Spoilers ahead for Episode 3 of Chicago P.D. Season 11, called "Safe Harbor."
Kim Burgess went through a tough (and sleep-deprived) few days in the latest episode of Chicago P.D. in the 2024 TV schedule, and despite the title, "Safe Harbor" was hardly safe for anybody involved. After the assault and murder of a Venezuelan woman that originally seemed like a hate crime, Burgess tied the crimes back to a fellow cop. The case ended with what little justice was possible, but the episode itself had a happy ending on the Burzek front. Burgess and Ruzek are engaged, and Marina Squerciati spoke with CinemaBlend about why it was "perfect."
Season 11 may have gotten off to a pretty grim start with Upton confiding in Voight about her failure to move forward, and even Ruzek passing his tests to return to work was overshadowed a bit by a death. While the case of "Safe Harbor" was certainly dark, Ruzek proposing to Burgess proved that showrunner Gwen Sigan wasn't kidding about the "nice ride" for Burzek.
Inspired by her talking about the home and life they've built together, Ruzek retrieved the ring he already had handy and said "Let's make it forever." When I spoke with Marina Squerciati about "Safe Harbor," I noted that was a great line from Ruzek in his proposal speech, and the actress responded:
Isn't it sweet? Perfect. I just think of that scene as like this boat, and it was so rocky, and they're just in calm waters in the seas. The skies have parted and the sun is shining. And it's just like, 'Yeah, this is it. This is good. This is how we do it.’
There was no elaborate proposal or lengthy speech from either of them, but I'd say that Adam popping the question and Kim's response just felt right after what they'd gone through in the episode. Squerciati previously opened up about how the two characters were already able to move through their home like a husband and wife; now, they can make it official! The actress went on to share why now was the right time for the Burzek engagement:
I think touching back to what we talked about, they've both been through the fire and come out stronger, right? I mean, maybe Ruzek has some more work to do, but I think that Burgess knows who she is. She is strong, and she knows what she wants. She tells him! She goes, 'I need you to fight for this. This is the one I want. I want this family. I want this job.’ And we're both in really good places.
It would certainly be understandable if Ruzek has some more recovery work to do after being shot for the Season 10 finale cliffhanger, but after how he supported her after her injury, can there be any doubt that she'd be there for him? The conversation before the proposal also showed how far they've come over the last ten seasons and counting. After I pointed out that we don't see communication as healthy as Burzek's in "Safe Harbor" very often across all of One Chicago, Squerciati said:
I don't think we generally see communication that healthy in any relationship! That was pretty adult. I guess not a lot of people have been through all the things Burzek has been through, so maybe that's why they can just speak without subtext.
Was there some truth about how they'd tried before in Burgess' comment of "Third time's the charm" when Ruzek gave her the ring? Sure, but they've come an awfully long way. They already have a full life together, complete with Makayla. That certainly wasn't the case the last time they gave romance a try, and I would say that there's every reason to have faith that the waters will remain calm... or as calm as any waters stay on Chicago P.D., anyway!
Ruzek even said in the proposal that he'd planned on doing something bigger to make the proposal more of an event, so I asked the actress if it was more ideal for Burgess that he just seized a quiet moment after a tough day to suggest that they spend forever together. Marina Squerciati shared her idea for what Ruzek should do next to follow up on popping the question:
What woman wouldn't want like a little wine and champagne and caviar? But I do think it was perfect. She was in a vulnerable moment. She knew what she needed in life, and he gave it to her in that moment. I think that was perfect. Should he take her out to dinner the next night? Yes, but he did it perfectly.
I'm confident that we won't see if Ruzek does take her out for dinner next – possibly with some champagne and caviar – but it's fun to imagine that this is indeed what happens next! Unless Chicago P.D. establishes something else, I'm going to just go ahead and believe this is exactly what happened next for Burzek. Why not make the most of a happy ending in One Chicago's heaviest show?
See what's next for Burgess, Ruzek, and the rest with new episodes of Chicago P.D. on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, and revisit earlier episodes of the Burzek journey streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription. Benjamin Levy Aguilar will return as Dante Torres on February 7, for the first time since the penultimate episode of Season 10. Be sure to tune in!
