Chicago P.D. weaves romance and camaraderie into its high-stakes policing, creating relationships that define its emotional core. The slow-burn love story of Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) and Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger), dubbed “Burzek,” is a fan favorite.
From their Season 1 fling to a 2025 Season 12 engagement, their journey—marked by a miscarriage, co-parenting adopted daughter Makayla, and Ruzek’s near-death shooting—resonates for its realism. Fans on X erupted when Ruzek proposed in “After” (October 2024), with one tweeting, “Burzek’s finally endgame!”
Equally compelling was “Upstead”—Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) and Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos). Their marriage in Season 9 thrilled viewers, but Halstead’s abrupt 2022 exit to Bolivia and Upton’s Season 11 departure left scars. A 2025 Budapest reunion photo of Soffer and Spiridakos, shared by Squerciati, reignited “Upstead” hopes, though showrunner Gwen Sigan hints they’re “at peace apart.”
Beyond romance, friendships shine: Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins) and Burgess share a sibling-like bond, their heart-to-hearts in Season 12 about love and loss hitting hard. Voight’s mentor role to Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar), especially after Torres’ brother’s arrest in “Demons” (April 2025), adds paternal depth.
These ties ground P.D.’s action. Whether Burgess comforting Makayla or Voight shielding Atwater from Reid’s schemes, relationships drive choices—sometimes fatal ones, like Olinsky’s for Voight. Fans connect because they mirror real life: messy, loyal, and worth fighting for. Burzek’s wedding plans, teased for 2025, promise more tears and cheers, proving Chicago P.D.’s heart beats strongest through its bonds.
