The finale episode of the penultimate season took a drastic turn as the intelligence unit raced against the clock to search for Voight after he was kidnapped by the same serial killer they were investigating. The viewers have been left to keep guessing about what will come in the 12th season of “Chicago P.D.,” which is scheduled to return in the fall of 2024 for NBC’s 2024–2025 broadcasting season.
With the cliffhanger that the showrunners have built for Chicago Fire’s spin-off, it’s safe to say that the ups and downs faced by the team are just getting started to deliver non-stop suspense. The multiple plotlines have already been set up by the writers, who are ready to take the viewers on a wild ride through the heart of the fictional 21st District.
Continue reading to find out more about “Chicago P.D.,” Season 12.
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What can the fans expect from Chicago P.D. Season 12?
Picking up right where the last season left off, the fans will witness some of the major plotlines take center stage, especially the ones that have been left long unattended, which the fans have also been discussing even since the finale aired.
Here are the top three scenarios that need to be translated from the writer’s room onto television screens.
Will Kim Burgess and Adam Ruzek finally tie the knot?
It seems “Chicago P.D.,” will soon be hearing chimes of wedding bells as showrunner Gwen Sigan has come forward to give some hint about the couple’s marriage in the near future. More so because after the emotional moment from Season 11 when Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) went down on a knee, asking Burgess (Marina Squerciati) to marry him after being engaged twice before, it was hard for the fans to not want the much-anticipated wedding to happen soon.
Years of ChiHards requests have paid off, as it looks like the couple, and Sigan are finally on the same page as they make plans for Ruzek and Burgess to walk down the aisle and say the two magical words, “I do.”
Talking about the reunion Sigan told TVLine, “So few times on this show do you get these really happy moments. I think it’ll be fun [to write].” She further added, “There’s definitely a possibility of, ‘Are we going to do the wedding next year? Are we going to do the planning? What are we going to see?’ So, I’m excited to figure out all of that.”
Even though this is a great update, the duo’s grand milestone will be a subtle one, just like their low-key proposal, which she described as “so them.” Hoping that the third time will be their charm, she imagines their upcoming nuptials, “They’ve been through so much, and they have grown so much that it was just this very honest, small, intimate moment between the two of them.”
Is Sergeant Hank Voight leaving?
The finale episode was one of the most hard-to-watch plot points ever seen by the viewers in the series. The cliffhanger ended with the squad searching for Voight (Jason Beghe), who was being tortured by serial killer Frank Matson (Dennis Flanagan). Meanwhile, Detective Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos), who came to rescue Voight, also found herself in danger, which raises the stakes!
The ending left many to wonder whether his character would call for quitting and to answer this, Sigan exclusively told TVLine, “I’m really interested to see where Voight goes. He’s kind of grown a lot the past couple seasons and we’ve seen him get a little more vulnerable and have more connections and more intimacy with people. And then now Upton’s leaving, another person leaving him.”
Due to this, the answer remains quite a bit of a mystery as the chances of him leaving are very much alive, “And so he’s in this interesting position of, you could really see it go both ways where, does he harden up? Does he shut down? Does he say this isn’t worth it, this has gotten me nothing? Or does he lean more into it? So I think there’s so much to play with him,” she said.
Will Trudy Platt take charge in the next season?
The search for Hailey Upton’s replacement is still in discussion, and her absence will leave out the shining stars of the last season to get more spotlight. Platt’s character arc deserves to get more screen time alongside other house patrol officers, and it seems like this time she is in the right place to get it.
In the same exclusive interview with TVLine, showrunner Sigan expressed similar thoughts as she said, “I think in the finale, she was so great because they all were running at a 10. They were all very emotional in that first scene. And then to see her come in and just steady the whole group, there’s no one else that could do that. That is her. And it comes with her experience. Yeah, I’m excited to write more for Amy next year as well.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Which series regulars are returning in the new season?
All the main cast members will be reprising their roles which include: Jason Beghe as Sergeant Hank Voight, Patrick John Flueger as Officer Adam Ruzek, Marina Squerciati as Officer Kim Burgess, LaRoyce Hawkins as Officer Kevin Atwater, Benjamin Levy Aguilar as Officer Dante Torres, and Amy Morton as Desk Sergeant Trudy Platt.
Has any cast member left the series?
Tracy Spiridakos, as Detective Hailey Upton Halstead, will not be returning for Season 12, the actress said goodbye to the show in Season 11.
In an exclusive interview with Variety, Spiridakos, who joined the Dick Wolf police drama in Season 4, revealed she went to showrunner Gwen Sigan at the end of Season 10 to share that she wanted the next season to be her last.
“I wanted us to send out the character with one last season,” Spiridakos says. Reflecting on her departure, she added, “It was a hard decision — very, very hard. I love everybody on the show — cast, crew, producers, writers, everybody. It’s such an incredible team. I was just curious what was out there for me and wanted to switch it up, and that was it.”
How many episodes will be in Season 12?
As of writing this, the official episode count has not been disclosed by the network, though we speculate it to be more than 13 episodes. Last year’s dual strikes have also been resolved; hence, the creator has the perfect opportunity to return to 21–22 episodes per season. Details about these new episodes will be confirmed once the camera starts rolling on July 17, as per Screen magazine sources.
Where to watch ‘Chicago P.D.’ Season 12?
“Chicago P.D.,” Season 12 will air new episodes during its normal time slot of Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, although the network has not confirmed the specific premiere date just yet. The sibling series “Chicago Med,” and “Chicago Fire,” will also retain similar season premiere time slots, which are 8 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET, respectively.
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