Chicago P.D. Season 14, Episode 1 ‘Demolition’ focuses on the idea of change. Can people really change? Is rehabilitation possible? The episode seems to give a clear answer: yes, just as it sets up the possibility that Shari might not be there yet, and no matter what Imani does, Shari’s journey of redemption is one she must travel alone.
The episode begins with a choice for Imani: will Shari go to jail, or does she want to bury the evidence? Just that Voight offers her the choice is big, because Hank Voight is usually a man who makes decisions, not a man who offers that choice to someone else. But Imani chooses jail for Shari—and consequences. Sometimes that’s the only way to learn.
She promises Shari she will be there by her side every step of the way, and for months, that’s what she does. She’s right there, visiting her, day after day. But as the episode ends, we learn that Shari has taken her off the list. What happens next for Shari and Imani? That’s probably something we’ll revisit this season.
MORE: Do we know how the show plans to write out Kevin Atwater?
Who Are You? And Who Can You Become?
For years, Eva Imani has been the older sister looking for her baby sister. Now, she found her. She did what she could for Shari. And now, Shari needs time and space. So, what does Imani do? What does her life look like when she has to live for herself? The truth is that she doesn’t know. She has never had to find out. Now, she will.
Ironically, that puts her in a parallel position to Hank Voight, who has always resisted change, but who has had to find ways outside his comfort zone lately. Because staying where it’s comfortable for him has cost him a lot of people: Erin, Jay, Hailey, even ASA Chapman. And fourteen seasons in, it’s easy to believe that Voight can’t change. But he clearly can; otherwise, he wouldn’t have left the decision of what to do with Shari in Imani’s hands.
Now, the question isn’t who they are right now, but who they can become, and maybe who they can help each other be going forward.
A New Antagonist?
Having an FBI agent in the bullpen sounds like a recipe for disaster, and not just because the Intelligence unit isn’t always known for being by the book, but also because no one here is the type that would react well to outsiders telling them what to do. We don’t know enough about this Charlie character yet, but just from the little we saw of him at the end of this episode, he doesn’t seem like he’s here to play by Voight’s rules.
That can be interesting, just as it can be annoying. In the past few years, the show has done a pretty good job at giving Voight different outside obstacles that have, in many ways, forced him to fight for his unit as a whole in ways he didn’t have to do during earlier seasons. Hopefully, this particular one will serve to bring the unit closer as they get a common enemy. And if, by extension, we get more of the unit even in episodes that focus on one character, I will be one happy camper.
Things I think I think:
- Did we all see the spark between Imani and Torres?
- Kevin is having a baby! Kevin is having a baby!
- Adam and Kim already moved. When do we get to see their house?
- Was this Charlie dude just hanging around being sus until he was told he could take his things up to Intelligence or?
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Chicago P.D. Season 14, Episode 1 ‘Demolition’? Share with us in the comments below!
Chicago P.D. airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC.
