NBC has been a hot spot over the last few years with dramas centered around action, fires and medical miracles with their One Chicago Shows. Chicago PD is all action. The cops in the Intelligence Unit love nothing more than to protect their city against white-collar, blue-collar and any other criminal in their streets.
But if asked to choose which episodes you love best, would that be an easy choice? There are so many to choose from that there’s a good chance you would or could leave one or two off the list.
Allegiance (Season 4, Episode 5) Rating 9.0
Death has been a main visual for Chicago PD over the course of its run. However, none of the main characters have really been touched. In “Allegiance” Alvin Olinsky is the first. The lead up to this was pure great work by the writers and the main culprit everyone involved wanted was Voight. But being true to the team is one thing Olinsky has always been.
Instead of giving up, he confesses, takes the time, and in the end. meets his demise. Yes, there was another storyline going in here, but Olinksy’s incarceration stood out to be the reasons this made one of the top 10 best episodes for IMDb.
Trust (Season 6, Episode 11) Rating 9.0
When one of Voight’s friends ends up dead, it’s an all-out war to Voight. As the Intelligence Unit digs deeper into the case, they find out that the Mayoral candidate and Superintendent of Police, Kelton may be involved. That news alone sends Voight into a frenzy and now he really wants answers. To add more salt to the wound, in an attempt to find the killer, Atwater is shot.
If Kelton is indeed behind all this, then that means that in the end, his hands are dirty regarding Atwater. Now Voight is left with an ultimatum. Does he look the other way and make Ketlon an ally or take him down and make him an enemy? That would not be a bad move since he may win the election and having the Mayor owe you a favor is always good. But Voight wants the truth, not friends.
Ties That Bind (Season 6, Episode 14) Rating 9.0
Kim Burgess finally figures out the secret within the Unit. Upton and her old boyfriend Ruzek are now dating. The team, doing what they do best–go undercover at a Gun Show but something goes wrong and Upton and Burgess are kidnapped. The two guys drive the two undercover officers to a remote location, tie them to pipes and demand that Burgess give up the 20k she bragged that she had for the purchase of the guns.
Back at the station, Ruzek is freaking out. I mean, the two women he slept with are kidnapped at the same time and there’s nothing he can do. Antonio is giving point this case and that doesn’t help calm Ruzek down. The women do manage to escape and share a moment where Upton explains that she’s not dating cops to further her career.
Reckoning (Season 6, Episode 22) Rating 9.1
IA wants Ruzek to amend his final statement as to what really went on in that warehouse. But Ruzek is sticking to his story despite his hot/cold relationship with Antonio Dawson. All of this could have been avoided if Ruzek wasn’t so quick to jump the gun and listened to his commanding officer Voight.
But the drama doesn’t end there. Antonio, even after a stay in rehab, is still back on the pills that have everyone in trouble in the first place. While this episode is officially Jon Seda’s last, it was not a great way for his character to depart. Ruzek is in jail, Kelton ends up dean and it looks as if Voight is the one who killed him.
A Shot Heard Around The World (Season 4, Episode 8) Rating 9.1
This is Antonio’s last day with the Intelligence Unit before he joins S.A.’s office. In the midst of his last day, a shooting takes place which happens to involve a police officer. When the Unit gets a lead, cops swarm the place only to realize it was a setup and another cop is shot in the process. Everyone is on high alert.
In the end, it was the son of a former c0p who was killed in the line of duty. He wants cops to pay for his father’s death. He’s eventually caught and killed by a great shot by Olinsky. At Molly’s, the cops gather around and take donations for the fallen. Antonio says his goodbyes and Voight officially adds Burgess to the Unit.
Descent (Season 6, Episode 9) Rating 9.1
Antonio has a drug problem and Ruzek is once again moving too fast in a relationship. He and Upton and looking at apartments for her but Ruzek has the crazy notion that they should move in together. On the other side of town, Antonio is trying to score drugs at the doctor’s office (what a mess Dawson has become of the last few episodes).
There is a drug bust going on and when the Unit arrives, somehow Antonio is already there. But little do they know, he was not there on official police business but as a buyer. The one who catches it is Burgess who decides to stay quiet about it. Before Voight had a chance to help Antonio after he found out, his daughter Eva was kidnapped.
The Forgotten (Season 6, Episode 16) Rating 9.1
Ray Prive wants to win the Mayor’s seat and he needs Voight’s help to do it. In the beginning, Price was not to be trusted. He was a crooked Alderman and Voight was not that fond of him. But now they had a common enemy–Kelton. Price told Voight in so many words that if he wins, the Intelligence Unit was safe.
Voight is set to take is favorite CI to the airport to begin a new life. When he gets to her house, she’s missing. There is a serial killer on the loose but it goes way deeper than Voight thinks. While searching for Lexie, Voight learns that the killer is tied to Kelton. Needless to say, this is one of those moments where the team just needed a few more minutes. Lexie is not saved in time and now the war between Kelton and Voight just turned personal.
Emotional Proximity (Season 4, Episode 16) Rating 9.2
The hunt is on for the man responsible for a building fire that killed Alvin Olinsky’s daughter. Mess with the city of Chicago and the hammer comes down, but touch one of theirs, and time stops until you’re found. The Intelligence Unit is a tight group that prides itself on togetherness.
What hurt the most about this episode was Voight trying to get Alvin to take the high road. There was a time when Voight and Antonio were ready to tear down Chicago regarding their kids. The killer is caught and sent away. That was not supposed to go down like that.
Start Digging (Season 3, Episode 23) Rating 9.3
For the officers in the Intelligence Unit, there are certain things that are off-limits. Dating within the team is supposed to be one but that’s often ignored. The other is family. No one touches one of their own. However, for Hank Voight, that all comes to a crashing end this episode.
Justin (Voight’s son) has cleaned up his act. He’s married with a newborn baby and is all smiles. He decides to help one of his friends and it all goes wrong. He ends up dead. There is nothing or no one going to stand in Voight’s way for payback. Once the killer is found, Voight does what any father would do in that situation. He gets his revenge against anyone telling him differently.
Homecoming (Season 5, Episode 22) Rating 9.4
With news that Alvin did not survive the stabbing while in jail, the Unit is out for revenge. This is not the usual catch him, lock them up, and throw away the key episodes. One of theirs was targeted and murdered. While searching for leads, Woods is still coming after Voight with everything he has.
When they find the person (Carlos) responsible, Voight catches him on a roof and shoots him. To the bystanders, Carlos was unarmed. However, Voight swears that he was reaching. The only other witness was Antonio and he still isn’t sure. In the end, it was ruled a clean shoot, Woods gets arrested, and Voight mourns his friend. Sad episode.