Chicago P.D. Season 13 Episode 19 Review: Going Back
Chicago P.D. Season 13 Episode 19, “Going Back,” brings closure to Bob Ruzek’s storyline in a way that honors him, his life, his work, and his son.
The moment Bob told Adam about his Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, we knew his storyline wouldn’t last long. This became even clearer when Patrick Flueger’s absence was explained as Ruzek taking time to be with Bob.
Now, the episode gives Ruzek the opportunity to honor his father by dropping an old VHS tape onto his lap, which leads him down a rabbit hole as he tries to solve a case from 2019. And of course, because Ruzek is Ruzek and he is married to Burgess, the case is solved by the end of the episode, and Bob can go in peace.
One of the most remarkable things about “Going Back” is that the VHS becomes the center of attention not only because it’s Ruzek’s biggest clue, but also because Ruzek’s mind takes the form of a VHS tape. Everything we see him remembering, feeling, and thinking is shown to us as if we were watching an old VHS tape of Ruzek’s memories. This further pushes the importance of the tape and of solving the case for Bob.
It is also quite interesting that for half the episode, we are fooled into believing that someone attacked Ruzek. Everyone we see and everyone he has met since he found the tape becomes a suspect because he doesn’t remember what happened, and we weren’t witnesses to it.
Like Burgess, we want Adam to stay put at the hospital until the team can figure out who attacked him. But lucky for all of us, Adam was never good at taking orders, and he sneaks out of the hospital to visit his father. This is what triggers his memory, leading the unit to solve the case.
While Ruzek has always been the kind of officer who doesn’t stop until a case is solved, this one is more personal. He knows his father won’t have long to live, and he wants to solve this last case for him. But the truth is that it would also bring Adam peace.
Solving this case brings him a little bit closer to the man his father used to be, allowing him to say goodbye in his own way.
Torres and Voight’s absence is noticed, but it doesn’t change the outcome of the episode. We’re just as involved in the story as we would be with everyone working the case.
On the contrary, their absence gives Burgess her time in the spotlight. Even though the episode is about Ruzek, she is the one leading the team and keeping an eye on her husband to make sure he is okay.
Burgess is so incredibly good at her job that, just by crossing paths with someone in an elevator, she can remember what they were wearing and what they look like. This makes it easier for her to quickly realize that the suspect on her computer screen is the same man she saw stepping out onto Adam’s floor.
This is only a small example of why Burgess was the first to become a detective and why she is in charge when Voight is gone.
It’s also worth mentioning that every time a case involves one of their own, Plath jumps in and works the case alongside the team. She is right there at the motel, looking for clues and making sure they can solve the case and help Adam. That’s what makes her such a valuable member of the squad.
From the beginning of Chicago P.D. Season 13 Episode 19, “Going Back,” viewers could tell this would be Bob’s last episode. It is implied in every conversation Adam has with him, every detail we see in his room, his refusal to eat, and his final moments only sleeping.
What’s so beautiful about this ending is that the show honors Bob for the man Adam always saw him as. He has always believed in his father’s goodness and the work he’s done, which is reinforced when Carlos mentions that Bob let him go so his wife wouldn’t be left alone. Adam’s big heart and caring nature come from his father.
It is an honorable goodbye to write Bob’s death during an episode in which Adam solves the cold case his father had held on to. As a predictable outcome to the storyline, the show gives it the time and value it deserves.
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 known as a Media Relations Expert. 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, W Spotlight, Collider, USA Wire, Mentors Collective, Instelite, Noodle, Dear Movies, Nicki Swift, and Flip Screened.