Chicago P.D. Season 12 unfolds, Officer Dante Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar) finds himself at the heart of a harrowing emotional journey that has fans gripped with concern. The season, airing on NBC in 2025, has thrust Torres into a maelstrom of personal and professional turmoil, with his past traumas and recent choices colliding in ways that could jeopardize his place in the Intelligence Unit. From a devastating undercover romance to a battle with his own demons, Torres’s arc is one of the most compelling in the One Chicago franchise this year. Here’s why his Season 12 storyline is a rollercoaster of heartbreak and suspense.
Torres’s struggles began with the fallout of his illicit affair with Gloria Perez, a former confidential informant turned drug lord, which came to a head in the midseason finale, “Penance” (Episode 8, aired November 20, 2024). His secret relationship, kept hidden from most of the unit, endangered Officer Kiana Cook’s undercover mission and led to Gloria’s death in Torres’s arms.
Showrunner Gwen Sigan has revealed that this loss triggers a deep emotional descent for Torres, forcing him to confront childhood traumas and question his faith, which has long anchored him. His visits to church and confessions of past sins—stemming from his time in juvenile detention and as a gang enforcer—underscore a man seeking redemption but struggling to find it.
In Episode 12, “The Good Shepherd” (February 5, 2025), Torres went undercover at the juvenile detention center where he was once incarcerated, unearthing painful memories. A panic attack during a lockdown revealed the depth of his unresolved trauma, yet he managed to save two teens from abuse, reflecting his drive to “do good” despite his pain. However, Episode 18, “Demons” (April 16, 2025), showed Torres spiraling further, with sleepless nights and reckless behavior like boxing to exhaustion. His vague admission to Sergeant Hank Voight about “struggling” and Kiana Cook’s persistent concern highlight a man on the edge, unable to pinpoint his own breaking point.
