Since Chicago P.D.’s first season, Marina Squerciati has carried a badge that fans never wanted to question. As Kim Burgess, she started as an ambitious patrol officer who fought her way into Hank Voight’s Intelligence Unit not through politics, but through instinct, grit, and emotional intelligence. Over seven+ seasons, viewers have witnessed one of the most authentic evolutions in the One Chicago universe — a rookie who became the team’s moral compass, silent backbone, and emotional anchor.
Burgess isn’t just a cop — she’s the beating heart of Chicago P.D. She balances interrogation rooms with motherhood, trauma with tenderness, and danger with devotion. And no storyline has defined that duality more than her roller-coaster relationship with Adam Ruzek, portrayed by Patrick Flueger. Their romance was messy, passionate, imperfect, and real. From engagement rings to heartbreak, to co-parenting their daughter Makayla, their chemistry became one of the most compelling slow-burn narratives in modern procedural TV.
But now, the show faces an unexpected test: Patrick Flueger is stepping away for an unclear period. And while Chicago P.D. has lost characters before, this one feels different. This isn’t just a partner leaving the bullpen — this is Burgess losing her emotional mirror, her voice of calm, and half of her family unit.
So the question isn’t: Will Burgess break?
It’s: How much can the show bend before its heart finally cracks?
Burgess has survived kidnapping, near-death trauma, adoption battles, PTSD, and the moral warfare that comes with working under Voight. But Ruzek’s absence introduces a new kind of vulnerability — the quiet kind. The one that doesn’t involve blood or bullets, but a missing chair at the dinner table, and a missing presence in the squad car beside her.
Fans already fear a “what-if breakup arc”. Some even argue this could be the show’s biggest mistake yet — separating the one relationship that kept viewers emotionally invested beyond the cases. Others believe this could finally push Burgess into her strongest era, a storyline where she stands fully independent, powered not by romance, but by responsibility and resilience.
Either way, one thing is certain: Ruzek’s absence will rewrite her world.
Off-screen, Marina Squerciati reflects the same powerful balance she portrays. A Northwestern University graduate and accomplished theater actress, Marina brings depth to every emotional beat Burgess lives through. She also stands as a strong advocate for women in entertainment, while embracing her role as a devoted mother in real life — a truth that bleeds into her performance in ways no script could fake.
Her portrayal has always reminded fans that strength doesn’t roar — sometimes it nurtures, protects, and chooses compassion in a city that rarely rewards softness.
So, Chicago P.D. may not lose its heart — but it’s absolutely about to test its pulse.
