Critic’s Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
3.5
Can we all collectively agree that it’s best that Katie pirohette her way home and figure out a new career?
The great news about Chicago PD Season 13 Episode 14 was that Ruzek returned, and we got an update about Disco Bob.
But the unfortunate news is that Burgess put a lot of time and energy into a young cop who didn’t have what it took to be one by the end of the hour.
One of the interesting things about Kim as a detective is that we actually get to see more of the administrative things and other responsibilities that come with the gig.
Throughout Chicago PD Season 12, we saw how Reid bogged her down with all the administrative duties, paperwork, and putting together slideshows and things.
And this time around, we’ve seen little bits like her teaching classes to young cops just like Katie.
She took an interest in Katie, which didn’t surprise me, since Katie clearly understood all the basic procedures and protocols, even when she was a distraction in class.
Plus, Kim is the sort who likes to see other women in the field. She’s a girl’s girl, and it’s been nice to see the little ways that have come out in recent years, as we spent far too many years with the series lacking that particular edge.
It was one thing to call Katie in for the overtime position.
I could understand Kim extending a hand and giving her a chance to get her feet wet in some detective work, even if it meant working overtime by sitting outside some houses connected to a narcotics operation.
There was no way of knowing that things would get hairy. But it was an entirely different situation to immediately pull her into an undercover operation, especially right after Parker’s shooting.
Katie already felt too green, and even though she fit the bill, I’m sure they could have found someone else for the gig.
She wasn’t terrible undercover. It took her a minute to settle into the bit, and she may even have Ruzek to thank for that, as she seemed as impressed by him as many of us are, and she tried to incorporate his technique.
But overall, it just felt like it was too soon to thrust her into something like that. However, their tossing her into the deep end may have ultimately been exactly what she needed.
At some point, she had to figure out that being a cop wasn’t something she was cut out for.
She was a bit clumsy at it the entire time, but my favorite moment was when Atwater snorted in disbelief that she used to dance ballet.
Katie had some serious awkwardness going on, but she also lacked grace.
She was eager in the beginning, which counts for something, but the whole time it was hard not to brace for a crapstorm or something terrible.
Her hesitancy was always so subtle, but it could have easily tripped her up a few times.
Ironically, we learn that the other slipper drop was triggered by something that started at the top of the hour. Parker’s shooting wasn’t something that fell on Mosley.
Instead, Parker’s GSW was a result of Katie, not the perp. A little friendly fire for Katie’s first real outing as a cop. Yeah, that’s not getting things off on the right foot.
Once Parker died, I knew it was a wrap for Katie. What I didn’t understand was why it was imperative to tell her the truth in the middle of the operation.
It felt like the more sensible thing would’ve been to tell her the truth and immediately pull her, even if it meant waiting a bit longer to capture Mosley, or to tell her the truth only after the operation was over.
She was far too green to handle news like that without internalizing it and spiraling. They should’ve benched Katie, not hoped for the best.
And it sucks that Parker’s wife called Katie to accuse her of being a murderer in the middle of all of this. There are elements to how casual they were with this friendly fire that bugged me, I’ll admit.
They kind of shrugged it off like these things just happen, and the attention was on making sure Katie didn’t feel like Parker’s death was her fault — but it was.
It just didn’t feel like there was enough emotion on the other side of that we could see and feel to balance the story out more and give it more grit and gravitas.
Even hearing that phone call between Parker’s wife and Katie would’ve done something — or having Parker’s hot partner letting his emotions get the better of him at Intelligence.
The emotion wasn’t there for this case, and the extent of what happened. I didn’t feel much for Parker’s death, but I also didn’t sympathize or care about Katie either.
She pulled off the case, and despite that contrived scare they attempted in the heat of things, she didn’t shoot any of her colleagues amid all the action.
However, she did shoot one of the bad guys.
Somehow, she was able to pull it together after getting drunk and not tending to her burner phone after the phone call with Parker’s wife got under her skin.
And she also moved past the freezing and panic attacks.
Kim was a good mentor to her during the brief time she tried to help the girl, but Katie was not meant to be a cop.
It felt like Kim wanted it for Katie more than she did, but I guess it’s because she can’t relate to that level of uncertainty.
Apparently, Kim has always known what she wants, and because she’s in that headspace, she finds it hard to relate to Katie or even understand Katie’s decision to turn in her badge and quit for good.
It’s also why she’s been struggling with Mack. She wants Mack to go to a school that she feels better suits her, especially since there seems to be an increase in issues, namely microaggressions, that Mack is facing.
To Kim, it’s simple — Mack can relocate to a new school, maybe experience less of what she’s dealing with now, and be around more diverse kids.
But Mack has been dragging her feet on it, partly because she’s still a kid who went through so many changes in her life that the prospect of more scares her, and she doesn’t know for certain whether she wants to stick with her primary school or venture out.
She’s not as confident or sure as Kim.
Meanwhile, Adam rightfully pointed out that no matter where Mack goes, she won’t avoid some of the things she’s currently experiencing.
I do appreciate how conscious they both are when it comes to raising a young Black girl, and I just truly respect the effort they always put in to better understand.
Mack has started her applications, or at least is writing them. But she started talking about her old family, how she wished she could save them if she went back in time, and that she’d love to introduce them to her new parents.
I understand why that was confusing for Kim to read, because she’s left wondering if it means Mack wishes her biological parents were alive so that she could be with them.
But what Kim needs to do is speak to Mack directly.
She can’t unilaterally make decisions for Mack about certain things without talking to her about them, and Mack is old enough to give input and explain her thoughts to her mother.
I like domestic Burzek moments and them talking about their family.
Additional Thoughts:
- Imani taking furlough for an apartment issue is absolutely ridiculous and one of the worst explanations for an absence to date.
- Everyone outside of Kim was so tragically underused.
- So, it’s been how many episodes since Atwater found out it was going to be a father? Did he tell ANYONE? Like, why wouldn’t they show us a nice scene of him talking to Kim or Adam about it or something? He’s literally close to everyone but Imani, and they’d all be ecstatic about this news, yet we’ve missed out on a great moment.
- They keep missing out on opportunities for Kim and Voight to bond a bit and for him to mentor her through things.
- Kim’s hair was so perfect!
- Does anyone else wonder where Burgess’ parents are? I’m starting to get curious about what they actually do.
- Ruzek was SO annoying for not responding to the radio. Not the time to scare people, sir!
- It sounds like Disco Bob only has a few months left, and that’s so sad.
Over to you, Chicago PD Fanatics. How do you feel about this one?
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