Chicago P.D. Season 12, Episode 19 ‘Name Image Likeness’ is a good episode, because the show is always at its best when it’s got a clear purpose, and it’s always the most clear-eyed when it understands its characters. And boy, does Chicago P.D. understand Kiana Cook.
Perhaps it’s because it hasn’t had time to get lost in the idea of who she is and who she could be, or because Toya Turner plays her with a clarity of purpose, or both, but the show takes advantage of that to deliver an episode that advances both Kiana and the relationships she’s managed to build within the team, which manages to make her and others around her, more likeable.
The examples are numerous. This isn’t even a Dante episode, but we got more out of Dante from his little interactions with Kiana than we’ve gotten out of even some of his centric episodes lately. And has anyone from the team stood up to Voight lately like Kiana does? And it’s not even that she does so much, she just clearly states to him that what he does in the interrogation room crossed a line, and she does so clearly, outside of the room, and then goes on with the case.
We haven’t gotten these little moments with Kim—this show has always been at its worst when it comes to female interactions—but we do get to see some of the comfort between Kiana and Adam just from the scenes in this episode. And even though this is a case-centric hour, it is one that advances her characterization while solving a case, not one that features characters we know while solving a case.
It all helps to make Kiana a much better character, one that’s easier to invest in. It’s hard to remember at this point that she has only been around since the beginning of the season, not just because she fits in so well, or because she’s so easy to invest in, but because she’s both of those things while being so different. And not just different from the other characters on Chicago P.D., but different from the other women who fit her stereotype on TV.
Sometimes, it feels like asking for different stories for WOC is asking for too much. It shouldn’t be. But there’s something refreshing about how real Kiana Cook is, and Chicago P.D. didn’t have to do much other than just make her someone who wasn’t exactly who we expected her to be. And if, in the way, we keep discovering tiny things about her that make us invest more, all the better. We’re already along for the ride.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Chicago P.D. Season 12, Episode 19 ‘Name Image Likeness’? 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.
