Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 8 Review: Penance

Some may question where Voight’s anger toward Torres comes from on Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 8, “Penance,” when he has covered for his team before. The truth is that Voight will cover for you because he cares about his unit, but he will only do it if you’re honest with him from the beginning.

Torres lied to his unit, jeopardizing his job and Burgess’s. But his ultimate betrayal was jeopardizing the drug bust, leaving the unit exposed to repercussions.

If he had been honest with Voight about his relationship with Gloria, things would have ended differently. But it wouldn’t have been a Chicago P.D. Fall finale.

One thing that gets viewers thinking is Gloria’s mistrust of Torres. Given their history, it seems to come completely out of nowhere.

The last time they were together, they seemed to understand why they needed to part ways and not cross paths again. So, why is she suddenly so angry at him for doing his job? Why doesn’t she trust that he is doing everything he can to protect her after everything that happened?

In this current situation, she is the one who put him in a terrible spot by choosing to go back to the place he helped get her out of. Trying to get him not to do his job would go against the man he is, the man she so badly claims to know.

However, Gloria’s words have some truth to them. She is the only one who sees Torres and can truly understand who he is to his core. This isn’t because his unit doesn’t try, but because he still doesn’t give his all to them.

That distinguished, self-proclaimed, unofficial uniform he always wears (a white T-shirt and jeans) is the most significant evidence that he still keeps himself separate. Yes, everyone wears everyday clothes in the unit, but Torres repeats his outfit over and over.

Something has kept him from completely giving himself to the unit, and that will only get even more intense when the season returns.

Throughout the episode, we see Torres praying, asking God to forgive him, and blaming himself for what is happening. Even though Voight tells him there is no room for guilt now, guilt is the only thing that pushes Torres forward while working on this case.

But now that Gloria is dead because she protected him from a gunshot, the guilt will become even worse. If he feels guilty about everything that was happening before, he will feel like the sole responsible for her death.

Even after she is dead in his arms, Torres continues to beg God to forgive him and not to take her from him. That little prayer is the confirmation we needed that he still had feelings for Gloria and that their relationship was never about power.

As much as he is to blame for having a relationship with a CI and lying to his unit, he isn’t to blame for her death. Gloria chose to get back in the game after they helped her escape. She knew what she was doing when she started working with the cartel.

Nevertheless, that won’t help Torres. There’s no way to tell, but the recent events will probably impact who he is and how he does his job from here on out. The unofficial uniform will become an even stronger armor.

One thing that must be highlighted is that this unit has each other’s backs no matter what. Even when Ruzek is angry at Torres for involving Burgess, he doesn’t turn on him.

When Voight gives the unit a chance to call the Ivory Tower and tell them what happened, they don’t. They choose to help Torres and give him the opportunity to fix what he’s done.

A lot can be said about Voight, but he has truly fostered a sense of care, belonging, and familiarity within his unit. He has created a family and given them room to be themselves, allowing them to stand up for one another in times of need.

The Intelligence Unit is a home to which they all belong. That’s why it hurts that Torres wasn’t honest with them from the beginning. They would have done anything to help him without getting to this point.

As strong as the unit seems, the foundation has some cracks. How did Deputy Chief Reid find out about Torres and Gloria? Who told him what was going on?

Now, someone is holding this secret over the unit, and history can tell us this never plays out well. If there is something Voight hates, it is other people trying to control what he and the team do.

Even though they mange to escape hard repercussions from Torres’s actions, they will now have someone using this to his advantage. It’ll be interesting to see if and how Voight plays along for the remainder of Chicago P.D. Season 12.

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

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