Chicago P.D. Season 13, Episode 14 ‘Meant to Be‘ brings back Adam Ruzek, and though we would have loved to have him back for the One Chicago crossover, this episode proves how much he was needed, even if the hour is not an Adam-centric one. In a Kim-centric hour, one that gives her a mentee and provides us with the dynamics we wish we got from the women in Intelligence, it’s still very good to have Kim’s husband there.
To care for Makayla in the morning, and to make plans about her future with Kim. To exchange looks with her in the bullpen. To comfort her when she’s feeling down. To just… be with Kim. To be her partner. The moments between characters have always been the highlight of this show, and right now, there’s no relationship we care about more than the one between Adam and Kim.
But this is an episode for Marina Squerciati to shine, and just as every time she gets the chance, she absolutely does. Not just because she’s a very good actress, which she is, but because at this point she understands Kim Burgess intrinsically. And that means that she can disappear into the character, and she can make Kim feel like a real person with real emotions, even when those emotions are contradictory.
We’ve seen Kim as a mother. We’ve seen Kim as a wife. And we’ve seen Kim as a badass cop. We’ve followed her career. Rarely, however, have we seen her in the role she’s placed in this episode, like a mentor, like a friend. In fact, I’d say this is the facet of Kim the show has explored the least, which is why—ending aside—it’s so good to see the show take some time to explore it.
The part of Kim that is those things has a hard time with what happens in this episode. Not because she holds Katie responsible, but because she holds herself responsible. She brought Katie in. She took her inside. So, in Kim’s head, it’s on her. But things are never so simple. Katie didn’t mean to shoot another cop, but she did. She’s gonna have to carry that for the rest of her life. And Kim, well… the best Kim can do is be there and get the job done. The rest will never really be right. Even if Katie quits.
We don’t know Katie enough for this episode to hit hard for her sake; instead, it works because Kim makes it work. Because it shows us a different side of a character we’re happy to keep seeing new sides to. And because in this hour, we also get to continue to explore the question of what exactly Kim wants next. For herself, for her husband, and for her daughter.
If there’s one thing Kim Burgess is used to, it’s having all the answers. Knowing what her place is. Knowing what the next step should be. She says it to Adam in this episode, and she knew she wanted to be a cop. She knew about him. About Makayla. But parenthood comes with a new set of challenges, a new set of rules. And a new set of doubts.
That’s not a bad thing, necessarily. It’s just something to get used to. And something we’re glad the show is allowing us to navigate with her and Adam.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Chicago P.D. Season 13, Episode 14 ‘Meant to Be’? 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.
