[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the Chicago P.D. Season 12 finale “Vows.”]
Contemplating the episode title, it’s shocking that within the Chicago P.D. finale, we don’t see Burgess (Marina Squerciati) and Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) trade theirs.
Don’t fear, although, as a result of they’re married when Season 13 begins. What’s much less sure? The standing of Intelligence. In any case, Reid (Shawn Hatosy) did open up investigations into their actions, and sure, he was soiled. That’s now clear, because of Voight’s (Jason Beghe) actions, together with transferring the items into place for the son of the drug vendor Reid had killed to fatally shoot the deputy chief, however any fallout stays up within the air.
Beneath, govt producer Gwen Sigan breaks down the finale, explains why we didn’t see extra of the Burzek wedding ceremony, and teases what’s to return.
Will we see the components of Burgess and Ruzek’s wedding ceremony we didn’t?
Gwen Sigan: Most likely not, no. I imply there’s a model of this, yeah, certain, the place we may soar again into the marriage, however I doubt it.
Lori Allen / NBC
With the episode titled “Vows,” why not present the vows and have been any written?
We thought lots about writing the vows for certain. I feel as we have been going via the method of form of placing all these storylines collectively, you will have this very high-stake scenario for Voight, for the total staff. In so some ways, that is actually a Voight episode, and so to additionally wish to marry it with this wedding ceremony was difficult, and we wished the best tone. We wished to juxtapose the very best we may this actually emotional ending in Chapman [Sara Bues] and Voight and this price, after which even have this happiness and the promise of extra to return and the rationale why Voight took the actions he took, to see all of that happiness and on the identical time, you’re seeing this heartbreak. So the vows themselves are so candy that it simply felt prefer it wasn’t the best juxtaposition. It felt prefer it was a bit of too jarring. In order that’s sort of why we ended up going on this route that we selected to actually lean extra into this dialog between Chapman and Voight.
So these vows, may we presumably see them sooner or later in some capability?
Yeah, I imply, who is aware of. They’re positively not shot. We positively didn’t shoot something. So yeah, they’re not simply hanging out for us to place on the market, however who is aware of? You by no means know, I suppose, the place we may take the following season.
Was there any plan to carry again any previous characters for the marriage and that didn’t work out for any cause, or did you not go that route due to all the pieces you simply talked about?
Yeah, I imply, I feel there was a second the place we have been like, “Oh my gosh, what if we may carry again everyone and have Upton [Tracy Spiridakos] and Halstead [Jesse Lee Soffer] present up?” It finally ends up simply turning into about manufacturing on the finish of the day. We’d’ve beloved that, however to have these large actors come again for what quantities to actually one scene doesn’t make sense. However we positively considered it. I feel there’s a model of that wedding ceremony the place everyone in a single Chicago would’ve been there throughout all three reveals. It might’ve been cool.
What are you doing subsequent season with Burgess and Ruzek now that they’re lastly married?
We’re not within the room but, so I feel all the pieces’s an possibility at this second, however I feel it’ll be actually enjoyable to jot down a married couple. We haven’t had a married couple on the present, actually, since Halstead and Upton have been married, however their marriage was very fraught. So this may really feel a bit of bit totally different. And yeah, I feel it’ll be a problem, and I feel will probably be simply an fascinating dynamic to see play out at residence, but in addition at work and form of what they could possibly be pushed into as a result of they’ve that stability at residence, sort of taking dangers at work could possibly be actually enjoyable and totally different.
Lori Allen / NBC
Why kill off Reid and in the way in which that you just did with Voight arranging it?
I feel we form of at all times knew that when Shawn signed on that it’d be a one-year factor, and what we actually envisioned that character as was this funhouse mirror to Voight as a result of that’s actually what we wished him to be. And the concept was he was going to be testing Voight at each single flip and form of testing, has Voight modified? Has he developed? Who’s he now? And to sort of actually check that, we would have liked to take it form of as darkish as we may make it and make the stakes as excessive as we may, which you see within the penultimate. That is the primary time that we’re principally kicked out of our workplaces and are instructed that it’s all going to be taken aside and principally stripped for items. So it introduced Voight to that place, and it felt like we wished to get him to his darkest place and see if he would take the bait and clearly his character did.
We see a photograph of Voight and Olinsky when Intelligence’s stuff is packed within the packing containers, then there’s the second when Voight appears at Olinsky’s badge. Would Olinsky have been in a position to speak Voight out of what he did?
I feel, yeah, I feel he may have. I feel positively most likely the one individual that would have. Possibly Upton. However no, I feel solely Olinsky most likely may have.
Talking of, Reid tells Voight, “You’re worse than me,” and Voight tells Chapman, “I don’t get extra.” The place is Voight’s headspace with regards to who he’s and slipping again into outdated habits on the finish of the finale?
I feel, in my head, when he decides what he’s going to do earlier than he places this plan into motion — and there’s this good scene the place Chapman tries to cease him and he says, “I’ve to do it” — I feel in that second, he is aware of that the price goes to be her, that the price goes to be this sense of extra, this factor that he’s been speaking about since he sort of hallucinated Olinsky final season. I feel he knew that price and did it anyway. So, to me, that form of last scene and the few scenes on the finish of the episode are form of confirming that for him. I like the concept that with Reid’s assertion, it’s one thing the viewers can query. It’s one thing that there’s loads of other ways to take a look at it. Is it true? Is it not true? And I feel it’s going to be rattling round in Voight’s unconscious for some time. And I do suppose it has one thing to do with why he is aware of, yeah, he’s received to finish this factor with Chapman. He’s received to not drag folks into this place with him as a result of it’s not a spot the place I feel he thinks anybody else belongs.
Voight guessed that with the claims in opposition to Reid, the investigation into Intelligence would disappear. Is he proper? Will Intelligence be again working prefer it was earlier than Reid when subsequent season picks up?
That’s the query. I don’t know the reply but, however I like that we have now loads of choices. In order that’s the place we’ll begin within the room, I’m certain, is answering that query, however I like that it’s open proper now.
How’s Atwater’s relationship? As a result of he ignored that decision from Val…
I do know! I feel he ignored that decision due to the headspace he was in, a lot happening. However I do suppose it’s indicative, proper? He’s made a lot progress, I feel, as an individual this season. With that relationship, it’s sort of grown him up in a means. I feel he’s change into higher at speaking about his personal shortfalls, his personal flaws, and his emotions. So it’s fascinating that his intuition in that second was to isolate. And so we’ll see the place that takes us sooner or later.
I do know you mentioned the room hasn’t began but, however is everybody returning in the identical capability subsequent season, like collection regulars-wise? Is that the plan?
I don’t know all the main points but.
Is there anything you’ll be able to tease about subsequent season or what you wish to do? Is there something from that you just couldn’t get to this season that you just’re holding?
Yeah, we had a couple of storylines we couldn’t get to this season that I nonetheless suppose are on the market and could possibly be fascinating subsequent yr. I feel Torres [Benjamin Levy Aguilar] is on this actually fascinating spot the place nothing has been buttoned up for him. He’s on this very emotional, susceptible spot, which might be actually fascinating to maintain writing. I feel Voight clearly, who is aware of what this man’s going to rise up to subsequent yr. I imply, he’s positively in an fascinating place and to see how the staff goes to react to that as a result of the staff has totally different relationships with him now than years in the past. So how is that going to all work out subsequent season? So there’s loads of, I feel, fascinating locations we may go and we’ll simply hopefully make it contemporary and totally different.
Due to all the pieces that’s occurred, is anybody wanting on the job otherwise now from the remainder of the staff? As a result of Burgess handled having her badge stripped from her…
I feel so. I feel loads of them are. I imply, I positively suppose Burgess, such as you talked about. For her, she had lots to do with all of this, however she was actually simply attempting to have somebody’s again. She was simply attempting to have her teammates again and so to see the implications of it, I feel it is going to impact how she strikes ahead. And positively Torres. I feel Torres has realized from his errors, has positively paid the implications, has seen what it could possibly do, and I feel he’s nonetheless coping with that and coping with the emotional fallout of all of that. So positively his relationship to the job has modified.
Chicago P.D., Season 13, Fall 2025, Wednesdays, 10/9c, NBC