Chicago PD will experience many changes in season 13, but they’ll serve to better the series in the long run. Whenever any show undergoes any sort of reset, it’s typically met with frustration, no matter how big or small it is. The good news is that Chicago PD’s alterations won’t affect the cast too much and will instead introduce a new and exciting conflict.
Chicago PD Season 13 Starts With The Intelligence Unit Disbanded
The Characters Will Be Spread Out
When Chicago PD season 13 premieres, the Intelligence Unit will still be disbanded following the season 12 finale, and it seems like it’ll stay that way for at least a few episodes (according to TV Insider). Season 12 concluded with Deputy Chief Charlie Reid separating Intelligence and putting them under investigation. Now, they must come to terms with their new normal.
Reid threw the team under the bus and stripped Kim Burgess and Dante Torres of their badges in relation to Torres’ inappropriate and illegal relationship with CI Gloria Perez. As such, Internal Affairs got involved. Reid previously suspected that Hank Voight was onto him and wanted to get him first. Unfortunately, for the Deputy Director, that didn’t work out so well for Reid.
Season 13’s Starting Conflict Proves That Killing Reid Didn’t Solve Everything
Reid’s Death Wasn’t A Fix-All
During the Chicago PD season 12 finale, Voight decided that killing Reid was the only way to solve his team’s latest predicament. He arranged for his superior’s death. Renny Otero, the son of a drug smuggler (who was murdered by one of Reid’s men), walked up to Reid outside the courthouse and shot him, with Voight right next to the Deputy Director.
While Voight didn’t pull the trigger, he was the one who tipped Renny off about the identity of his father’s killer and his location. Of course, Voight didn’t get caught. However, ASA Nina Chapman deduced his involvement in Reid’s death, which will surely drive a wedge between her and Voight in Chicago PD season 13.
So, not only did killing Reid do nothing to solve the Intelligence Unit’s IA problems, but it also ensured that a Chicago PD romance between Voight and Chapman would never happen. As such, season 13 kicks off with the team still disbanded, which is realistic. Just because Reid’s dead doesn’t mean that IA will forget about its investigation into Intelligence.
Voight cannot be let off the hook for his crimes at the end of Chicago PD season 12. Yes, this wasn’t the first time he has arranged someone’s death, and we’ve seen him pull the trigger himself before. But that doesn’t mean that Voight is this all-powerful being who can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. There need to be consequences.
Frankly, if Chicago PD season 13 began with the team back together and better than ever, it’d be quite disappointing. It would also be lazy on the writers’ part if everything went back to normal after Reid’s death. That’s not the way the world works. Additionally, forgetting about the IA investigation wouldn’t be nearly as exciting as seeing the characters fix this problem.
The Reset Could Serve As A Fresh Start For Chicago PD
The NBC Show Could Use A Change
Chicago PD season 13 starting with the Intelligence Unit disbanded means the series can explore who the characters are without this team. In that sense, it’ll serve as a reset and a fresh start for the cop show. Chicago PD hasn’t been nearly as good as it used to be. Perhaps this big change in season 13 will be just what it needs to redeem itself.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Chicago PD characters come back together and how their team will be different moving forward. Sadly, they’ll be missing Kiana Cook as Toya Turner is leaving the series ahead of its 13th season. But Intelligence will be gaining a new member — Eva Imani, played by Arienne Mandi.
Eva is Voight’s new partner with the Rapid Response squad, where he’ll be while the investigation into the Intelligence Unit continues. Meanwhile, the other characters are scattered to the wind during this time of separation. As the episodes continue, Voight will be trying to rebuild Intelligence.
It’s unclear when or if things will go back to normal in season 13 (meaning the Intelligence Unit reunites). Whatever the case, this separation and time of uncertainty could very well be the best thing to happen to the NBC series. It’s something different and could inject Chicago PD with an air of freshness it so desperately needs.
Chicago PD season 13 premieres on Wednesday, October 1, at 10 pm ET on NBC, following new episodes of Chicago Med season 11 at 8 pm ET and Chicago Fire season 14 at 9 pm ET.
