Warning: spoilers ahead for Episode 15 of Chicago P.D. Season 9, called “Gone.”
Chicago P.D.’s case was intensely personal for Burgess and Ruzek in “Gone” with the kidnapping of young Makayla, and they were short on leads from the very beginning. Gabby died before help could arrive, the kidnappers escaped with their daughter, and their leads just weren’t panning out quickly enough. Burzek were very much a united front to start, but they began to fall apart as the odds grew worse and worse, culminating in a big fight that – based on comments from stars Marina Squerciati and Patrick John Flueger – might not be forgotten even though they got Makayla back.
Burgess and Ruzek shared the same goal, but had very different approaches to trying to get Makayla back. Ruzek was quite literally breaking down doors and itching for action, while Burgess was willing to entertain the option of paying the ransom if there was even a chance that it would work. The escalating tension came to a head when Ruzek chased down one of the kidnappers against the original plan to follow him, and he ultimately had to shoot him. The kidnapper’s death killed their one big lead, and the fight that resulted was possibly the ugliest in Burzek's long history together.
Ruzek angrily yelled that the man was never going to lead them to Makayla, she was never going to be rescued from their sting operation, and Burgess never listened to him, and Burgess exploded in response that Ruzek never listens to her. When I spoke to the stars about the events of “Gone,” they weighed in on whether their characters meant what they said or were just lashing out in the heat of the moment, with Marina Squerciati saying:
Oh, I think they meant what they said. I don't think this is the time where they could like be anything but their truthful self. Like, there's always things about your partner that you don't like or you complain to your girlfriends or guy friends about. But you keep that to yourself. [laughs] And [not] that you don't love them, you're just like, 'Okay, I'm gonna have to deal with mouth open chewing. Alright, fine.' And I think this was a moment where everything was laid bare to kind of dire consequences. I don't know if they can come back from that.
Marina Squerciati previously shared that there would incredible anger from “the way you can only hate someone that you love,” and it’s clear that there’s very strong love between Burgess and Ruzek. They have gotten through some terrible ordeals in the past, including their own heartbreak over Burgess losing her pregnancy. They both exploded this time, however, and it’s not the best sign that even the actress isn’t sure that Burzek can come back from this!
Patrick John Flueger shared his own perspective on the Burgess/Ruzek fight, and where both characters were coming from when they went at each other. It wasn’t too long after Burgess had put her foot down about Makayla because she is legally her daughter, and not Ruzek’s. Flueger said:
I've watched that scene a couple of times, and I hate that I just shout at her. But I think that it makes sense that I shout at her, and I think it makes sense that – removed from the moment – that I hate that I shouted at her…. I mean, like, how could you not? How could you not in that moment, freak out on the person that loves them the most, that loves you the most? You know, it's all over at that point.
It did look like Ruzek would have blown up at anybody who turned up on the scene of the dead kidnapper after he chased him down, but it got very personal between him and Burgess. Ruzek seemed to realize that he’d pushed too far when Burgess snapped and started shouting, but it was too late at that point.
The fight did blow over when they managed to rescue their daughter, and were both supporting Makayla at the end, but Ruzek wasn’t exactly looking happy with the whole situation. I asked the actors if the conflict in “Gone” says something about their viability as co-parents or romantic partners, and Marina Squerciati didn't mince words:
I think it's hard to walk back from this one.
Of course, sharing Makayla in common means that they can’t just break up the way they could have back when their romance was the only thing between them, and Burgess considers him Makayla’s father even though she made the point that she is the only parent on paper. According to Patrick John Flueger, the love is still there for Burgess, but that doesn’t mean a happily-ever-after together is in store. He said:
I think Ruzek is in love with both of them. You know, he wants it as much as he can, but at the same time, they just have different approaches to life. So we'll see.
Whatever happens next between Burzek, hopefully Makayla is at least going to be safe for the foreseeable future. Chicago P.D. seemed to rule out the possibility that Theo is as sketchy as he appeared when he approached his niece secretly at her school, so maybe she’ll be able to go back to life as a normal 7-year-old girl with parents who love her. Even if it is a fairly unconventional arrangement!
See what happens next for Burgess and Ruzek with new episodes of Chicago P.D. on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, following Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. and Chicago Med at 8 p.m. in the 2022 TV schedule. To go back to earlier days of Chicago P.D., you can find the full series streaming with a Peacock subscription now.
