Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 20 Review: Black Ice
While Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 20, “Black Ice,” is a Ruzek episode, the beauty of it is that Ruzek and Burgess partner up and work the case together. Watching them work so perfectly together is a reminder that they’re not only made for each other romantically but also professionally.
It is as if the episode is preparing fans for the long-awaited wedding that will take place during the season finale. It is also a perfect celebration of who they are as a couple and who Ruzek has become since the beginning of the show.
Adam has grown so much that we can see him thinking through every step he is about to take and making sure that he protects the family of the dead man as much as he can from the cruel reality of how he died.
On other shows it might be weird to see a case being worked with a skeleton crew. However, Cook and Atwater being out of the scene because they are working on a different case doesn’t affect the show’s flow. On the contrary, we know their work offscreen on Reid’s case is just as important as if they were working on Ruzek’s case.
This skeleton crew allows even Torres to participate as he works in the background, digging for more information, and making sure he stays on desk duty until his arm heals. And it allows Adam and Kim to work closely together.
There is one moment in particular that is shocking and highlights the risk they put themselves in when there are only a few of them working. When Adam walks into a room and finds himself being attacked inside a room, the red lighting of the scene makes viewers feel the danger he is in and the desperation he is feeling.
It is also contrasted with Burgess screaming on the other side of the door. The dark light on her side of the room, her screams, her kicking the door, and Adam fighting inside keep us on edge. We feel the desperation in Kim’s screams, knowing she is afraid for him, not only as her partner but as her lover.
That intense scene ties the case together, reminding us how hard Ruzek has been working to find the sex trafficker.
As much as Chicago P.D. focuses on the professional lives of these characters, it also gives us closer looks into the personal lives of every member of the Intelligence Unit. For Ruzek, this season has focused heavily on his dad’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
On this episode, the biggest concern is that there was another betting debt that his father didn’t pay, and he will have to take care of. However, as he talks to his dad about it, he finds out the bills he has been talking about all episode long are money he set aside for Makayla.
In the past, Adam had to worry about his dad and his actions, but this time, his dad is looking out for him and his family. This might be the last gift his dad can give him before his diagnosis gets worse.
Makayla seems to be the force that brought everyone back together. She helped Burgess and Ruzek’s love resurface, eventually bringing them back into the family they were always meant to be. She is also the thing that made Ruzek’s dad take a surprising step for his son, repaying the mistakes of his past.
It seems the show is setting a smooth path for Burgess and Ruzek to finally tie the knot.
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 10/9c 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.