Chicago PD Threatens to Upend the Entire Show as Voight & Reid Hit Breaking Point

Chicago PD Season 12, Episode 21 is clearing the way for what the entire season has been building toward. Every time Voight has a vendetta against someone (or someone has one against him), it all comes down to a direct showdown between the two characters. Since Reid's debut in the Season 12 premiere, fans knew he was hiding something -- which made his story arc immediately obvious. Voight would catch on to him and he would catch on to Voight, leading to an explosive confrontation. "Open Casket" makes that possible by getting Otero out of the picture and using that as a way for Reid to be tipped off. That means the only bad guy Intelligence -- and the fans -- have to focus on is Reid.

How the episode gets to that point is a tried and true TV crime drama story. The easiest way to get to any character is through their family, so the only surprise in terms of plot is that Adam Ruzek and Kevin Atwater are behind the robbery at Otero's funeral home, and that the whole bit is staged for Otero to get to Reid. What makes the episode work are the performances by Jason Beghe and Shawn Hatosy. Hatosy cements Reid's spot as one of the most corrupt Chicago PD characters now that he's allowed to go full evil, turning on the smarm. Beghe, meanwhile, is able to go back to what makes Voight stand out: his willingness to go over to the dark side. The scene in which Voight is sitting in the dark at Otero's house, waiting for him to arrive, is classic Voight and classic Beghe.

Episode 21 removes anything that may detract from the face-off between these two characters, and makes clear how each of them is going to approach it. Even the wedding talk between Ruzek and Kim Burgess is kept to a minimum. Viewers learn Reid is going to go the bureaucratic route (which is obvious since he's been holding Torres' affair over Voight ever since he wanted to be "friends"), while Voight is clearly going to make his own way. The actual case of the week might be predictable but it serves the purpose of winding up both characters before shoving them at each other.

hicago PD Gives Fans Mild Hope for Voight and Chapman

Audience Get to See the Two Characters Together Again

The only positive element in "Open Casket" is the return of actor Sara Bues as Assistant State's Attorney Nina Chapman, and Chapman's continued interactions with Voight. Episode 21 features the most on the nose scene between the two characters yet, as Chapman asks Voight why he hasn't "wanted it" since the death of his wife Camille. He responds by saying, "I don't notice it anymore," which is entirely believable since not once in the previous 11 seasons has the audience seen any semblance of Voight's romantic life. But that one scene is enough to keep Voight and Chapman shippers interested.

There will be more happiness in the next episode (audiences now know by process of elimination when the Burzek wedding is happening). Yet it's nice to see that Chicago PD hasn't forgotten about Voight and Chapman. Whether or not they end up together romantically, it's good to see that Voight has something of a confidant back in his life -- something he hasn't really had since Alvin Olinsky was killed off years ago. The intent of the last scene is clear: Voight ignoring Chapman pounding on his door is meant to represent how Voight is ignoring his "reformed" side and going back to his no holds barred tactics. But hopefully he won't turn his back on her altogether. The show is better with her in it, not just for him but for the series to have a consistant ASA after so many years of swapping out one attorney for another.

Chicago PD Season 12 Could End on a Major Low Note

Intelligence Won't Go Anywhere, but Consequences Are Still Likely

The final moments of Chicago PD Season 12, Episode 21 don't achieve their desired impact because fans know that Reid can't actually disband the Intelligence Unit. The renewals of all three One Chicago shows mean that Intelligence has to exist, or Season 13 would be incredibly underwhelming. And even if that weren't logistically true, Chicago PD is the one series in the franchise that is most locked into a specific identity. It knows exactly what it is and what the fans want to see -- which is not everybody reassigned to other random places. The unit as an entity will survive.

That doesn't mean all of the characters working in Intelligence will make it to Season 13. Audiences also know that the renewals are coming with budget cuts, including cast members either being written out or being in less episodes, beyond what's already taking place (viewers will have noticed Toya Turner's absence from this story). The show has been foreshadowing Dante Torres' exit for weeks now, and with Torres under arrest, it wouldn't be shocking at all if he either loses his badge permanently or quits because the writers will want some kind of consequences for Voight's battle with Reid. Similar to how Olinsky died as part of Voight's war against Denny Woods, they'll be looking for some sort of dramatic impact at the end of this story, and Torres being on a downward spiral for a large part of Season 12 makes him the easiest choice in that respect. And if he does go, it's a disappointing end for a character who still hasn't reached his full potential.

"Open Casket" wants to be more clever than it is; there's no plot twist in the episode that viewers won't see coming. But it is effective in the sense that it makes viewers hate Reid even more, and want Voight to be fully unleashed to take him down. It makes audiences excited for the next chapter just to see the fireworks -- which is the episode's entire point.

Chicago PD airs Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. on NBC.