Chicago PD Season 7 Episode 12 Review: The Devil You Know
Lizzy Buczak
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A formerly dirty cop hunts down dirty cops on Chicago PD Season 7 Episode 12.
Of course, Voight was never dirty in the same sense that Tyler, Gibbs, and Packer were, but it's interesting to see where the line gets drawn.
What defines a dirty cop that needs to be taken down versus a dirty cop that's doing what he needs to and walks freely with his powers unchecked?
In terms of how the storyline unraveled, this was one of the stronger episodes of the season.
It was a little difficult to keep up with at times considering all the moving parts and new characters, but it was captivating and unpredictable.
The focus wasn't solely on one character up until the very end when Hailey got her revenge. Instead, everyone worked together towards one main goal: bringing down corruption from within.
It's always a little mystifying to see cops, the people who promise to serve and protect, get messed up in shady dealings. Being a dirty cop is the exact opposite of what it means to be a cop.
However, it's also shocking that there's nothing in place to guarantee that drugs sent to the burner get burnt.
Voight: Can you work with Darius Walker?
Upton: Last time I checked, this wasn't a democracy.
There are no checks and balances as everything seems to be based on faith and trust.
If it's that easy and untraceable to get your hands on drugs -- Halstead called it a damn buffet -- I'd expect it to be happening a lot more frequently.
The case required Intelligence to display a certain level of stealth since the men they were going after -- Tyler, Gibbs, and Packer -- were all veteran cops who thought the same way they did.
They were running a smooth operation and would be easily alerted if something was going awry.
Intelligence had one shot to get this right, and they had to play it close to home to obtain enough evidence to even build a case.
And even when they had concrete proof, there was a possibility it wouldn't stick given how high up the ranks these cops were.
Of course, the case connected to Darius Walker, again.
At first, it seemed like the writers took the easy way out of yet another storyline by looping in the man connected to nearly ever crime and criminal in Chicago.
But this time, Walker's character was necessary.
The audience may be experiencing Walker burnout, but we have to give it to him -- he's a damn good villain.
He's one of the better-written bad guys on this series.
Walker always had an angle or an agenda, he wasn't afraid to stand up to Voight, he was unapologetic in his ruthlessness, and he wasn't above killing people when he deemed it necessary.
He was a bad guy disguised as a good guy just like the cops Voight was going after.
All of those qualities made Walker dangerous and unpredictable, and frankly, even though we knew we couldn't trust him, we were all blindsided by him.
After reluctantly helping Voight set up a buy, Walker was pissed that his trust was broken and Voight sold him out as the CI.
20 different times, you have figured out a way to tell me don't get too close. I'm telling you, you're too close.
Halstead
He didn't want the case to go to trial as it would expose him as a snitch, so he got his men to take care of it.
He orchestrated an insanely gruesome ambush. When Intelligence got there, it looked like a warzone.
No one was spared in the shootout, not even Walker's own men.
Voight pinpointed this as the exact reason why he didn't want to name Walker as his CI, but I don't think Voight expected Walker to stoop this low to protect himself either.
It was a perfectly constructed plan and Walker knew it; the city of Chicago would deem the three fallen officers as heroes, Voight would upkeep his end of the deal, and Walker would walk out a free man.
All of the above happened, and for a moment, Walker reveled in that victory.
And then Hailey took matters into her own hands.
Dealing with Walker was personal for Hailey. She wanted to avenge the death of her CI, Cameron, who was murdered right in front of her because of Walker's order.
Bottom line: she was tired of seeing Walker get away with everything.
Hailey showed off a darker side to herself when she pulled up to talk to Walker's people and hinted that he was a snitch.
The smirk on her face when she saw Walker's body made it very clear that this was the outcome she wanted; she was beyond pleased with herself.
She didn't flinch nor feel any remorse. The whole thing was almost Voight-like.
And if she can sleep at night after knowing what she did, I guess she's on her way to shutting off that emotional part of herself.
Pregnant and undercover. That's a good name for a reality show.
Halstead
Walker didn't believe in luck, but if he did, one might say he was unlucky. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time or whatever the excuse was that he used to write off Cameron's death.
Other Musings
- Everyone knows that Burgess is pregnant and though she was out in the field for a little bit, she was relegated to desk duty. Thankfully, Burgess's pregnancy isn't going to sideline her toom much as the upcoming teaser shows her responding to a call and getting involved in the action.
- Was anyone else digging Voight's meeting in an official conference room? It felt so professional!
- For those still wondering (like myself) it was confirmed that Crawford is still the interim Mayor. Voight knows all the right things to have him sign off on whatever he needs, so this arrangement has been pretty beneficial.
- Halstead and Upton switched roles as this time. She was just reminding Jay not to get too personally involved and here she is doing the exact thing she told him not to do. Maybe they are a match made in heaven.
Voight: Hailey, want to now what keeps me awake at night? Nothing. I do what I do because I can. Something inside me... I turned it off, a long time ago. Hailey, you do something like this, you don't turn that part of, it will eat you alive.
Hailey: Have a little faith, Sarge. I'll get there.
Voight: That's what I'm afraid of.
- Platt played a role in the dirty cop takedown. Yay for Platt getting some screentime.
- Halstead returned from desk duty and didn't miss a beat following his injury. Welcome back!
Alright, I'm turning it over you, Chicago PD fanatics!
What did you think of the episode?
Are you glad Walker was killed off?
Be sure to watch Chicago PD online and catch up on all episodes so you don't miss any of the action.
Lizzy Buczak was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in June 2021..
