Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 2 Review: Blood Bleeds Blue

Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 2, “Blood Bleeds Blue,” has a few red flags that make us wonder what is going on. Nevertheless, they do make for a good storyline.

However, the highlight of this episode and the most significant green flag is the introduction of Officer Kiana Cook. Based on what viewers see from her on this episode, we can almost guarantee she would be a great fit in the Intelligence Unit if they were still looking for someone to replace Upton.

How she reacts to every situation and works with Ruzek makes us want more of her. It is also because she works this very special case with Ruzek that we can see a bond forming. Watching her work with the unit and partnering with Adam would be interesting.

The first red flag that must be discussed is the fact that Ruzek witnesses Martel get shot and still chooses to go in pursuit of the shooter without a vest. He goes inside a house, sees other people who have been shot and continues to work without protection.

It isn’t until Cook mentions it in the car that he puts on a vest. This is the most impulsive behavior, but as terrible as it is, it adds to the storyline and how Adam reacts to what happened.

However, Adam isn’t the only one to work without a vest. When Torres is looking for the shooter’s son, he goes after him without protection.

Knowing what the father has done, this is not a wise decision. In the end, it proves to be extremely dangerous when Nate himself pulls a gun on Torres and threatens his life.

As viewers, we understand this is a generation of cops raised by Hank Voight, but it would be more prudent of them to wear their vests and stay alert in situations where people have already died.

Another red flag is the fact that at such a young age, Nate knows how to shoot a gun and the code to his uncle’s safe, where all the guns are kept. Does anyone else find that extremely dangerous?

One may think that this plotline matches the sad reality of American society. Many young kids know how to work a gun and have unsupervised access to them.

This, however, makes for the perfect storyline on Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 2, “Blood Bleeds Blue,” but doesn’t erase the fact that Nate’s uncle is in the wrong.

Even though Nate isn’t trying to harm anyone but his violent father, he finds himself in a situation where he believes using the gun against Torres is the only way to save his brother. But that is when Torres’s newest superpower shines through.

Who would have imagined Torres was so good at talking to children? He knows how to de-escalate the situation perfectly and ensure that Nate trusts him.

Torres has definitely come a long way from where he first started, and it’ll be interesting to see where Chicago P.D. Season 12 takes him after his little affair with a CI last season.

This episode introduces Cook’s character well. Her steady and unwavering presence helps highlight Ruzek’s struggle with Mantel’s death. Throughout the episode, Adam refuses to let himself process what happened until the end.

His first reaction is an impulsive one, going after the killer without a vest. However, when he gets on the radio with Voight, and we hear his voice and see his face, as viewers, we can pinpoint the hints of desperation, frustration, and anger.

Ruzek’s retelling of what happened, paired with the flashbacks of Mantel’s death, is the perfect way to set the tone of the episode and his emotions.

Because he is acting impulsively, Ruzek doesn’t realize he is covered in Mantel’s blood until half the episode has gone by. He hasn’t had time to process the fact that his friend’s blood is still on him. As much as seeing the blood shakes him up, it is also the extra motivation he needs to go after the killer.

It isn’t until he rescues the two-year-old boy, takes him far away from the burning car, and places him in Voight’s hands that Ruzek allows himself to break down. It is at that moment that he finally lets himself feel the pain of having lost his friend.

It is a pain and reality he avoids as much as possible, especially by never answering Kim’s call. Answering the phone and telling her about Mantel would have made her death more real, and at that moment, he wasn’t ready for it.

Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 2, “Blood Bleeds Blue,” gets quite a few things right. Another one is Trudy Platt leaving her desk, taking over, and working the case directly with Voight.

We rarely see Platt in action these days, but she never disappoints. She knows exactly what to do and how to help the Intelligence Unit, and it is particularly refreshing to watch her work with Voight.

This duo has known each other for decades, and they know exactly how they work. Platt isn’t ignorant of Voight’s ways, but even though they don’t address them directly, she knows how to keep him in his place and working as he should.

Maybe because Platt is present or he has been dealing with a lot of death lately, Voight keeps his head cool the entire case. Instead of pushing for revenge over a cop’s death like he usually would have, he asks everyone to practice restraint. He is the one (besides Adam) to remind the rest of the cops that there is a little kid involved who must be brought back safely.

Ruzek is the only one who gets violent when they meet someone who knows the shooter. During those rare moments of violence that the rest of the unit has, we see glimpses of Voight in all of them.

Kiana Cook’s introduction is refreshing. After over a decade on the air, it is good to see that Chicago P.D. knows how to renew itself and bring new life to the show.

But as new and refreshing as she feels, something tells us her past would make her fit perfectly in Intelligence. From her short conversation with Ruzek, we know she pissed someone off to be back on patrol. The fact that she doesn’t hesitate to jump on top of a moving car would also indicate she’s ready for the team.

Hopefully, Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 2, “Blood Bleeds Blue,” isn’t the first and last we’ll see of her.

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

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