Chicago P.D. Season 12, Episode 2 ‘Blood Bleeds Blue‘ is a much better episode than the Chicago P.D. premiere by virtue of the fact that a lot more interesting stuff is happening, and the characters we know are involved in what’s going on, but it’s still a pretty dry hour, despite the fact that we literally lose a member of Intelligence during it.
Of course, we barely knew Emily Martel, so all the platitudes about how “we will feel it later” feel like exactly that, platitudes. We won’t actually feel anything, because we never got to know her! We know more about Toya Turner’s Kiana Cook, who was introduced in this episode, than we know about Victoria Cartagena’s Emily Martel, so our chances of feeling it at any point are slim to none.
MORE: What did we think of the Chicago P.D. Season 12 premiere? Here’s our review!
only Adam feels it
We understand who this storyline is about, since it’s clearly not about the dead woman, or even about the woman being introduced because there’s a dead woman. It’s about Adam. If anyone had any doubt about it, it should be put to rest by the fact that the only person allowed emotions in this episode is precisely Adam. And I’m not saying it’s not understandable that he’s kinda losing it a little bit. His partner was literally shot while standing next to him. He gets to feel things. It’s just that this entire arc is made for us to feel for and about Adam, never for the character who died.
Now that the show introduced this storyline for the benefit of Adam’s manpain, however, let us hope they remember to carry it forward. This isn’t the kind of thing Adam can or should get over in a couple of episodes. This is the kind of trauma that sticks to you. And Adam has had its share of that, yes, but there’s something about new trauma that sometimes makes old trauma resurface, too. So let this be an opportunity to let Adam Ruzek not just feel, but to have him reckon with what he’s lost, out loud.
In fact, at this point, I would suggest absolutely everyone in Intelligence go to therapy at least once a week. Mandatory. They all need it, and if for some reason they don’t yet, they surely will soon. Department mandated therapist, please.
MORE: What did we want from Chicago P.D. Season 12 and how are we doing?
Kiana Cook
The absolute bright spot in an episode that was still kinda meh, all things considered, was Toya Turner’s introduction as Kiana Cook. She was right where she needed to be when we needed her, she was calm, collected, and good under pressure, and yet she was not a robot. You could clearly tell she was nervous, she didn’t seem like she was an old pro — which she wouldn’t be! — and almost as importantly, she had really good chemistry with Adam right away.
Introducing a new character on a show like Chicago P.D. is hard, particularly when the show just said goodbye to a character as beloved as Hailey Upton. There’s always the feeling that the new female character coming in is somehow stepping into the shoes of the female character who just left. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Kiana Cook is just…Kiana Cook. Just as Hailey Upton will always be just Hailey Upton. That’s the only way can think about it that honors who Hailey was and who Kiana can one day become if this show lets her.
For now, we say welcome. May Chicago P.D. not hurt you.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Chicago P.D. Season 12, Episode 2 ‘Blood Bleeds Blue’? Share with us in the comments below!
Chicago P.D. airs on Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC.
I disagree with you on this one because I really liked this episode. The only thing I didn’t like, was Kim’s absence, but unfortunately that is the new reality. I also wish we had more than 1 episode with Martel. It was an action packed episode where we saw the whole team in action (except Kim) and a good introduction for Officer Cook. There was plenty of Trudy and with Officer Cook onboard, hopefully we see a lot more of this Trudy in the Desk Sargent role we all love rather than making 30 second appearances to provide some information to Intelligence. Plus, I loved the ending where the perpetrator got what he deserved.