Critic’s Rating: 4.1 / 5.0
4.1
Do you know what’s annoying? When your eyeballs start leaking because of feelings and stuff.
What isn’t annoying is Patrick J. Flueger and his incredible performance during Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 14.
He and Jack Coleman have been fantastic with this difficult Alzhemieres arc.
The Zoe Case Picks Back Up
After a reprieve, including the One Chicago crossover, we finally returned to the Zoe case and wrapped things up with a relatively happy ending.
It was still a challenging hour to watch unfold as this poor young girl who has been through so much had to deal with Cronin abducting her and stashing her away in an abandoned motel.
Zoe couldn’t catch a break, so the second Ruzek got the call, we knew we were in for a high-paced installment, with the unit racing against time to find Zoe.
The team’s unity is at its best. I don’t think we’ve seen the unit feel this tight-knit in a long time.
It took each member overcoming so much to get to the point where Intelligence doesn’t say they’re family but actually feels and looks like one now.
We see it in all these subtle moments and seemingly insignificant ways—Voight’s penchant for referring to people by their first name rather than their last name now, for example.
Chicago PD Season 12 Brings Real Intimacy and Familial Vibes to United Squad
The sentiment that when anyone calls, the full breadth of Intelligence will come ten toes down no matter what is another.
When Ruzek reached out to Voight and told him about Zoe’s abduction, Voight’s “We’re coming to you” left little room for doubt, and you knew that he meant it from the depths of his soul and the whole team would, in fact, come.
These are the little things that remind us how tight-knit everyone is, making these episodes and all of Chicago PD Season 12 feel more intimate, familial, and cohesive.
It wasn’t only for the case, either. Knowing that Ruzek had a lot on his plate at home, the team’s support was palpable even if they didn’t explicitly say things or reference Bob.
And when Ruzek reached out to them on their Sunday off, everyone showed up for him, dug deep, and poured their all into this.
Words cannot describe how special this current unit is — how everything and everyone clicks into place and why it’s, without a shadow of a doubt, a factor in this season being one of the strongest in a long time.
Ruzek Couldn’t Shake the Zoe Case Because It Was What He Could Control
It’s unsurprising that Ruzek was on edge with this case, juggling so much at home and work.
Even so, his use of force to pressure Cronin into telling him where Zoe is shocked both Voight and Burgess.
But Ruzek bonded with this girl; this case was too close to his heart for him not to solve it and rescue this little girl.
Cronin was a real piece of work. I marveled over the fact that he somehow made it through most of the installment alive in the first place when he had bled out half the liquid in his body.
Every time they came upon large splatters of blood, I kept waiting for him to be dead a few feet away.
I didn’t anticipate Cronin taking himself out before they could find Zoe, but he was the worst for that.
The ending was a bittersweet, but I’m happy Zoe, or rather Marie, found a loving home.
It felt like Ruzek would want to take her in himself for a bit. It would’ve amused me if Burzek resorted to collecting traumatized children they fell in love with on cases like Pokemon.
Instead, they used ancestry DNA tests and resources to connect Marie with her maternal grandmother. Now, she’ll have a happy life and most likely still keep in contact with the officer who did everything he could to save her.
Flueger is Exceptional in Capturing a Familiar and Devastating Rite of Passage
Ruzek poured so much into this case because it was something he could control. Unfortunately, at home, he lost all control of Bob and his prognosis.
His Alzheimer’s was rapidly declining, and it broke my heart into dozens of pieces to see how much he was struggling.
Flueger does his best work in those moments opposite Coleman. In the early half-hour, you could see the barely restrained pain in his eyes as he put on a happy face for his father and told him how much he loved him.
By the end of the hour, when Bob politely asks Ruzek to remind him of his name, you can see the exact moment Ruzek breaks. His tears hurt me to my core.
Chicago PD’s balance of procedural elements with personal arcas and quiet character-building has served the series well. We’re getting to experience more of these characters behind the badge, connecting with them as multidimensional characters.
Ruzek’s experience here isn’t unique, but that’s what makes it so compelling. He’s in a place that many have been — it’s a rite of passage in life.
Sometimes, the Best Decision is the Hardest, and Chicago PD Brings that to Light in Evocative Moment
He’s at the stage of his life where he’s taking care of a growing daughter while simultaneously tending to his ailing parents. He’s doing all of this while working a demanding job as well.
The specific weight on his shoulders isn’t a new one — it’s a relatable one that makes viewers connect with this character on a much deeper level than they may have before.
If one hasn’t already experienced what he is, there’s the knowledge they could at some point.
I also love the fact that arcs like these destigmatize care facilities. Many people would love to believe that putting a loved one in a facility is the worst call and that it’s idealistic to have that person stay at home.
But that isn’t always conducive or realistic. It also may not be in the best interest of the person needing round-the-clock care or the caretaker who has to juggle many facets of life.
With Disco Bob declining so rapidly, it was at a point where he posed a danger to himself and others around him.
Chicago PD Delivers an Emotional Hour
His showing up at the station led to a strong lead on the case, but carrying the gun was terrifying when we knew he was not in his right mind, and the episode Makayala and her babysitter shared was scary, too.
The whole situation was gutwrenching. Frankly, I found those moments of the hour most gripping.
How about you?
I’m turning things over to you, Chicago PD Fanatics.
How did you feel about this installment?
Was the conclusion to Zoe’s case worth the wait?
How devastating was the Adam/Bob content? Sound off below.
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