15 Unforgettable Burzek Moments on Chicago P.D.

After nearly eight years, Chicago P.D. Season 11 came to us with something that viewers have not only not seen in a very long time, but have longed for for almost a decade. For the first time since 2015, the police procedural’s season began with Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) and Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) in an established relationship.

Prior to the rekindling of their romance in Season 10, the last time we saw Burgess and Ruzek as a couple was in Season 3, when Kim broke off their engagement and left Adam alone in the locker room, ring in hand.

Ever since, the two have endured a situationship full of ups and downs, including a miscarriage, multiple gunshot wounds, and the adoption of their daughter, Makayla (Ramona Edith Williams).

But if there is one thing that each of Burgess and Ruzek’s trying moments indicates, it’s that while their future may not be smooth sailing, their history proves that the ‘Burzek’ is meant to be.

In chronological order, here’s a look back at some of their best moments that have us looking forward to whatever comes next:

1. First Kiss (Season 1 Episode 10)

When Burgess is forced to fire her weapon for the very first time, it’s no surprise that Ruzek is the first to ask if she’s okay. It’s the start of a habit that exists to this day, and he follows his concern up with an invitation to talk it over over drinks, where, at the end of the night, the two share a kiss on the street outside of Molly’s.

For most fictional relationships, the first kiss is a big moment, and Ruzek and Burgess are no exception to that.

Like many others, it feels incredibly monument, but at the same time, the kiss holds a lot of questions: where will they go from here, after Kim runs away? What about Adam’s engagement? Was this a mistake, or was it the start of something that might define a portion of the series?

Eleven seasons later, it’s safe to say that the latter is the situation in this case. Things have not been simple for them, not then or now, but Ruzek and Burgess’ first kiss exists as a sort of premonition for the relationship that has now become the longest-running in One Chicago’s history.

2. Getting Together  (Season 1 Episode 15)

It may have been a false start, but the ramifications of the first kiss from just a few episodes prior carries throughout the next five episodes until Ruzek and Burgess officially get together on Chicago P.D. Season 1 Episode 15, “A Beautiful Friendship.”

After awkward tensions arise between Kim and Adam when Kim is passed over for a position in Intelligence, Adam shows up at her apartment with an apology, telling Kim that he believes she’s great at her job and that she will get another chance someday.

Kim asks him why he came over just to apologize, and Adam admits, “I like you. I know you know that, and I miss you.”

Their second kiss and the official start of their relationship feel like the first of many “earned” moments for both the fans and the characters, and there’s no doubt that the anticipation for what Chicago P.D. Season 2 could possibly bring had us all on the edge of our seats.

3. The First “I Love You” (Season 2 Episode 10)

In the final moments of Chicago P.D. Season 2 Episode 9, “Called in Dead,” Kim is shot while on a call, but her survival isn’t revealed until the following episode. 

She wakes up in the hospital with Adam at her side, where he confesses just how scared he was to lose her. His admission of fear is followed up by the couple’s first shared “I love you,” which sets a tone for their relationship throughout the series thus far.

Those feelings have never truly gone away, and in moments of danger, their love for each other is never more evident than when coupled with their fear of losing each other.

4. The Proposal (Season 2 Episode 23)

During the last few episodes of Season 2, Burgess becomes suspicious that Ruzek may not want to work with her in Intelligence, but the idea is quickly squashed in one of the season’s final moments when she opens up her locker to find a ring inside, and Adam asks her to spend the rest of his life with him right there in the locker room.

The moment itself is simple yet perfect for who they are as a couple, but the implications of this proposal hold far more meaning in the long run because, despite whatever comes next and even despite their growth together and separately, one thing has remained true throughout Chicago P.D.’s eleven seasons (and counting): Kim and Adam have built and spent their lives together, whether they were in a relationship or not.

5. The Break-Up (Season 3 Episode 12)

When Ruzek’s career takes a hit during the first half of Season 3, he begins to become lax on his and Kim’s wedding plans, leading Kim to believe that he may not actually want to get married.

His lack of initiative convinces her to seek advice from Roman (Brian Geraghty), who convinces her to test Adam by examining his response on the idea of pushing their wedding, which ultimately leads to the end of their engagement on Chicago P.D. Season 3 Episode 12, “Looking Out for Stateville.”

The switch from fiancés to exes is one of the most heartbreaking moments in their relationship, and while many fans initially believed that the writers were following the same trajectory as Dawson and Casey from Chicago Fire, the seven seasons it took to reunite Burgess and Ruzek prove otherwise.

But in the end, this break-up gave them the opportunity to grow as partners and individuals, allowing them to rebuild on a foundation much stronger than before.

6. Adam’s Return (Season 4 Episode 14)

When Kim is promoted to Intelligence during Season 4, Ruzek makes the decision to take an undercover assignment in an attempt to take some space after their breakup.

He returns at the end of Chicago P.D. Season 4 Episode 14, “Seven Indictments,” and runs into Kim outside of District 21, where he asks if she’s okay with him coming back to the unit. She says of course, and the two share a passionate kiss beneath the Chicago skyline.

While this moment may have given us false hope for an immediate reunion, it remains a moment that solidifies just who Burgess and Ruzek are to each other. They will always be family, but even more than that, they will always have a deeper connection with each other than with anyone else.

7. Infection Aftermath (Season 7 Episode 3)

After Intelligence tracks down the source of a deadly city-wide infection, Kim, Adam, and their coworkers leave the district exhausted yet relieved, which prompts Rojas (Lisseth Chavez) to invite everyone out for drinks.

Adam declines quickly, ready to head home, and Kim does the same, but left alone in the parking lot, the two turn to each other for comfort. 

The moment is big for Burgess and Ruzek, who choose each other at the end of the day, after the world doesn’t end, and the significance of that moment carries on in more than just repercussions. This moment — this choice — officially begins the reestablishment of their romance.

8. Meant to Be Family (Season 7 Episode 11)

Within episodes of going home together, it is revealed that Kim is pregnant and with that comes a slew of decisions that she and Adam need to make… together, which becomes abundantly clear on Chicago P.D. Season 7 Episode 11, “43rd and Normal,” when they’re confronted by their own insecurities.

This leads to a very real conversation about their future at the end of the episode, where Kim tells Adam that even though they may not be meant to be in a relationship at that moment, they are meant to be family, and they will be in it together.

Admittedly, it does sting to hear that she doesn’t believe they should be together then, but this moment wholeheartedly reaffirms Burgess and Ruzek’s connection as both partners and each other’s family while subtly reiterating the choice they made in choosing each other.

9. The Miscarriage (Season 7 Episode 13)

One of the most devastating moments for Ruzek, Burgess, and Chicago P.D. as a whole comes on Chicago P.D. Season 7 Episode 13, “I Was Here,” when Kim is brutally attacked while trying to save the victim of a sex-trafficking ring and suffers a miscarriage at the hands of her assailant.

In the minutes that follow the assault, Adam finds Kim crying out in pain in the motel’s bathtub and scoops her up, rushing from the scene with her in his arms.

It’s evident that Adam’s desire to protect Kim holds true in this moment, but the gravity of the scene actually remains in the safety that they feel with each other, even in their darkest moments. So while the loss of their unborn child remains a dark moment in the couple’s history — and a deserved moment of criticism for the Dick Wolf Universe — the end result is ultimately the deepening of a connection that only Burzek shares. 

10. Going to Dinner (Season 7 Episode 19)

lingers between them after the loss of Kim’s pregnancy, and things are especially agonizing after Kim’s admission that she blames herself and wants Adam to blame her, too. He doesn’t, of course, and when Kim asks Adam to dinner mere episodes later, it feels as though the gap between them may actually be closing. 

After turning her down initially, a case forces Adam to reevaluate his own coping mechanisms, and he admits to Kim in the quiet of the locker room that everything he’s done to distract himself has made him sad, but going to dinner with her… That would make him smile.

There’s something solidifying about this moment, like unspoken acceptance that Burgess and Ruzek not only know that they need to grieve their loss together, but that this is it for them. For all intents and purposes, they may not be a couple, and this may not be the moment that they get back together, but this feels like the two making a commitment to each other, whatever comes next.

11. Guardianship (Season 8 Episode 13)

Chicago P.D. Season 8 may kick off with Burgess and Ruzek caught up in a dynamic that Adam likens to his grandparents, but it takes a difficult turn mid-season when Kim questions Adam’s actions on a call.

But amidst their problems, she’s focused on the adoption proceedings of her foster daughter, so when Kim freezes up in a case on Chicago P.D. Season 8 Episode 13, “Trouble Dolls,” it becomes apparent that Makayla’s social worker was right: she needs to pick a guardian.

And pick one she does. Adam’s instinct to protect Kim regardless of their situation set it, and at the end of the day, she asks him to be her backup in the adoption. 

She may not say the words then, and she may have some personal insecurities to challenge, but this moment is proof that not only does Kim believe in Adam as a partner in any and every circumstance, she also trusts him with her life and with her daughter’s. It’s a callback to every moment that he has been there for her before, and a continued promise that they will be there for each other going forward.

12. Kim’s Abduction (Season 8 Episode 16)

It’s impossible to choose just one moment on Chicago P.D. Season 8 Episode 16, “The Other Side,” that feels noteworthy, from the cuts back and forth of Kim trying to save her own life while Adam is willing to risk everything to bring her home.

But the heart of the episode comes back to one theme for the on-again/off-again couple: back-up, because in the end, Adam has a promise to keep. He has to look after Makayla.

He does, and it’s clear to the audience that leaving Kim’s fate in the hands of his team is one of the most difficult things that Adam has ever done, but as dark as this situation is, the episode proves to be the official turn into Burgess and Ruzek’s next era together as co-parents.

That change and Adam’s choice emphasize exactly how right Kim was in choosing him to go through it with her, and for fans of the relationship, it feels like one more step toward a much-deserved reunion.

13. The House (Season 9 Episode 20)

Much like the previous season, season 9 seemed to be going well for Burzek until suddenly it wasn’t, and after the kidnapping of their daughter Makayla, it left the pair in a rocky place; it began to feel as though another blow might take them down for good.

But their situation took a turn for the better on Chicago P.D. Season 9 Episode 20, “Memory,” when, upon discovering that Makayla’s traumatic memories may someday resurface, Adam informed Kim that he was going to buy his childhood home for their family because he wanted to provide their daughter with the happy memories that the house had given him. 

The statement itself is full of devotion, making Ruzek’s purchase of the house his official commitment to Kim and Makayla both as a partner and as a father, yet as it turns out, the impact of this moment becomes a sort of foreshadowing for the following season when Kim’s own traumatic memories reemerge and she’s left reaching for the safety of the people in that house to help her through.

14. Panic (Season 10 Episode 14)

By the start of the show’s milestone 200th episode, Chicago P.D. Season 10 Episode 14, “Trapped,” it’s clear that Kim has been suffering from PTSD and after a frightening panic attack in front of Adam and Makayla, she agrees to start therapy. But just as that first session ends, another attack begins while she and Adam are caught up in the scene of the crime– on a train, no less.

Their whereabouts, nor the crime scene, stops Adam from rushing to her side, and after checking her for injuries, he holds onto Kim while reassuring her that she is safe and she will be okay.

Marina Squerciati deserves immense recognition for her depiction of Burgess’ struggle, and this moment itself is truly set apart by the grounding nature of Burzek’s relationship.

The moment isn’t romantic, but the steadiness that Adam brings to Kim in order to allow her to bring herself back to reality is something that few people — if anyone else — would have been able to do, and stands as a testament to just how deeply they trust each other.

15. The Un-Numbing (Season 10 Episode 17)

While a few small moments after the 200th episode give us a hint at Burgess’ progress in therapy, it isn’t until Season 10 Episode 17, “Out of the Depths,” that the show lays emphasis on just how far she has come. But even still, it’s clear that she’s holding back, and when faced with the idea of asking Adam to join her for a session, she objects and insists that it won’t change anything.

The case that follows this changes her mind, though, and after a family therapy session gives Kim and Adam the chance to acknowledge their feelings freely, it’s in the safety of their kitchen that Kim admits she has been too scared and numb to act on them.

This admission is the make-it-or-break-it moment of Burzek’s relationship, and just as it feels as though she might let it break, Kim pulls Adam into a kiss that shatters every wall between them.

This moment, the true reveal of the feelings that both Burgess and Ruzek have held onto for years, is the shift in their relationship that fans have been waiting for since season 3. It’s the reconciliation of a near decade-long will they/won’t they (confirmed at the start of Chicago P.D. Season 10 Episode 16, “You Only Die Twice”), and it’s evident that despite the long road, this is it for both of them. 

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Did we miss any of your favorite Burzek moments? What do you hope to see next for them? Let us know in the comments!

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

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