Who didn’t see that cliffhanger coming?
We know Chicago PD Season 13 Episode 7 would likely leave us hanging with the fall finale, and it certainly did, as the hour concluded with Eva Imani trapped in the Bell House of Horrors.
She’s not Hailey Upton, but damn, that was a classic Upton move.
Two Sides of a Similar Coin
We still don’t know much about Eva Imani, but every Voight-centric seems to operate as one of her as well. It’s interesting in a way.
The idea of partnering them up comes into focus when you see that she’s similar to him in so many ways and that it’s part of why they work so well as comrades out in the field.
Imani is like a younger version of him, presumably, but she comes at it a bit more authentically than the many other times the series tries to make mini-Voights out of Intelligence members.
But what comes into focus during this hour is how they both may have a shared background of abuse that likely motivates them in their crimefighting, and this case with Raymond Bell is striking personal nerves for both of them in different ways.
Voight, for the most part, is showing more restraint than one would typically expect from him, which is a nice way of highlighting his quiet evolution on the series over the years.
Imani and Voight’s Backgrounds Inform How They Approach This Case
He’s still rough around the edges, but he’s less impulsive and more calculated, and his approach to trying to lure and trap Raymond Bell is evidence of that.
But Imani still runs very hot and quick on emotion, and that’s where there’s some interest in seeing how they bounce off one another as partners.
Imani has been all fire since we first met her, but this is the first time we’ve seen just how bad it can get when she lets her emotions get the best of her. She started seemingly level-headed and even skeptical about how Mike’s death could factor into Raymond Bell.
But once Julie factored into it all after that hospital visit, Imani was blinded by trying to save this girl.
And who can blame her? We all know Raymond Bell is a monster. You can see it in HIS eyes, how he interacts with people, and speaks. However, what’s even more terrifying is how that extends to his granddaughter.
He has this hold on her that is undeniable, but he knows how to stay under the radar.
Are We Seeing Voight’s Growth?
It made trying to nail him down for anything so damn frustrating because it was nearly impossible to build a case.
But Julie is at the center of why this case has Imani and Voight running so hot and desperate to nail this guy to the wall. It’s their respective approaches to this that’s been fascinating to watch, though.
Knowing that their individual pasts inform their decisions and how they operate adds a captivating layer to this case that might not have been there otherwise. Voight is still raw and on edge from the blackmail he’s gotten.
If the photo of himself in the hospital as a child didn’t open up a wound, having someone send him a picture of his father, calling him an abuser, and even implying things like resignation would rattle him. And we have that simmering under the surface for the whole episode.
You feel it in those moments with Bell, how he speaks to him with an insincere calm that feels practiced, or when he outright calls Raymond out, saying that he knows men like him and how they operate. Voight would say things like that anyway.
Imani is Shaping into a Character with More Depth
And up until now, it’s just a matter of knowing he’s been on the job for a long time and he’s seen a lot. But now that we have the extra context, his words are heavily weighted with the background of a man who has been on the receiving end of abuse.
Similarly, every interaction Imani has with Julie is tinged with Imani’s own mysterious past and whatever happened with her sister.
It’s evident that she carries her sister with her in everything she does, and whatever their experiences and what they endured is behind her tough exterior and how she carries herself — as well as her approach to cases.
She’s a hardass individual, and she doesn’t work well with others, but the softness and compassion she shows towards victims offers an interesting enough balance that leaves you wanting to know the full story.
And it’s that which informs how she approaches this entire case — her pushing Julie to share more despite the case worker’s warnings, giving her number out, texting and calling, even when there’s a risk of putting Julie in danger, in attempts to save her.
Imani Going Rogue Creates a Bigger Problem
Then, of course, her determination to get Raymond in any way, whether they make the case or not. It wasn’t the least bit surprising when she went rogue, breaking into the Bell home in a desperate attempt to save Julie, and ultimately placing herself and possibly Julie in danger in the process.
It’s a rookie mistake, even though it comes from a place where you understand her intentions. Imani’s actions are the exact type of thing that likely had her bouncing around so much. The sad part about it is that all she had to do was reach out to Voight instead of taking things on herself.
But alas, as the newest member of the team, she still hasn’t registered that Intelligence works as a unit because they all have each other’s backs, Voight most of all.
The problem is that her desire to save Julie and circumvent the red tape could result in a powerful man like Bell getting away with it. This man is slippery, and he’s been able to get away with all of these murders and other monstrous things for years.
It’s possible that after her actions, they face an uphill battle trying to get Bell after all.
But what piqued my interest was poor Aaron’s ramblings. Raymond took his fingers for stealing mulch — that poor man is mutilated for the rest of his life, and it severely impacted his mental health.
Case-Centric Installments Give Chicago PD Room to Shine
However, Aaron said that the entire Bell family was evil. Ghosts were in the house, presumably from all the people Raymond killed. He mentioned the wine cellar that had me thinking of Joe Goldberg’s glass cell from YOU.
And we know Raymond groomed his son to be like him. Are we to assume he isn’t doing the same with Julie? Clearly, that phone call was a way of entrapping Imani, but she was too emotional to think straight.
Did Julie, who has covered for her grandfather to some degree, help lure Imani there? Is there some evil rooting itself in her, too, or does she still have a shot if she’s saved? It’s something worth pondering.
The hour was technically solid as far as it being case-centric. I love seeing the moment when the team puts in a lot of work to figure out a case.
The techniques they use to showcase the passage of time, such as the little touches of eating food, deliveries, and rubbing weary eyes — I must admit, I live for those little tidbits when watching a crime procedural.
Sometimes, the case itself is compelling enough, and watching our heroes actually work it is more fascinating than tedious.
When Will Chapman Come Back from Their Cold War?
Because we also get all those little personal moments, too. Torres having that picture of Morgan and his daughter on his desk is what’s fueling him, or Imani with the Life Savers; they were all great little touches.
And I loved the interrogation scene, where everyone took a turn with Raymond, and we could tell hours had gone by, as well as the strategy behind it. Slow, steady, and effective — Voight trapping him where he wanted him. The mind games, such as those played in chess, are played with the perpetrator.
That’s solid content for Chicago PD, and it always shines when it leans into that.
We also had little nuggets to cling to, such as Voight still refusing to talk to Chapman, for example. Hell, we already know if he went to her — brought this up, especially the nature of this case, she would’ve worked some magic.
But sadly, the two have been avoiding each other since Chicago PD Season 12’s Finale. And dammit, I’m still bummed about that. I hate that a Badass Boss like Chapman went down like this. Will we ever get her back? Clearly, we need her.
The other guy simply does not compare.
Devlin is the Weasel, But What’s Next?
There was no word about Ruzek, which is unfortunate, but perhaps when the show returns, they’ll give us a clue to work with regarding his absence. It’s too bad, though.
A case with an abusive man and a girl in danger? He would’ve been a beast!
Amid all of this, we did receive confirmation of what we already knew — Devlin is the one sending those threatening messages to Voight. I guess he didn’t take too kindly to Voight twisting his arm when it came to reinstating the unit.
It’s such a weasley move, and I love that the show keeps reiterating that Devlin hasn’t earned his bones as a cop — that he’s a desk jockey, with shiny shoes, no grit, and cowardice. He’s a rat sneaking behind Voight’s back for his revenge instead of coming at him head-on like a man.
What is Voight going to do about it, though? That’s the big question.
Notes from the Bullpen:
- I am LOVING how much Chicago PD is giving us, Trudy, this season. And I love that they’re showcasing her deep friendship with Voight. It’s been so good!
- Atwater slamming Romeo up against that wall like that was hot. I love it when he gets rough with a perp.
- Eva wearing the white t-shirt and Torres wearing the black one. The Chaos Twins don’t get to interact very much, yet they still fascinate me.
- What are the odds that the entire building is gossiping about Voight and Chapman? Also, the fact that they even brought her up means they may revisit her, right? RIGHT?
- Voight gets all the weird, creepy cases. First, we had eyes glued open, and now it’s mutilated hands. Yeesh!
- I love that they’re reminding us of how well Voight operates in the streets this season. His paying the neighbor to get information about him was amusing.
- As much as we all knew Raymond was connected to this case, Voight was way too adamant, and it would have been problematic under any other circumstances. He kept name-dropping Raymond, describing him, and everything else, without much to go on but a hunch.
- Do you think we’ll ever find out what happened to Eva’s sister? I still run hot and cold with the character at times, but Arienne Mandi is great in the role, regardless, and I loved the nuance of Imani during this hour.
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Chicago PD returns January 7th!
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