Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 16 ‘Seen and Unseen‘ is pretty good, first because it focuses on perhaps the strongest character on the show at this point, Kim Burgess, and second because it picks up on a something that recently happened on the show and expands on it, something this show is notoriously bad at.
Burgess recently making detective could have been something Chicago P.D. just brushed off, because it’s not just something she’s been working towards for a while, it’s something fans wanted, but in this hour the episode actually focuses on how hard it is for her to balance achieving that goal with being a mom, planning her upcoming wedding and just getting the job done. And this isn’t supposed to be about us feeling sorry for Kim, much less about us feeling like she can’t do it. Of course she can, and she does. And women like her do it all the time.
However, it is a lot, and the fact that the show acknowledges it and allows Kim a moment or two to feel overwhelmed, to believe that she missed something because of it, is actually not just good; it’s relatable. It makes the after, the detective work that happens inside her head, the way she puts it all together, all the more interesting.
And that’s the other thing that really works in this episode, the way the format changed. Chicago P.D. isn’t really a show that takes many risks with the format, but this episode tries something new in a way that really works. It might just be because Marina Squerciati is a very good actress at conveying a lot with just a few looks, but ‘Seen an Unseen’ is a very good example of what the show can be when it deviates from the norm. We wouldn’t mind seeing more of this.
And then, of course, there’s the Adam and Kim of it all, which also really works as a grounding force in ‘Seen and Unseen’. This is a Kim episode, and she is the one the hour focuses on, but it’s striking how great of a partner Adam has become on this journey, which has now been over a decade in the making. Sometimes, it’s not about the big things. It’s not on at this time.
Often, it’s just about reminding your partner that you see them even when they don’t see themselves. That’s what Adam does. And then he just sits back and lets Kim do her thing. That’s why Kim, at the end of the hour, just wants to show her appreciation. Just wants to take the time. When you have what they have, sometimes, you want to savor it. Especially when you do the work these two do. Time together is the most precious gift you can have. And hey, a weekend getaway sounds like the perfect thing.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Chicago P.D. Season 12, Episode 16 ‘Seen and Unseen’? Share with us in the comments below! And if you have your own opinion on the show, leave a review/rating on our Chicago P.D. hub!
Chicago P.D. airs on Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC.
