‘Chicago P.D.’ Star Toya Turner Teases Tonight’s Vicious Robbery-Homicide Case

Most of the crimes that the Intelligence Unit deals with on Chicago P.D., have to deal with lowlife drug dealers and career criminals, but on tonight’s “Name Image Likeness” episode, the offenders are a whole different caliber of criminal.

There’s a smash-and-grab robbery at a jewelry store and one of the perpetrators is killed, allowing the Intelligence team to ID him, which leads to a college basketball superstar whose name and image are worth $4 million, as another potential suspect in the crime.

“There’s something really quick and lip smart about them in a way,” Toya Turner, who plays Officer Kiana Cook, newest member of Intelligence, tells Parade about the new breed of criminals. “I feel like there’s this speed about them. I also think they’re kind of rude actually. I love the actors who play them. I think they’re so talented, but I actually think the characters are a bit rude and annoying.”

Cook is still relatively new to Intelligence, and she’s been working to gel with the rest of the team. Of course, there was that blip where Dante Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar) lied about a previous relationship with a CI that almost got Cook killed, and she hasn’t really had much contact with Voight (Jason Beghe) as yet.

 

“I feel it’s just been like quick moments and work,” she says of the Cook/Voight relationship. “But I do feel like she’s gelling with everyone. I feel like she’s slowly forgiving Torres for almost killing her and for lying to her and whatnot. She might be forgiving him just a smidge, not too much. But I think she’s doing great. I think she’s able to exhale a little bit now that she’s on the team and she sees what all is happening.”

In tonight’s “Name Image Likeness” episode, Cook finally gets the opportunity to spend some 1:1 time with Voight when she goes to him and suggests using the basketball player’s girlfriend Ruby as a CI to get his confession.

“Yes, I actually get into Voight’s office for the first time,” Cook says. “I’m so happy! You know, I feel sometimes Cook does things because she feels even if she’s not comfortable with it 100 percent, she knows that that’s the best route to go. I think there’s a lot of uncertainty with this young lady, but Cook wants to believe that she is the right move, she’s the right step to get what we need. And once Cook goes in on something, she just goes all the way in.”

Also, on tonight’s episode of Chicago P.D., the members of the Intelligence unit employ social media as a tool to track down the perpetrators. It’s something that is becoming increasingly common on cop shows, and it is something that Turner thought about when she joined the cast because both fellow castmates Marina Squerciati and TracySpiridakos, who has since left the show, are very active online.

 

“I was scared of social media,” Turner admits. “There was a time when an actor or a performer could say something and they could lose a job, they could lose a campaign. I’ve been very, very fearful of not just saying the wrong thing, but also just putting myself out there and being judged on a larger scale, right?“But I don’t know, I have confidence in it now and I just go into it where I’m not a mean person. I’m not a bad person. I’m not out to get anyone or do anyone harm. So, I just lead with that.”

Chicago P.D. airs Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Streams next day on Peacock.