Has Intelligence just lost one of its own? Heading into the Chicago P.D. finale (airing May 25), things aren’t looking good for Detective Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos), who was left unconscious after she and Detective Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) were close to an explosion during the team’s moves against Javier Escano (José Zúñiga).
After joking about “saying goodbye to” and “really missing” Spiridakos, Patrick John Flueger (who plays Officer Adam Ruzek) and LaRoyce Hawkins (who plays Officer Kevin Atwater) assure TV Insider that Upton is fine. “Historically we’ve seen this unit take so much abuse whether it’s explosions, nine millimeter bullets to the gut, car crashes and accidents,” Hawkins says. “And I’m not sure if our audience has figured this out yet, but we’re Intelligence. One of us is worth at least six regular cops — ”
“Or nine, I’m gonna up you three,” Flueger amends. “Also, who gets rid of Tracy Spiridakos from a show? You just don’t do it. Also, we’d all be very sad on set because she brings the light.” Plus, as Hawkins points out, “if anybody has Wolverine-like healing abilities, it’s Upton.”
As for what’s coming up in the finale after that explosive cliffhanger, the stars tease takedowns, including one in a funhouse. “As of late, what I’ve loved about the finale is that I always have this real dope takedown moment. Last finale, I got to body slam Patty in a very manly fashion,” Hawkins says, and Flueger adds, “it’s true. I remember. My body does, too.”
Atwater and Ruzek, along with Officer Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati), are a bit on the outside when it comes to the ongoing case against Escano, with Sergeant Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) most affected due to his CI Anna (Carmela Zumbado). “We kind of recognize that this is a different Voight, the way that he’s approaching the situation,” Flueger says. “I don’t know that we’ve seen him be like this since I guess with Antonio [Jon Seda], with having drug problems, but really since Justin [Josh Segarra], since his son was killed. There’s definitely a father-daughter relationship happening here. And in a way that’s prevalent enough to where I think they all take note that something’s a little different here, something’s a little enhanced.”
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Both officers also have to accept where things are where it comes to their love lives. Ruzek and Burgess are never straightforward, with him recently offering up his father’s house for her and Makayla. “It’s probably always gonna be complicated between the two of them. They’re complicated individuals, so I think they’re just gonna continue to be a complication in each other’s lives. But at the same time, love is complicated,” shares Flueger.
“Ruzek’s proposed to her, I don’t know, 972 times, so I think the writing’s on the wall. I think the guy respects what she’s doing, respects her need to make sure that the kid has what’s best for the kid. A lot of people were giving Burgess a lot of hell [recently], but, I think her intentions are completely pure. She’s not trying to be mean to him. She’s just trying to make sure that the kid has what’s best for her,” he continues. “Him offering the house, honestly, I don’t think that that had anything to do with them as much as it had to do with the kid. She’s not ever gonna have his last name. She’s not ever gonna be his, probably at least right now, but maybe he could give some part of his life, some part of himself to her, which is this house that meant so much to him.”
Meanwhile, things fell apart for Atwater and Celeste (Amanda Payton) after the truth came out about him being a cop and he’d been lying to her. A couple episodes ago, he left her a voicemail essentially telling her he wasn’t going to keep trying to fix things. Hawkins thinks Atwater’s done with her, he says, “and by that, I mean he’s gonna do his best to try. He has to accept and live from where we are and not exactly where we want to be or from where we used to be. She obviously feels a certain way about Atwater and the way that he presented himself. And so Atwater has to move on.”
So for now, Atwater’s focus is “to protect and serve at a high level,” according to Hawkins. “Obviously he’s thinking about being a detective. He looks forward to being able to do that eventually. If not be a detective soon, he has to serve and protect at a high level, probably in a different way. And so we know that he’s been investing in real estate and investing in communities that naturally can use the love. So I think that’s where his head is. As far as love and romance is concerned, I think he’s gonna continue to play the field and figure it out, go with what feels the best, go with whatever he feels like can add value to his intentions.”
Chicago P.D., Season 9 Finale, Wednesday, May 25, 10/9c, NBC