And just like that, we’ve wrapped on yet another season of Chicago PD!
Chicago PD Season 5 Episode 22 was heartbreaking because it forced us to say goodbye to Alvin Olinsky.
It’ll be interesting to see what the writers come up with now that the cast and fans are equally divided when it comes to protagonist Hank Voight.
Let’s take a look back at some of our favorite, best, and worst moments of the season.
If you want to catch up on your favorite Intelligence unit, you can watch Chicago PD right here at TV Fanatic.
Saddest Moment – Olinsky’s Death
This is a no-brainer. Chicago PD has its fair share of traumatic and heartwrenching moments, but nothing compares to the loss of a family member. Especially when that family member died protecting Srg. Voight and honoring their unspoken code. It was an unfair ending for the kindred spirit but it proved just how loyal he was to the team; he was ride or die till the very end. Although he was a man of few words, his presence will be greatly missed, and I hope that come Season 6, they will give him a proper send-off after tainting his name.
Most Satisfying Scene – Voight Taking Down Denny
About damn time! Denny Woods has been in a pain in their backside for way too long, and Olinsky’s death was just the last straw for Voight. It was so satisfying to see him beat Woods at his own game. I loved his face when he realized he’d been set up. However, I wish that Voight accomplished this before Olinsky’s unnecessary death. It didn’t take him and Osha long to come up with this takedown, so why did Olinksy have to make the ultimate sacrifice? Maybe his death opened up Osha’s eyes, and Voight needed that kind of manpower to help him succeed?
Biggest Blunder – Ruzek’s Undercover Backstory
On Chicago PD Season 5 Episode 19, Ruzek worked undercover with Ray, a man from his past who blamed him for being “wrongfully terminated.” The backstory didn’t make much sense, however. How did Ruzek have a chance to work the streets with this man? From what I remember, he was scooped up from the Academy by Olinsky when Intelligence needed an undercover and remained in the role since. It seems like a significant oversight on the writers’ part, and sadly that lead to sloppy storytelling.
Most Improved Character – The Whole Cast
Lindsay’s departure from the series allowed the rest of the cast to finally shine! Don’t get me wrong, I loved Lindsay and seeing her leave weighed heavy on my heart. But following her exit, there was this freshness to the show. We began exploring all of the other actors — their storylines, who they are, what pains them, what makes them tick.
When she was around, we barely scratched the surface when it came to Kim, Ruzek, Atwater, etc. But now they all have episodes dedicated to their narrative; we saw Atwater deal with raising his siblings, we saw Jay act on his broken heart and get personally involved with a woman while undercover, and we explored Upton’s backstory and found out about her late partner. All of it made the ensemble that much stronger.
Biggest Letdown – Platt’s Near Death Experience
When the bomb went off on Chicago PD Season 5 Episode 15, it really seemed like the end for Platt. They had such an opportunity here to create a “will she or won’t she” situation that fit naturally but instead, Platt came out relatively unscathed which was a bit of a stretch, even for television. Both the journalists on set were severely injured, and one even died from those injuries, but Platt just walked out of there! Obviously, I didn’t want her to die, but If we’re going to put characters in these situations, we can’t save them only for the sake of convenience.
Weirdest Fashion Choice – Ruzek’s Eyeliner
Ruzek wearing eyeliner this season was a thing that unfortunately happened. I don’t have confirmation of it nor do I have any proof, but I saw it, and it was weird. A few other readers also noticed it and were confused by the makeup choice. There’s never been any indication that Ruzek likes to shop at Sephora so why add this? Was it to make him look tougher? Did he look tired that day? Whatever the point, it backfired.
Best Bitch Slap – Kim in the Season Finale
Kim Burgess has always been the nice cop, unlike Lindsay and Upton. I’d say it was because she was a newbie cop just trying to find her groove, but Intelligence toughened her up. The first sign of Dark Burgess came when she was handling a rape case, and it reminded her of her sister. She told Voight she wanted the man to die and was even shocked by her response.
And then came the slap heard round the world when she laid it on the woman who was withholding the location of Al’s killer from them during the season finale. Hand-meet-cheek. It was the first time I’ve ever cheered Burgess on. And it’s proof that she fights ten times harder if you wrong the people she loves and cares about!
Most Underused Character – Platt
If Al had survived the season, I would have said he was the most underused character. Given that he’s a core cast member, he deserved much more screentime this season. But maybe they were preparing us for his untimely death? Regardless, Platt is now the character that needs more lovin’. Sure, she has a few witty one-liners here and there, and once in a blue moon, she is involved in a case, but she’s largely underused! Let’s get some justice for Trudy!
Relationship That Needs To Happen – Burzek
Burgess and Ruzek! How long can we wait? The writers attempted to bring them together this season when Ruzek turned to his ex for help when Woods was blackmailing him into being the mole. They also hooked up one time, but it was strictly a one-time deal Burgess said. Why? It would be nice to see them finally get their wedding and also, to see how different she would be if she had to work with her husband.
We’ve had many couples within the unit but not any married couples which would be such a fun dynamic to explore. They’ve both evolved so much since the split and connected on a whole new level. I think it’s time. And if not a relationship, can they continue just having fun and seeing where it leads? They make good partners in the field, why not in the bedroom too?
Relationship That Should Never Happen – Upstead
When Lindsay left, and Upton replaced her as Halstead’s partner, the next logical step was for them to develop a romantic relationship. And while that still isn’t out of the question, it very well should be. Not every partnership needs to turn romantic! It’s okay for two people to be just friends. And from all their interactions, Halstead and Upton are very good at being friends.
He cares about her, she’s there for him, they look out for each other, she checked him on his therapy, he checked up on her after she went undercover again. See? Friends. There’s about a 5% chance that I’d be open to the idea of their friendship developing into something more eventually but only if it happened naturally. PD is known for forcing something that shouldn’t be, and I wouldn’t want that to ruin the good thing that these two have.
Best Episode – Captive
Atwater carried the episode with such grace even though he found himself in a shoddy situation. I wouldn’t mind if this became the season of Atwater because Hawkins displayed so much versatility as an actor. Sometimes, the series can get lost in its storyline, but that never happened on “Captive.” It flowed and even provided moments for the whole team to shine while trying to save their own.
Needs to Get Into Place – Antonio
Antonio: you either love him, or you hate him. I’ve never had a problem with him until this season when he became the most annoying character. The writers try to use him as the “moral one,” as he challenges Voight to do the right thing. In my opinion, he’s a hypocrite because he never had a problem with Voight’s “methods” when it helped him get his son back.
There are ways to challenge Voight, to question him, to push him towards the “better” decision without being pompous about it. Sometimes, I feel like he’s still stuck on Chicago Justice when this unit has and always will be about doing what’s necessary for the greater good. Come next season; it seems like he’ll be Voight’s biggest opponent.
Standout Performance – Voight
I hate to sound like a broken record, but Voight really brought it this season. Specifically, his final breakdown after he’d gotten revenge on Woods and could finally mourn Olinsky. He was so broken and watching him bang on the wall contemplating suicide for allowing his friend to get hurt broke my heart. Regardless whether you agree or disagree with his choices, you felt his pain. And you have to give it up for Jason Beghe for that steller and believable performance. It hit right in the feels.
