are we doing?
Voight: We're following a lead It's as simple as that. You just go do your job like any other day, any other case.
He was right about Hailey getting her DNA around the crime scene in the event it comes up down the road. Voight really does think multiple steps ahead at every turn.
And it didn't help matters that they were working alongside the Boy Scouts of the unit, Halstead and Atwater.
But at every turn, it felt as if they were one step away from exposure, and that level of intensity was enough to keep you glued to the screen and on the edge of your seat.
When nothing came up at the warehouse, thanks to Voight's meticulous crime scene cleaning skills and disposal, he took the lead speaking to the witness who called in the shots.
It was a risk, but I suppose it would've been better seeing the guy face to face to determine if he recognized them or not. And when that seemed as if they were OK, he brought up the other vehicle that sat idle at the scene.
You could hear the obscenities Voight was shouting in his head over that. And that's what led them on the anxiety-ridden quest to find Mark, determine the full extent of what he knew, and shut him up without tipping anyone else off.
So much of their ability to get away with this relied on Voight's seniority on scenes. If he weren't able to call the shots, delegating assignments, and insisting on things like carrying the evidence himself, then he and Hailey would've been ruined forever.
And he has a way of doing things so smoothly that while it's odd, no one questions it too much.
Voight: This case is closed, and we're done. It's over. Miller called in the Feds, and they'll put his face on a wall, monitor his ID and credit cards, but they will never see or hear a thing.
Hailey: Like it never happened.
Voight: That's exactly right. Now you gotta make peace with the face that you'll never make peace. You know what I'm saying?
Hailey: Yeah. I'll do my best.
Voight: They are where they belong. After everything Roy did? I'm not sorry about that. You saved me. Let that be enough.
Voight acquiring the laptop, and with the help of his connect/informant Stevie, a total scene-stealer who needs to return sometime, revealed the damaging video of Hailey and Voight at the warehouse.
It felt like they'd rectify one issue, and something else would pop up, so Hailey's spiraling out of control was as understandable as ever.
And boy was she a hot mess. Killing Roy will have some lingering effects on her. You could sense that Hailey will be grappling with this for a long time.
And as much as Hailey trusts Voight, her terror got the better of her. She was relentless with the questions and insisted on knowing the plan. And he was too calm and vague for her to get any reassurance.
In many ways, it did seem as if Voight left her out in the wind, only encouraging her to work the job as she normally would, which was in direct conflict with their attempts to cover.
Hailey running after Mark seemed to be another instance of the conflict. Voight told her to find the phone if they got ahold of Mark to get the remaining footage.
But her response to that was to fall back, failing to chase him until he stole a car. I don't know what was going through her mind then. Maybe she was too afraid of what Mark would say if they hauled him in, even if she did find the phone.
But it wasn't as if he wouldn't use the footage if he got away, so it felt as if she was delaying the inevitable rather than avoiding anything.
Hank: Look, we got this. Don't put yourself through this okay? If we get any information, I promise I will tell you.
Sam: No, I need to find him. I need him in handcuffs, Hank, or on the pavement with a hollowpoint in his head, I need this to end.
Hailey was spiraling under the pressure and anxiety of the situation. Voight wasn't giving her much of a lifeline. Meanwhile, we got to see Voight work at his best.
Voight stayed ahead of everything, dealt with Hailey's constant freakouts, and figured out subtle ways to ensure his DNA was at certain places in the event it came up again by touching things without gloves.
He also intercepted all the pertinent evidence and information, and he was handling a still grieving Sam, too. And he did all of this without acting strangely or tipping anyone else off.
He was too good at all of this.
When they had Mark cornered, and Voight told them to cut everything and go dark, you knew where it would head. But the crazy part was that Mark screwed himself by granting them the opportunity for a good shoot when he took a hostage and started shooting at the cops.
Voight managing to finesse him and Hailey getting into the building alone to confront Mark was genius. Even with Atwater following Sam's lead inside, it didn't change the events nor put Hailey and Voght in line of exposure.
Even the confrontation with Mark was something to dismiss for the hostage. For all she knew, Mark was mentally ill and spazzing out about something and Hailey's offer to confess to everything was to appease him.
Although, you couldn't miss Voight's expression when she said that, and she was unraveling enough to be believable.
Halstead taking the shot pretty much ended their problems, well, when Mark succame to death later. It took him too long to die, and for a bit, I thought Voight would have to pull some sneaky stuff in the hospital to take Mark out permanently.
You couldn't miss the relieved expression on Hailey's face when Mark died, and also that she didn't know how to feel about that relief.
But then she went right back home to Halstead, and they took their relationship to the next level.
If the "powers that be" heard any of the complaints about the series' romantic subplots, then they didn't listen. If anything, they doubled down.
Halstead: Why'd you propose?
Hailey: Because I want to be with you. I want us. I want to know that I can have normalcy and stability in my life -- that no matter how bad things feel, at the end of the day, things will be okay because I have you. Halstead: Are you sure it wasn't just Kim? That you saw what happened to her and--
Hailey: I don't know. Maybe. But why does that matter? I love you, more than I ever thought possible. Maybe it took Kim getting shot to get the courage to tell you that.
Halstead: Yes.
Hailey: What?
Halstead: I love you, and I've known since, I've known for years that I wanted it to be you and me always. Hailey, will you marry me?
Hailey: You don't have to do that, I already did the proposal part.
Halstead: Well, I'm old-fashioned, okay?
Hailey: Yes! Yes, I will.
One hoped that Halstead would address the state Hailey was in when she proposed. To his credit, he did, and Hailey insisted.
She didn't deny that what happened to Burgess could've been an influence; she merely suggested that it doesn't matter if it was because of how she feels. And to be fair, how can you not experience something like that and not reevaluate your life and what's important to you?
It was good enough for Halstead, who said yes to her proposal and then dropped to his knee to give his own. He's traditional and all, don't you know?
For the diehard Upstead shippers, congrats on this development that will likely bring you immense joy.
As for the rest of us, there are some reservations. Hailey is in quite an emotional state right now, and she's been there for some time now. The idea that these two will get engaged this soon suggests that there will be some trouble down the line.
I don't know what to make of Hailey embarking on an engagement and potential marriage with Halstead when she can't even be honest with him. The level of secrecy happening right now is disturbing, and it's no small potatoes either.
She's lying to him, and if this isn't the end of things, and the Feds actually get involved and turn up something dicey, and all of the Roy stuff gets rehashed again, it's not going to be pretty for Upstead.
You consider that Voight and Hailey did all of this for Burgess, Miller's son, and Roy's other victims, but they didn't get to share that with anyone.
Burgess woke up, and the first thing she wanted to know was if they caught Roy. Miller can't let this go, and she doesn't want her child's murder to be unsolved. They aren't letting any of this go, so everything doesn't just die with Roy and Mark.
They all want closure, and they're not getting it, and that's going to eat away at these women.
If Halstead learns the truth about what happened and Hailey's involvement, who's to say how he'll react or how it'll affect their engagement?
Also, can this mean that they separate Upstead professionally? They've been skirting around this too long not to address it after an engagement. They shouldn't be in the same unit together, let alone partners. Split them up!
Meanwhile, the Burzek vibes are strong.
It was touch and go with Burgess for a while, and you could get why Ruzek was so damn irate with the doctor who kept saying words that meant nothing and didn't answer any questions. All Ruzek wanted was something concrete to work with, not fortune cookie scripts.
It was as if they held Burgess on ice until they resolved the rest of the installment. But it did give Ruzek some emotionally gratifying moments.
His connection with Makayla is the sweetest, and you could tell he takes this unofficial co-parenting role seriously. He wanted to do what was best for Makayla and Burgess.
Ruzek: I don't know what Kim would want me to do!
Trudy: Adam, there is no right or wrong answer here. There just isn't.
And I loved him working through his next steps with Trudy, who hopefully will be utilized better and more this season and is the perfect person in scenarios like this.
She's such a comforting figure, and she was right that there was no best solution in that situation. Fortunately, Burgess was awake when he took Makayla up there, and the mother and daughter got to bond a bit.
If we must continue with this romantic stuff, can we know where Ruzek and Burgess stand? Right now, it feels like they're unofficially married with a kid together, and neither of them wants to admit it.
They're such an "everythingship" basking in ambiguity.
Additional Notes:
- All I'm saying is that for the next Fast and Furious movie, they need to cast LaRoyce Hawkins. Atwater was living his best life in that high-speed chase.
- Voight's relationship with Sam remains interesting. They've found a nice rhythm working with one another compared to authority figures in the past. And now, they connect on a more personal level with their mutual experience of losing a child.
- It was notable that Sam went from her insistence that they bring Roy in alive to a more desperate reference to him having a hollowpoint in his head if necessary as long as they got him.
- Ruzek telling Makayla about Burgess while she painted his nails pink made me all gooey inside with Feels. The cuteness was too much.
- No, but really, can Voight's hacker come back? She was precious and fast as hell!
- Does it feel like there will be some new shifts in how the unit functions after this case? It feels like the unit as a whole is fundamentally changed forever.
- I think we'll see different sides of Hailey, Miller, and Burgess after everything that's happened thus far, and I'm hoping it's a strong season for the Chicago PD ladies as a result.
- A leopard doesn't change his spots, and while I do think Voight will balance out some of his previous cowboy antics better, we're getting bits of old Voight back, and I'm here for it.
Over to you, Chicago PD Fanatics.
What are your thoughts on the Upton engagement? Do you think this is the last of the coverup, or will consequences arise down the road? Are you relieved Burgess survived?
Hit the comments below.
You can watch Chicago PD online here via TV Fanatic.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
