Chicago PD Season 4 Episode 9 Review: Don't Bury This Case
Brittany Frederick
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It's another year so it's time for another One Chicago crossover.
Chicago PD Season 4 Episode 9 picks up where Chicago Fire Season 5 Episode 9 left off, and does it one better by not treading as familiar territory as the first half.
"Don't Bury This Case" starts off with Kelly Severide being the prime suspect in a fatal car accident but that tension doesn't last very long at all. One Chicago fans know Severide can't go to prison, so within 20 minutes CPD have moved on to the real perpetrators.
This is where Chicago PD gets smart.
Rather than try to stretch out the false suspense about Severide for an entire hour, it lets fans squirm just a bit before presenting an alternative theory of the crime and then gets its tension from whether or not Intelligence will be able to prove Severide's innocence.
It creates a fairly elaborate plot involving a gang of carjackers who just happen to be targeting rare vehicles in the same area as the bar that Severide was drinking, and then pays it off in fine fashion with an awesome car chase and hiding people in the trunk of a car.
That premise might seem like it stretches plausibility a bit but you're really not caring when a bus is slamming into a car and Voight is putting the bad guy's mom in her place by using her as a mock hostage.
"Don't Bury This Case" has a lot of Lindsay chafing because she thinks people are bringing up her past fling with Severide, but it rings hollow because she's the one who keeps mentioning it.
Halstead even says near mid-episode that he didn't even know she had feelings for Severide. So what's she complaining about?
Besides, if her concern was people thinking that she's biased, her behavior starts to prove them right. From feeling the need to add a question mark to the case board to wanting to transport Kelly herself, Lindsay is clearly on Team Severide from go.
There's nothing wrong with that but she has to take responsibility for it.
And does anyone else think that scene of Lindsay and Halstead making out while on stakeout was put in strictly to diffuse the idea that she has any lingering romantic intent toward Severide?
Lindsay: You're saying you blacked out?
Voight: From the car wreck?
Severide: No, because I wasn't in one.
Halstead actually stays pretty level here, telling his partner and girlfriend that it's not about her history but about the young girl who has died in the accident, and dealing with it when she's unloading that and her father angst on him.
Plus, he gets the cool moment where he gets to pop out of the trunk with that shotgun.
If I got plastered and I killed a little girl, I wouldn't deserve it.
Halstead
The other half of the episode concerns Kim Burgess finally moving up to Intelligence, specifically how everyone else reacts to her being promoted.
Voight doesn't want her sucking up to him. Platt snarks that her friends upstairs should be able to answer her questions now.
Atwater tells her that Ruzek feels a bit awkward about it, which is likewise completely understandable, though the mention that he still has feelings for Burgess plus the shot of a photo of the ex-couple prompts curiosity as to whether or not Chicago PD will try to rekindle that romance.
Honestly, he seemed a little freaked out that his ex-fiancee, who he still has feelings for, might be upstairs right beside him.
Atwater
The biggest issue is with Olinsky, who becomes Burgess's new partner now that Antonio has moved over to Chicago Justice. That's no surprise given that the two are basically complete opposites.
But the episode tries to add another layer onto it by having Platt tell Burgess that Olinsky has "74 Syndrome" and is still a bit resistant to women on the force.
That's an uncomfortable and not necessary wrinkle as he's got enough of a reason to be concerned about Burgess given that, as he tells Voight, the job might chew her up and spit her out.
Does implying that he's a little sexist really add anything to the subplot? It's not like Olinsky doesn't have enough to complain about given how he just had one of his friends rung up for a woman's death and arrested another ex-cop after that.
He and Burgess are stuck with each other though so maybe she can cheer him up a bit and he can get her to rein herself in. This could work out for both of them.
I'm not looking for the yes police. I'm looking for the real police. Which we both know you are.
Voight
Overall "Don't Bury This Case" finds a creative way to wrap up the first One Chicago crossover of 2017 and feels like a fresher episode because unlike Chicago Fire we're not seeing the characters go down the same old paths.
This one seems to be about turning over a new leaf and it leaves audiences feeling satisfied.
Chicago PD gets right back to business Wednesday, January 4 at 10/9c on NBC with Chicago PD Season 4 Episode 10 called "Don't Read The News." Despite the similar title, it's a completely different episode and features Lindsay finally meeting her father. Be sure you don't miss it.
If you want to re-watch "Don't Bury This Case" again or catch up with the first half of Season 4 so far, you can watch Chicago PD online.
But for now leave us your thoughts and predictions on the episode in the comments.
Did you ever really think Severide was guilty? Did Lindsay get a little too protective? And how will meeting her dad go? Predict away and join us tomorrow for the next case.
Brittany Frederick is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.
