Chicago PD Season 12, Episode 7, “Contrition” is remarkable for improving upon the storyline on which it was based.
The episode is the follow-up to a Season 11 storyline in which Dante Torres became romantically involved with Gloria Perez, while utilizing her as a confidential informant against her husband. That entire plotline was a series of bad decisions, but what happens in Season 12 shows how much Torres has grown since then.
“Contrition” confirms Torres’ suspicions that Gloria has become the new drug kingpin in the area, which naturally puts both him and Kim Burgess — who covered for him back in Season 11 — on the hot seat. It also provides more valuable screen time for the unit’s newest member Kiana Cook, and culminates in a cliffhanger ending with some great story possibilities. The Gloria plotline wasn’t impressive when it started, but it’s gotten much better.
One of the high points of Chicago PD Season 12, Episode 7 is that it doesn’t only focus on Torres trying to solve his problem; it’s also about the dynamic he’s built with Kim Burgess. Previous seasons of the show have had an issue with sticking to the same character pairings over and over, making the Intelligence Unit feel like a series of duos rather than a whole team. This is an episode that breaks that trend, which makes it feel like a breath of fresh air. Burgess is still a good foil for Torres, and utilizing her in that way again is also great for her, because this episode happens right after she became a detective. She has even more perspective — and even more reason not to risk her career. That means there are stakes for her, too.
And they’re stakes that Torres recognizes. “Contrition” is not solely about Torres clearing his conscience and saving himself. He’s aware of the consequences his choices have or may have on not only Burgess, but the Intelligence Unit and even the city of Chicago, because of the deaths piling up. Torres has been underwritten in the past but it’s episodes like this that continue to develop him, both as a police officer and a person. The hour also shows how much actor Benjamin Levy Aguilar has settled into the role. He conveys all of the emotions that Torres has to work through in order for the episode to connect with viewers. If the audience doesn’t feel for Torres, it’s just another case, but they care about him every step of the way.
There’s no doubt that the characters of Chicago PD are tough heroes. The whole premise of the show is that the Intelligence Unit handles crime that no one else can, and they’ll go to incredible lengths to stop it. But “Contrition” is another one of the episodes that bypasses that exterior and focuses on the vulnerability of the characters — and it doesn’t require Torres being injured, threatened or otherwise traumatized for that to happen. It’s just an episode where he has to see the consequences of choices he made, and deal with them. The plot points get a little more shaky as the story goes forward, but the character development is spot-on.
