Chicago P.D. Season 10 Episode 17 Review: Out of the Depths
The first impression we get from Chicago P.D. Season 10 Episode 17, “Out of the Depths,” is that it will solely be about a convenience store robbery. However, as the episode goes on, we discover it has a lot more to do with Kim Burgess and the violation of victims’ rights.
The episode starts with Kim at her therapy session and immediately stumbling upon a new case, the biggest indicator that she will be closely involved in the investigation.
She gets so close that she understands why Ruby, one of the prime suspects, is acting the way she is.
As the team begins to investigate a series of convenience stores robberies, Adam and Kim discover footage of the suspects having sex in an alley after one of the robberies. It is then that they are able to recover a DNA sample.
However, this sample doesn’t mean they big break they were expecting to get. On the contrary, it opens the floor for the dilemma between legal and ethical.
The DNA recovered by the crime scene investigators is a match to that of a rape victim who filed a report four years prior. Immediately, Kim believes they shouldn’t be using that information even though it is obtained legally.
Burgess and Upton state the argument for the ethical side that the use of this DNA is a violation of a victim’s rights. If victims knew their DNA could be used against them, they wouldn’t come forward about their assaults.
Voight is on the legal side. If the DNA match was obtained legally, they can still use it.
Even though they find Ruby, Kim does everything in her power to not use what happened against her. She connects with this suspect/victim through shared trauma.
Even though this episode of Chicago P.D. starts with Kim telling her therapist that she is doing the work but doesn’t see progress, we are able to witness that progress.
Adam is the first to point out that Kim doesn’t have a negative reaction to the gunshots when she first arrives at the convenience store. The first sign that therapy and the dedication she has put into her recovery are working.
The second sign is when they finally catch Ruby’s rapist and co-conspirator in the robberies and she doesn’t hesitate to shoot him. There is a closeup on her hand the second after she shoots, and it’s not shaking.
Even if Kim doesn’t feel strong enough, there is clear evidence that her PTSD is getting better or she is at least learning how to handle it.
However, it is her experience with PTSD that allows her to recognize there is more underneath the surface. She sees a bit of her struggles in Ruby.
Kim is able to recognize when Ruby is having an episode just like her. At first she feels like she is projecting, but she comes to realize she has to trust her gut.
When she feels like something is wrong, she doesn’t back down from the situation. On the contrary, she fights to make sure her voice is being heard.
Voight is ready to charge Ruby, but Kim says she will try something else first. That is what gives them the big break in the case and they are able to find her accomplice.
At times, Kim may doubt herself, but she remains to be extremely good at her job. Even when she doesn’t feel okay, she is able to keep victims calm at the worst time of their lives.
One of the best things Chicago P.D. does this week is finally allowing Kim and Adam to face their feelings and act on them.
The last sign we get that Kim’s therapy is working is the fact that she invites Adam to join her for a session. She is hesitant at first, but after working the case together she realizes he would do that for her.
From the very beginning, Adam and Kim have worked great together. They have chemistry, are always in sync, and know when the other person needs help or space.
The joint therapy session helps them discover there are still feelings between them, and it is the push they needed to finally explore that again.
“Out of the Depths,” ends with Adam and Kim together in bed. If you pay attention to the closeup done on Kim’s face, we are able to see her smiling.
It feels like this episode of Chicago P.D. is exactly what this character needed in her healing journey. She is able to realize that she is walking in the right direction.
Hopefully, this means that Adam and Kim are finally on the path to endgame.
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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 10/9c on NBC.
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Lara Rosales
By day, Lara Rosales (she/her) is a solo mom by choice and a bilingual writer with a BA in Latin-American Literature known as a Media Relations Expert. By night, she is a TV enjoyer who used to host a podcast (Cats, Milfs & Lesbian Things). You can find her work published on Eulalie Magazine, Geek Girl Authority, W Spotlight, Collider, USA Wire, Mentors Collective, Instelite, Noodle, Dear Movies, Nicki Swift, and Flip Screened.