Chicago P.D. is returning in the fall 2024 TV schedule after taking a week off, and the new episode on November 6 will be a big one for Burgess. After more than a decade of One Chicago's cop drama as CPD officer, she's on her way to becoming a detective... if all goes well despite the politics on the way, that is, and that's never a guarantee. Marina Squerciati spoke with CinemaBlend about what's to expect, including why the storyline was a long time coming and what still needs to shift for Burgess.
The next episode of Chicago P.D. is called "Pawns," and the promo reveals that Burgess will be just one last step away from making detective. Burgess, Ruzek, and Atwater have all been officers from the very beginning and the Intelligence Unit lost its two main detectives when Halstead left the CPD and Upton moved on, so I asked Marina Squerciati if she had any idea before Season 12 that Burgess could be next in line to try for the promotion. The actress said:
I mean, one of us had to give, right? It's just been so long. I knew it was one of us. I didn't care which. [laughs] I just wanted one of us to make it... There was an opening. A couple [of openings], so it's time.
Even though it initially seemed that Chicago P.D. had brought in a new detective for Season 12 rather than promoted anybody, Martel was killed off quickly and newcomer Kiana Cook (Toya Turner) is another officer. While previously Atwater seemed like a contender for the next detective, it was anybody's game. Whether or not Burgess gets what she's hoping for in "Pawns" remains to be seen, but what held her back from pursuing a promotion for all these years? Squerciati explained:
She's a new mom and trying to create stability for her daughter, who went through a traumatic event. I think that it's harder to be ambitious when you have a family. It is doable. I'm certainly an ambitious woman and I have a family. It just takes a little bit longer to study and find the space for yourself in the interstitial moment. She was momming and having a family and a husband, or a fiancé. It took a minute, but now she's ready.
Stability can be in short supply on Chicago P.D. even in the best circumstances, and Burgess had to put in a lot of love, time, and effort to build a home for Makayla. Fortunately, once she and Ruzek got back together and made commitment after commitment to each other, they seem to have a stable family unit with their daughter. Squerciati previewed how Ruzek will react to Burgess making this big professional effort to become detective, saying:
I think to expect anything less of him than being supportive is [wrong]. He's not a dumb meathead that can't support his more powerful fiancée. He's an incredible partner. Even in life, a best friend of mine, but he's supportive and wants it for me, because I want it for myself. So I think that's great.
Luckily for fans of the good ship Burzek, showrunner Gwen Sigan's comments about smoothing sailing in Season 12 seem to be holding true this fall! She also confirmed ahead of the premiere (which you can stream with a Peacock subscription) that a promotion definitely "is in store" and they tried to make it happen for "so many years."
That doesn't mean the journey will be easy, however. I asked Marina Squerciati how the title of the November 6 episode – "Pawns" – applies to Burgess and the case as she's put to the test, and the actress previewed how her character needs to change:
She tries to sidestep politics, but it's impossible. You can try and rise above in any job, but politics are part of it. God, what a day to talk about that, right? It just infuses everything and she tried to sidestep it, and it still found her. I think that's really interesting, and I think that she has to be smarter about it going forward. She doesn't have to totally play the game at every moment, but she has to recognize that it's there and understand it a little better.
Only time will tell how long it will take Burgess to come to understand the political side of the game a bit better, but it should be an interesting ride. The promo for the episode also gives a tease of the politics that Burgess is facing in her attempt to be promoted to detective:
Be sure to tune in to NBC on Wednesday, November 6 at 10 p.m. ET for the "Pawns" episode of Chicago P.D. As always, the Intelligence Unit's exploits follow Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. ET and Chicago Med at 8 p.m. ET, all on NBC. You can also revisit earlier episodes of all three shows streaming on Peacock now, and don't forget to check back with CinemaBlend for more from Marina Squerciati.
