Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 14 Review: Marie
When Ruzek decided to bring his dad home and take care of him, it was obvious that it would become too much at some point. Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 14, “Marie,” is that point.
Even though he is doing his absolute best to juggle his personal and professional lives, Ruzek can’t be in both places at the same time. Either he takes care of his father, or he focuses on the present case. Trying to do both takes him away from a case that doesn’t need him to be distracted.
Ultimately, he realizes that it is time to get professional help to keep his father and family safe.
While Bob tries to help Ruzek’s case, he doesn’t realize he is hurting more than helping. His disease is progressing (this becomes even more evident when he forgets Adam’s name), and even though the answers he is giving aren’t completely off, he isn’t being clear.
Being a police officer and a father is already a difficult task, so adding taking care of his sick father to the mix isn’t the best for Ruzek. Luckily, he is able to come to terms with this and make the best decision possible.
However, to get there, we get a Ruzek with nerves all over the place, running between work and his dad, and having to see his daughter shaken up because her grandfather had a terrible reaction. On top of that, he has a soon-to-be-wife who won’t let this slip through the cracks.
Even though Burgess understands what Ruzek is going through and has allowed his father to stay with them so far, she is also well aware of the fact that they cannot take care of him. His presence alters Makayla’s routine, and that’s not something Burgess will allow as much as she loves Adam and his father.
In the past, Ruzek would have probably fought about this and tried to have his way. Nowadays, he can make mature decisions, keeping the safety of his daughter and partner in mind.
In the same way Ruzek is capable of accepting he cannot take care of his father and doing what he can to give him better care, he will do everything he can to help Zoe. He goes as far as using DNA matching sites and the help of his team to track down any living relative.
In the end, Ruzek succeeds and Zoe, who is actually Marie, is reunited with her grandmother. But to get to that point, Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 14, “Marie,” takes viewers on a wild goose chase that seems to come to an end way too quickly.
When the team is able to catch up to the serial killer, it seems he is going to die. This in itself would have been too quick. All that hunting and chasing for him to die 20 minutes into the episode would have been a waste of time.
However, this moment and his rambling in the hospital to get what he wants are just a stepping stone for Ruzek to finally get to Zoe, bring her home, and give her the happy ending she deserves. The killer’s quick chase doesn’t make sense to the case, but it adds a piece to Zoe’s puzzle.
It’s nice to see Ruzek and Burgess taking care of Zoe together. They understand each other and know what it is like to help a little girl on the worst day of her life. For a moment, it seems they’re going to bring Zoe home, but the end result is much better than that.
This is clearly Ruzek’s episode, but the entire team shows up to help him.
One thing that stands out, and many may say is hypocritical, is how Voight tells him to stop when he is hurting the serial killer. While this is something Voight would have done, he never wants his team to do it. He will do whatever it takes (even if it’s borderline illegal) to help solve a case, but he would never purposely put his team in the same situation.
While Ruzek has come many times pretty close to becoming who Voight is and what he doesn’t want his team to be, he has always found a way to come back to the light and find his center. Ruzek, as Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 14, “Marie,” shows, is all heart no malice.
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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 who works in PR. 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, Collider, USA Wire, Mentors Collective, Instelite, Noodle, Dear Movies, Nicki Swift, and Flip Screened.