Season 6 of Chicago P.D. has seen the show really begin to explore a relationship between Hailey Upton and Adam Ruzek. The pairing was one that not everybody saw coming, both in the show and out of it. Upton and Ruzek decided to keep their relationship a secret, but that’s about to change for one more member of the unit. The February 13 episode will see Kim Burgess learn what’s going on between Upton and her former flame.
Tracy Spiridakos, who plays Hailey Upon, chatted with CinemaBlend ahead of the big episode, and she teased what’s to come:
The episode is about them going undercover to catch an illegal gun trafficking operation, and it takes a bit of a turn. At the beginning of the episode also, Burgess finds out about Upton and Ruzek, which she doesn't take well to. And then throughout the episode, we get to see Burgess and Upton have a chance to bond, and they need to work together to get out of this situation that they're in.
Unsurprisingly, Burgess won’t be thrilled to discover that the man she once intended to marry has been carrying on a secret relationship with their coworker. Her discovery seems to come at an awkward time, as Burgess and Upton are headed into an undercover mission together. The trailer indicates that the two women are captured, although it’s not clear how much is intentional for their undercover work and how much is the case gone wrong.
Burgess won’t really have the option of reacting emotionally to the romantic revelation, from the sounds of things! She’ll need to work with Upton if they’re going to survive their situation, which gives them the opportunity to bond, even if the bonding does have to happen because they’re in grave danger.
Both of these women are professionals, so it’s difficult to imagine relationship drama getting in the way of their mission and their determination to protect the other. This does raise the question of how Burgess will react to Ruzek. If she sees these two as having wronged her, will Ruzek be the one to receive more of the blame? He is the one she was involved with, after all.
Not all cop shows send their female officers into the fire together, and even Chicago P.D. often pairs Burgess and Upton with their male counterparts. That won’t be the case for this upcoming episode, and when I asked Tracy Spiridakos how it felt to tackle such an installment, she said this:
It was really great. This is a very strong, female-focused episode, and both Burgess and Upton show their sides, get to really be badasses and get themselves out of the situation, and it's really great. I'm really excited for everyone to see it.
Both Upton and Burgess can handle themselves, so fans should be in for an intense episode as they team up to get themselves out of trouble and (hopefully) take down the bad guys. Taking down a gun trafficking operation would be a big win for the unit of Chicago P.D., and the two women will undoubtedly be determined to do their job as well as save each other.
For those of us who enjoy getting to see the ladies of Chicago P.D. show off their skills, this episode should be a treat. Will Burgess and Upton’s bond in the episode last as Upton and Ruzek’s relationship presumably progresses, or was it a one-time thing that temporarily grew when their lives depended on cooperation? Will things be awkward between them? How will Ruzek handle these two women in the unit bonding?
Only time will tell. Fortunately, the wait is almost over. The big episode, called “Ties That Bind,” will air on Wednesday, February 14 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC. Fans will get to see how one half of Chicago P.D.’s most popular former relationships reacts to news that her former love interest has found romance elsewhere.
Tracy Spiridakos is the most recent major addition to the Intelligence Unit, having joined Chicago P.D. in the final episodes of Season 4, as Sophia Bush was winding down her time on the show. She’s been a regular since Season 5. So, Hailey Upton wasn’t around for the rise and fall of Burgess and Ruzek, such as it was. That relationship still has its fair share of fans, and Spiridakos shared her thoughts about her character starting a romance with one half of Burzek:
My thoughts were, 'There's probably some people that are not going to love this situation.' But this show, there's going to be drama. It is entertainment. And so it's been interesting to watch it unravel, the relationship between Hailey and Ruzek, and now with this coming episode, with Kim finding out. It's just been an interesting thing to watch. Every time we get the script, we're like, 'Oh, okay! So this is what happens!' We don't really know anything ahead of time. They don't really tell us too much until we get the script. We kinda find out a little bit before you guys do.
Getting in the way of a popular couple can result in backlash against a character, but Chicago P.D. has handled both the previous relationship and the new one between Upton and Ruzek in a way that the fandom doesn’t seem to have risen up with torches and pitchforks on social media. The new romance feels like a natural progression to many by this point in Season 6.
How will fans react once they see how Burgess feels about Upton/Ruzek? We’ll have to wait and see. Anything can really happen at this point, and there will undoubtedly be plenty going on beyond the relationship front.
Another crossover is in the works, and this one will bring characters from Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. together. The big crossover of Fall 2018 was a smash hit in the ratings, so the odds are pretty good that the Chicago franchise will continue to make the most of its unique universe.
New episodes of Chicago P.D. air on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, after Chicago Med at 8 p.m. and Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. For more viewing options set outside of Chicago, check out our midseason TV premiere schedule.
