Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 20 Review: Sacrifice

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Ruzek and Upton have called it quits on Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 20

I can hear all the fans rejoicing in the distance. 

And though I know this is an unpopular opinion, I'm a little heartbroken about it.  

Going Undercover - Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 20

I've grown to appreciate the dynamic between Upton and Adam and found myself rooting for them throughout their many ups and downs. 

But I'll agree that breaking up may be for the best.

Upton and Ruzek's Relationship - Chicago PD

Ruzek and Upton are polar opposites and their clashing personalities interfered with their work relationship.

Neither of them knew how to separate their personal life from the professional one and thus, they couldn't figure out how to work together and be together at the same time. 

Related: Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 18 Review: This City

They butted heads about the best course of action, worried about each other, and made decisions based on feelings and emotions.

There's no place for that in the workplace, especially at a job where one wrong move could cost you or your partner your life. 

Upton didn't even want to acknowledge how deep her feelings were, but when she called in a patrol car to sabotage his dangerous buy, she was acting from a place of fear.

We Should Take a Break - Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 20

Ruzek also had some control issues. 

He constantly worried about Upton and if she'd be able to handle herself when she's a strong, independent woman who has the skills and wit to get out of nearly any situation. 

But the biggest problem is that they didn't care about each other enough to fight for their relationship. 

Upton and Ruzek weren't in love, they were in lust. 

Antonio: If you got a problem with me around opioids just say it.
Voight: I just did.

Platt made it very clear that if Ruzek was the one, Upton should pursue the relationship with the caveat that one of them has to make a sacrifice and leave Intelligence.

Neither of them felt that the relationship was worth compromising their careers over so a break was the only natural step. 

Upton and Ruzek aren't the first work relationship, but I sure hope they'll be the last.

We've seen several relationships form between co-workers, and although I believe that they can work in the long run, they never seem to last.

Meat Packer - Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 20

The work that they do in Intelligence is too intense for a relationship to truly thrive. 

Halstead and Lindsay crumbled as did Ruzek and Burgess.

There's no way to avoid those feelings when you spend 24/7 with someone. 

But I mean it, I'm done with inter-Intelligence relationships.

Sacrifice  - Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 20

Plenty of people have been rooting for Upton and Ruzek to break up so that Ruzek and Burgess can get together. 

If we're to take away anything from this episode it's that Ruzek needs to take a break from dating.

Related: Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 19 Review: What Could Have Been

And he definitely needs to branch out beyond the workplace because his relationships never end well.

Also, how awkward would it be to start dating your ex while still working with your other ex?

Antonio: I ran the identifier on those pills you caught her with. They're not opioids.
Upton: What are they?
Antonio: It's a drug called Lumacin. Treats a rare liver disease.
Upton: Can you get high taking 'em?
Antonio: No.
Upton: Why would someone steal them?
Antonio: Costs about 40 grand a month.
Upton: 40 grand?!
Antonio: Yeah.
Upton: So, what are you saying? Gina's sick?
Antonio: Gina's dying.

The no-dating rule goes for Upton and Halstead as well.

The writers slid a few flirty scenes between the partners, and Halstead would likely be a much more encouraging boyfriend for Upton, but their friendship needs to take precedence here. 

I've Got the Money - Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 20

As usual, there wasn't much follow-through from Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 19 aside for a brief acknowledgment that Kelton is taking the lead in the Mayoral race. 

It's not all that shocking considering he's running unopposed. 

Politics may have been put on the backburner, but they still impacted the way Intelligence approached a case.

Brennan wanted the team to catch the drug dealers because apparently, "Oxy Kelton" wasn't a good look on the front page of the paper. 

And those same politics will likely impact the unit's future.

I'm trying to figure out how the series is going to part ways with Antonio, and I'm thinking that he's going to be removed from the unit and reassigned when Kelton takes office. 

After all, Ruzek did mention that it was one of his biggest fears now that Kelton was leading the race. 

Platt: Look, if Adam's the one, then make it work. But that probably means that one of you has to get out of Intelligence. It's a very tiny needle you're trying to thread here.
Upton: Yeah, I know. And if neither one of us are willing to make that kind of sacrifice?
Platt: Then what you have isn't worth compromising your career for.

Though carrying a storyline through a season isn't the show's strong suit, I was happy to see Voight address Antonio's opioid addiction.

I'm glad he cares about his team enough to protect them from possibly falling down a rabbit hole again. 

The writers returned to a procedural format with their case-of-the-week focusing on a pharmaceutical heist. 

The series has tackled drug problems before, but this case was especially interesting because it highlighted the problem American's have when it comes to insurance and cost of medicine. 

It's a storyline that has never been explored on Chicago PD.

That Had to Hurt - Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 20

Gina wasn't buying drugs to score a high, she was buying them to stay alive. 

What a sad reality. 

I'm sure we can all relate to doctor bills piling up. 

Plenty of insured patients find their medications aren't covered or are completely unaffordable

Related: Get Shudder via Prime Video Channels for Spine-Tingling & Provocative Films, TV Series, & Originals!

Can you even imagine dishing out forty thousand dollars on a month's worth of pills?

Unless you're a millionaire, it's physically impossible.

The case was a difficult one because Gina's husband, Bob Riley, was doing something illegal for the right reason. 

He was robbing delivery trucks and pharmacy's in order to get his hands on a drug that would save his wife's life. 

No one wants to penalize a guy who is making the ultimate sacrifice for a woman that he loves.

But on the other hand, people were dying because of all of the robberies. 

Intelligence had a job to do, but at least they weren't ignorant to Gina's plight and helped her get some pills. 

The theme of sacrifice played into the episode perfectly. 

I've Got This  - Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 20

Riley and Ruzek and Gina and Upton juxtaposed each other.

Riley was willing to do anything to save his wife including getting arrested for stealing drugs, Gina almost got her brains blown out trying to lessen Riley's sentence while Ruzek and Upton couldn't even fathom the idea of giving up their spot in Intelligence to pursue a relationship. 

Like I said, it's better that they calledit quits. 

As someone who takes the CTA every single day, I cannot even begin to explain how stressful the scene with the man falling and getting electrocuted on the tracks was to watch. 

Freeze!  - Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 20

It's my biggest fear. 

I'm always scared I'm going to slip off the platform and fall right onto the tracks. 

It's an important lesson for all current Chicagoans and future visitors: don't run on the CTA platforms! 

Platt continues to be the backbone of the series. 

She's so observant; she sees everything but only ever speaks up when she thinks it's completely necessary. 

It's almost like she's a momma bear to the women on the unit. 

She's always there when Burgess needs her and she came through with some much-needed advice for Upton. 

In a world where we need more women lifting each other up, Platt's a good role model to admire. 

And lastly, seeing Atwater and Burgess team up again made me think of the good old days when they were patrol partners. 

Make sure you're all caught up on and watch Chicago PD online

Let us know what you thought of the episode in the comments below! 

Sacrifice Review

Editor Rating: 3.2 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 3.5 / 5.0 (8 Votes)

Lizzy Buczak was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in June 2021..

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Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 20 Quotes

Antonio: If you got a problem with me around opioids just say it.
Voight: I just did.

Antonio: I ran the identifier on those pills you caught her with. They're not opioids.
Upton: What are they?
Antonio: It's a drug called Lumacin. Treats a rare liver disease.
Upton: Can you get high taking 'em?
Antonio: No.
Upton: Why would someone steal them?
Antonio: Costs about 40 grand a month.
Upton: 40 grand?!
Antonio: Yeah.
Upton: So, what are you saying? Gina's sick?
Antonio: Gina's dying.