Chicago P.D. Season 11 has had plenty of curveballs for the characters, ranging from Upton confiding in Voight of all people in the premiere to Torres possibly making a huge mistake in the most recent episode. There have been some happy moments too, though, most notably including the reveal that Ruzek survived his gunshot wound cliffhanger and then proposing to Burgess. Ending a season with their life in jeopardy due to being shot is something that Burzek have in common with each other, and Marina Squerciati had a fun take on that when speaking with CinemaBlend.
One Chicago's police drama entered the 2024 TV schedule with one major question in particular: did Ruzek survive and fully recover from being shot in the Season 10 finale? It was a familiar question, as Burgess was in the exact same situation after being shot in the Season 8 finale. When I spoke with Marina Squerciati about what she called the "perfect" Burzek twist, I also noted that being shot in a finale is a tragic thing for the characters to have in common. The actress had a different (and very valid) spin on it, saying:
It's also great! It means the fans like you and the showrunner knows that enough that they come back to see if you live or not.
Hey, what better way for an actor to get an outpouring of fan love than their character being on the verge of death? Especially in a show like Chicago P.D., where characters aren't magically resurrected! P.D. doesn't often kill off major characters, but it has happened, so there's rarely absolute certainly that a character will pull through a potentially fatal injury. After hearing Squerciati's take, I commented that has to be a flattering response to get as a performer, and she responded:
It's never flattering to be shot, except if it's on TV.
I for one had never thought about it in those terms, but I definitely see her point! Plus, P.D. fans didn't have to spend months watching either character fight through their recovery, as Burgess and Ruzek were both back on their feet early in their respective seasons after being shot. Of course, those two bouncing back isn't a guarantee that every injury will be healed on Chicago P.D., and it was just last season that there were fears that Jay Halstead would be killed off to accommodate Jesse Lee Soffer's decision to leave.
With Tracy Spiridakos set to be the next series regular to leave Chicago P.D., fans can always start to worry as well as wonder about how Upton will be written out. I'm personally holding out for a happy ending for the character after everything she's been through, and Spiridakos is sticking around through the rest of the season, so we may not know any time soon.
For now, we can at least be optimistic about the future of Burzek, and not just because Marina Squerciati and Patrick John Flueger could see fans hoping for their characters' survival after being shot! Showrunner Gwen Sigan previously said that Burzek would have a "nice ride" in Season 11, with Squerciati opening up about their "easier life" this time around.
Based on the promo for the next episode, airing on February 21, Atwater won't be having an easy time at all! Take a look:
Tune in to NBC on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET for new episodes of Chicago P.D., following Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. and Chicago Med at 8 p.m. You can also revisit earlier episodes (and seasons) of all three shows now with a Peacock Premium subscription.
