Chicago P.D. Season 12, Episode 10 ‘Zoe‘ is an episode about Adam Ruzek, and also an episode about how life gets better and more complicated. The hour reveals that Adam’s dad has Alzheimer’s, just as it gives us Adam and Makayla discussing his and Kim’s future wedding like it’s a normal conversation the family has around the dinner table.
And in many ways, that’s what we’ve been waiting for. The level of casual domesticity of Burzek we see in this episode is part of the backbone of this show in Season 12, and it really shouldn’t have taken until Episode 10 for us to get it. But of course, since Chicago P.D. has been the type of show to only remember these characters have personal lives when it’s a character-centric episode, that’s where we stand.
Before, though, we used to get ship-centric episodes. We haven’t in a while. Of course, the show only really has one ship these days—Burzek—but this fact hasn’t actually gotten Adam and Kim more screen time as a couple. If anything, it’s like we’ve seen way less of them lately, as the show has decided it just doesn’t need romance. We’re fine just focusing on the cases, and sometimes on how these officers handle those cases. Nothing more.
That, however, is not what drew people to this show in the first place. It’s not what most successful procedurals are doing. In fact, at this point, Chicago P.D. is starting to look like a dinosaur in procedural land. Of the One Chicago shows it’s the only one that insists on this separation—on the idea that we can only delve into character’s feelings if the episode is dedicated to them. And, if we look at the wider landscape of procedurals, well… it’s hard to find one that functions like Chicago P.D.
Newer procedurals like Brilliant Minds and High Potential are proving that the idea of success for procedurals comes from a strong cast of interconnected characters. And though, sure, there is a need to focus more on one character or the other, depending on the hour, these newer shows never seem to forget about the ensemble as they move from case to case.
Older shows like 9-1-1 and NCIS continue to be successful because the characters talk to each other, and share their problems, because we learn a little about each of them every day. Chicago P.D., meanwhile, keeps choosing an approach that means that, in this episode, we only care about Adam. We only learn about Adam. We only know Adam.
And at times, it works. At the end of this episode, as Adam helps his dad shave, it feels like the approach isn’t all that bad. We’re invested. But in general, it’s so hard to care about these characters if we have to put our caring on pause for three or four weeks until the show decides it’s time for us to care about this specific person again. That means Chicago P.D. has to hit a home run for us to care, and if we’re being honest, their batting average isn’t anything to celebrate.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Chicago P.D. Season 12, Episode 10 ‘Zoe’? Share with us in the comments below!
Chicago P.D. airs on Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC.
Our Chicago P.D. reviews:
- Chicago P.D. Season 12, Episode 1
- Chicago P.D. Season 12, Episode 2
- Chicago P.D. Season 12, Episode 3
- Chicago P.D. Season 12, Episode 4.
- Chicago P.D. Season 12, Episode 5
- Chicago P.D. Season 12, Episode 6
- Chicago P.D. Season 12, Episode 7
- Chicago P.D. Season 12, Episode 8
- Chicago P.D. Season 12, Episode 9
Hi. My name is Amy from Connecticut. A huge fan from the very first episode. Tonight’s episode “Zoe” was outstanding! I was intrigued and I actually cried because of Zoe’s traumatic life and how Adam convinced his father to stay with him as all learned about his Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Thank you for your excellence! I appreciate each of you!