Chicago P.D. closed the first half of Season 10 with a deadly twist to catch killer Sean O’Neal, after Upton spent episode after episode pouring herself into searching for evidence. Intelligence only managed to crack the case after Burgess and Upton joined forces and connected some dots. The two women of the unit don’t share a lot of one-on-one scenes together, and showrunner Gwen Sigan opened up to CinemaBlend about the show’s goal for them with the second half of Season 10 in the new year.
The first half of Season 10 for Upton largely centered on her methods of dealing (or not dealing) with Halstead’s departure and burying herself in the Sean O’Neal case, while Burgess has continued to try to find balance with her work and her ambiguous relationship with Ruzek as they co-parent Makayla. P.D. putting the two women together to finally track down some evidence not only showed how far they’ve come, but also the potential for them as a duo sharing more scenes moving forward.
When I spoke with Chicago P.D. showrunner Gwen Sigan about Season 10 in the aftermath of the fall finale, I asked if we might see more of Upton and Burgess joining forces after they teamed up in the first half of the season. She shared:
I hope so! We’re definitely trying to get them together a lot more. I think they have an interesting relationship, and we just haven't seen it a lot on screen that they have been side by side in things. I think we'll lean more into that and lean more into the friendship that they have and sort of build that relationship.
The most that Chicago P.D. has ever showcased Burgess and Upton as a duo in an episode aired on NBC several years ago, when a case went sideways and resulted in them held captive together. At the time, Upton’s no-longer-secret relationship with Ruzek was a sticky issue, but a lot has changed since Season 6. Fortunately for those of us who are always hoping for more of the ladies of P.D. teaming up, Gwen Sigan shared that they’re “trying” for that in 2023.
The showrunner isn’t the only person from P.D. to comment on Burgess and Upton possibly sharing more scenes, as actresses Marina Squerciati and Tracy Spiridakos have both spoken in support of it in recent years. During Season 8, Squerciati said that she didn’t “understand why the two females don’t have more of a relationship” and wanted “to explore this more,” then shared during Season 9 that more of Upton and Burgess was “a goal” for her.
For her part, Tracy Spridakos spoke with CinemaBlend about the intense episode that saw Upton making a very cold jump into the Chicago River, and she said that she would “love to hang out with the girls” of P.D. some more. She also shared that she and Marina Squerciati “get really excited” whenever they have Burgess/Upton scenes.
Only time will tell if Chicago P.D. does make strides with the two women of Intelligence. After all, LaRoyce Hawkins has been hoping to see Atwater make detective for years, but the character still has some obstacles to overcome. That journey has been a slow burn for his character; will the same be true of Burgess and Upton potentially getting closer as friends and coworkers?
Find out with new episodes of Chicago P.D. on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC in the 2023 TV premiere schedule, starting with the Season 10 winter premiere on January 4. 2023 will see the return of Jesse Lee Soffer to P.D., although not to reprise his role as Jay Halstead. Soffer will make his One Chicago directorial debut in the new year.
