The One Chicago universe has a fondness for foundlings — and for making the mistake of writing the same storylines about them over and over. In “Chicago Fire,” three different couples have adopted three different children, and only one adoption has gone through smoothly without a relative surfacing to contest it. Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso) and his wife, Chloe (Kristen Gutoskie), added Javi (Carlos S. Sanchez) to their family a few seasons ago, and though Season 12, Episode 10 — “The Wrong Guy” — brings in an interloping relative to threaten their joy, their tale avoids this mistake by taking things in a fresh direction.
During the episode, Cruz is dismayed when Javi’s uncle surfaces. He’s told that the man can easily contest his family’s adoption of Javi if he so desires and is urged to allow him visitation with the child. But during Javi’s basketball game, “tio” promptly declares he wants a huge sum of money to leave the Cruz family alone. If he doesn’t get it, he’ll put the kibosh on the adoption and take Javi back to Honduras with him. Cruz contacts the authorities and quickly learns that this is a common scam that adoptive parents sometimes face when adding foreign-born children to their families. The scammers whom Javi’s “uncle” is working with get busted, and Cruz learns he isn’t related to Javi.
While things work out well for the constantly present Joe Cruz this time, they haven’t for many a One Chicago adoptee, highlighting a major trend on Dick Wolf-led shows. Cops, firefighters, and paramedics have frequently adopted children only for biological relatives to surface, killing the adoption process and breaking the hearts of the adults in question. While Joe’s gotten lucky, his colleagues and friends have not fared as well in similar situations.
Many a One Chicago adoption has been complicated this way
Adoptions gone sour have haunted many One Chicago families. Over on “Chicago Med,” Maggie Lockwood (Marlyne Barrett) and her former husband, Ben (Charles Malik Whitfield), try to adopt Auggie Roberts (Christopher Farrar), Ben’s student and an orphan. Their adoption falls through when they realize allowing Auggie to be placed in the same family that’s taken in his brother is better for him.
“Chicago Fire” sees the notorious case of Louie, whom Gabriela Dawson (Monica Raymund) and Matt Casey (Jesse Spencer) try to adopt during Season 4. When Louie’s biological father surfaces and fights for custody of the child, Matt and Gabby are devasted. Losing Louie proves to be one of many major blows to their marriage, which ultimately results in their divorce. On top of that, some fans found Louie’s story to be utterly useless to the main story thrust of both characters. Ironically, Matt’s next wife, Sylvie Brett (Kara Kilmer), experiences a smooth-as-silk adoption when she brings Julia into their family.
On “Chicago P.D.,” Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) and Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) also experience slightly better luck when they adopt Makayla Ward (Ramona Edith Williams). The only survivor of a murder that took the lives of her entire family, Makayla seems to have no other family. Yet Kim and Adam eventually have to overcome a challenge from Theo, her biological uncle, before the child is legally made their ward. Hopefully, she won’t be subjected to further bumps along the road to happiness — but since it’s “Chicago P.D.,” one can never be truly sure.
