On April 16, 2025, Chicago P.D. Season 12, Episode 18, “Demons,” delivered a long-overdue lesson for Sergeant Hank Voight (Jason Beghe), the stoic leader of the Intelligence Unit. For 12 seasons, Voight’s penchant for handling crises alone, shielding his team from political and ethical quagmires, defined his leadership. However, as detailed in a ScreenRant analysis, this episode marked a turning point, teaching Voight to trust his team when Deputy Chief Charlie Reid (Shawn Hatosy) endangered one of his own, reshaping his approach in a season racing toward its May 2025 finale.
Chicago P.D., part of Dick Wolf’s One Chicago franchise, follows the 21st District’s Intelligence Unit tackling Chicago’s toughest crimes. Voight, a morally complex figure known for bending laws to protect his “family,” faced a formidable foe in Reid, a corrupt deputy chief introduced in Season 12. Reid’s blackmail, leveraging Dante Torres’s (Benjamin Levy Aguilar) illicit affair with informant Gloria Perez and Kim Burgess’s (Marina Squerciati) cover-up, forced Voight into questionable acts to bolster Reid’s influence. In “Demons,” Reid assigned Intelligence to a carjacking case involving a stolen vehicle packed with $500,000 in drugs linked to drug dealer Jesus Otero, whom Reid secretly backed. Voight initially kept his team in the dark, investigating Reid off-the-books with Assistant State Attorney Nina Chapman (Sarah Bues), fearing the political fallout.
The episode’s pivotal lesson emerged when Reid’s manipulation targeted Torres, pushing him to act recklessly. Torres, haunted by Gloria’s death and his role in Reid’s leverage, disobeyed Voight’s orders, crashing his car during a chase and risking his career. ScreenRant notes that Reid’s threat to one of Voight’s own—Torres—prompted the team to ambush Voight, demanding transparency. This confrontation, a rare moment of collective pushback, forced Voight to share Reid’s schemes, learning that his lone-wolf tactics could no longer suffice against such a cunning adversary. A fan’s X post echoed this shift, noting it was “the first time Voight was honest with his team about anything,” underscoring the moment’s weight.
Voight’s evolution aligns with Season 12’s themes of trauma and growth. His near-death experience with serial killer Frank Matson in Season 11 left him with PTSD, explored through his reliance on Chapman, a potential romantic interest. The episode’s carjacking case, complicated by a murdered driver and Torres’s guilt, highlighted the personal toll of Reid’s corruption. Burgess, newly promoted to detective, and Adam Ruzek (Patrick Flueger), set to wed in the finale, grounded the team, while Torres’s spiral raised fears of his exit, mirroring Chicago Fire’s recent losses of regulars like Daniel Kyri.
The One Chicago franchise, with Chicago P.D.’s 239 episodes by April 2025, faces budget-driven cast cuts, yet its ratings (7.96 million viewers) ensure resilience. Voight’s lesson in “Demons” sets the stage for the two-part finale on May 14 and 21, where Intelligence’s pursuit of Reid intensifies. Showrunner Gwen Sigan’s vision, blending Voight’s “Old Voight” ruthlessness with newfound trust, promises a climactic showdown.
“Demons” redefines Voight, proving that even a hardened leader can evolve. By embracing his team’s strength, Voight not only counters Reid but also secures Intelligence’s legacy, delivering a moment of growth that resonates with fans and sets Chicago P.D. apart in the One Chicago saga.
