Chicago P.D. Season 10 Episode 4 Review: Dónde Vives

Yes, I know we should all be mourning Jay Halstead. And the truth is that we miss him, for sure. But I can’t help and cheer because his departure finally opened the path for the rest of the characters to shine — particularly Torres and Kevin.

We knew from the promo that Chicago P.D. Season 10 Episode 4, “Dónde Vives,” was going to be a Torres-centric episode. Lucky for us, it doesn’t disappoint, and it immediately starts with Adam, Kim, and Kevin teaching him the ropes.

While Kim and Kevin are methodic and teach him how everything works, Adam shows him a more personal side of things. He reminds him and the audience why the unit works so perfectly: they all respect and care for one another.

That is Torres’s official welcome to the team.

I must say I feel seen as I am not the only one who points out Torres’s unofficial white t-shirt and blue jeans uniform. Mia, who knows him from the neighborhood and grew up with him, makes a point to comment on it too.

But it doesn’t end there. His outfit is something that distinguishes his character throughout the episode. This is done smartly so on Chicago P.D.

The white t-shirt and blue jeans separate him from the Intelligence Unit because it makes him stand out. He is always wearing the same clothes. However, that is what separates him from the gangs in his neighborhood.

While we see the suspects wearing dark colors like black, green, and brown, Dante Torres is always wearing lighter colors. Symbolizing the change that he hoped to enact by becoming a cop.

But when things get more personal, when he is at home with his mom or on a date with Mia, he is also wearing a green jacket. It is that neutral territory where both his worlds collide with the women he cares about.

As much as he cares about Mia and wants to protect her, the unofficial cop uniform wins and he has a camera on him when they are on a date. Something that he ends up paying for as she turns her back on him at the end of “Dónde Vives.”

Torres’s outfit isn’t the only thing in “Dónde Vives” that allows us to step into his world. This time around we are able to see where he lives, the streets he grew up on, and the people who have been a part of his journey.

The most personal touch Chicago P.D. gives us is that of Torres solely speaking Spanish when he is with his mom. Another glimpse into the world that he shields from his unit. Only in the safety of his home does he lower his guard and turn to comfort.

In the same way that we see him interact with his mom, we get to witness interactions with the gang members in his neighborhood. Here we come to understand the older generations knew about Torres and warned the newer members.

The respect he imposes comes from the number and street he lives on. Everybody knows not to mess with him because of his location. The suspects know this and use it to their advantage, threatening his mother.

However, in the end, the lines between his professional and personal lives are blurred and the perps don’t respect him anymore. Something he soon changes by fighting a gang leader with his bare hands. He is able to do this by taking off another part of his uniform: his badge and gun.

As happy as we are to learn more about Torres, we are even happier to see Kevin step back into the light and shine through. From the beginning of the episode, he takes a brotherly approach.

Just like Torres, Atwater has had to deal with cases that hit close to home where family members are involved and his neighborhood becomes the scene of the crime. He makes this very clear to the newbie and gives advice based on personal experience.

But more than giving advice, we see Kevin protecting the new guy. When Torres is faced with the decision to shoot someone he knows, Kevin takes this away from him by taking the shot, knowing this would have changed Dante’s life — probably not for the best.

He steps up and makes sure the new officer doesn’t feel alone and understands how to balance both his personas. Something Mia mentions as well when she asks him “which one of you?” Torres believes he can be both the guy from the neighborhood and the officer at the same time.

This will be an interesting challenge to see develop throughout the episodes. Hopefully, it is explored more.

Does anybody else get some major Voight vibes when Torres is beating up the gang leader at the end of the episode? The boy has some untapped anger issues in him, which will be interesting to see as he works with Voight.

On Chicago P.D. Season 10 Episode 1, “Let It Bleed,” Torres earned Voight’s trust by creating the diversion the Sergeant was so desperately begging for. Something tells us the dynamic between these two will be interesting.

Hopefully, Chicago P.D. deviates from this obsession between Hailey and Voight and allows us to see him interact with other characters.

For now, all we can say is: Welcome to Intelligence, Torres. We’ve been waiting for you.

Stray Observations

• We need more of Trudy Platt! Her interaction with Torres at the beginning of the episode is golden, and we sure miss her sarcastic remarks.
• It is interesting to see Torres ask about Jay and then tell his mom about the guy who got him into the unit leaving. However, we hope to see the rest of the characters address it more than Adam simply saying things will feel weird for a while.
• What the episode does really well, in the beginning, is show Hailey in the distance being watched by other characters to portray the loneliness this character must be feeling. Let’s hope her feelings are addressed and they don’t come out in the form of irrational decisions.

What did you think of this episode of Chicago P.D.? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Chicago P.D. airs Wednesdays at 10/9 on NBC.

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