Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 16 Review: Seen and Unseen
Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 16, “Seen and Unseen,” proves Kim Burgess is one of the best detectives ever to grace the Intelligence Unit with their presence. Marina NAME delivers a great performance time after time, making Burgess one of the most valuable pieces of the Chicago P.D. puzzle.
Not only does the episode provide insight into how detailed and attention-oriented Burgess is, but it also showcases the humanity she brings into every case. This case feels more personal because she’s gotten to know the victims, but she treats it with the same care she always has.
Ruzek pushes her to trust her gut because he knows what she’s capable of. Voight lets her lead the case because he knows she’ll get to the bottom of it. Burgess has earned her spot and then some.
What’s so beautiful about Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 16, “Seen and Unseen,” is that it also shows the domesticity of Burgess and Ruzek’s life. They are perfectly in sync.
Even when it seems Burgess is miles away with how busy life is, she is still paying attention to those details that tell her she needs to come back to her personal life. Those details that she focuses on at the end push her to take time away with Adam.
It is in that domesticity that she finds comfort and the courage to keep going and fight to the very end to find the answers that she needs. While Burgess is powerful on her own, she’s even stronger with Ruzek’s support.
But it’s also that domesticity that connects to why Burgess is at the diner and gets to know the victims of the shooting. Because there’s chaos at home, she seeks refuge where she can work.
Chicago P.D. always does a great job of getting the necessary details into the camera. Nothing that happens at that diner is at random.
Because Burgess is drowning in work and running to meet her deadline, the viewers are the ones who pay attention to what’s happening around her. We hear all those voices talking while her brain stores the memories in the back.
What Kim thinks she might have missed is caught by the viewers. The best example is when Marge’s husband walks in to give her flowers.
While Burgess just sees this as a normal interaction, as the audience, we can tell there’s something off. Marge pulls away from her husband, telling us there’s more to the story.
Luckily, as focused as she seems in her work, Burgess is still capable of saving the information she hears and sees at the diner. It’s that attention to detail that helps her solve the case.
Without this detective quality, she would have missed the hot sauce that ties everything back to Neal and inevitably leads them to the shooter.
Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 16, “Seen and Unseen,” is a high-quality episode all around. The storyline has no holes, the acting is impeccable, and the editing is just as flawless.
While many shows lose their quality and wow factor after a decade, Chicago P.D. has only gotten better with time.
All we can hope is that the season continues to be as good as this episode. With the Bruzek wedding coming up, we can be sure they won’t disappoint.
What did you think of this episode of Chicago P.D.? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!
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Chicago P.D. airs Wednesdays at 10/9 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.