SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for Chicago PD Season 13, Episode 15.

Patrick John Flueger emphatically returns in Chicago PD Season 13, Episode 15. After ending his leave of absence with the previous hour, the NBC show makes up for the Adam Ruzek-less time by doing an Adam Ruzek episode. But it also gives Flueger an excellent partner who makes the episode possible: former Mayor of Kingstown star Hamish Allan-Headley.

“Live or Die by Your CI” features Allan-Headley as a DEA agent named Cade, who reaches out to Ruzek for help with an informant that used to work for Ruzek. Audiences know how this episode is going to go as soon as Cade is introduced: it’s another story in which one of the main characters is compared/contrasted against an outside force (see: any episode involving someone’s ex-partner). What makes this one stand out are the performances of Flueger and Allan-Headley. The former is fully locked in and the latter gives the episode instant credibility.

The episode only works if the audience has reason to distrust Cade, and think he’s corrupt. Mayor of Kingstown fans know Allan-Headley just spent four seasons playing Robert Sawyer, an incredibly ruthless officer who was so hell-bent that he became a problem for his own people. In general, it’s just great to see Allan-Headley back on TV after he was written out of Mayor of Kingstown. But he knows how to play this kind of role, and because he did it so well, that creates a negative impression with the audience that Chicago PD needs. And when it comes time to flip the character, he can do that too.

Flueger is driving this episode, though, and it’s great that in bringing him back the creative team chose not just to do a Ruzek episode—but to do one that’s almost entirely centered on Ruzek. The other series regulars, except for Ruzek’s wife Kim Burgess, don’t have a whole lot to do. Hank Voight isn’t present at all, said to be out of town in what’s likely Jason Beghe getting the episode off for budget purposes. In another episode, this would feel imbalanced but here, it’s allowing viewers to get reacquainted with a character they’ve been missing for a large part of Season 13.

Beghe’s absence is particularly well-timed. Some of the other One Chicago rotations don’t work as well (such as Taylor Kinney being gone from this week’s Chicago Fire), but Voight being in this story would have made it too simple, because he knows all about navigating grey areas in policing. Plus, his exit means that Burgess is the acting head of Intelligence and that is an important step forward for her, even if fans don’t get to see a lot of her running the unit. This is someone who just made Detective not too long ago, and now she’s having to take charge of the whole operation. That’s an angle worth further exploring in this and later seasons—because Burgess is absolutely capable of leading any unit, and because Chicago PD fans have never had to think about anyone but Voight as being in charge. Even when he’s been in trouble, it’s always felt temporary.

But it’s Flueger and Allan-Headley who get most of the material here, and Chicago PD lets them run the gamut. There’s a confrontation with Ruzek holding Cade at gunpoint. There’s a hostage situation. There’s an extended shootout that includes Ruzek having to brawl one of the bad guys. The plotline gets wrapped up in a traditional Chicago PD way, as Intelligence manipulates the situation so that the informant’s bad practices are never discovered. Yet that’s not the point of this episode; the point is reminding viewers of everything that both Flueger and his character bring to the table.

“Live or Die by Your CI” is a strong return for Flueger, and a check-in with Ruzek to see where he is in his life. As soon as Cade makes a comment about family slowing him down, Chicago PD fans know this episode is going to emphasize how Ruzek’s family has made him better. The last shot of him putting the family house up for sale is bittersweet, but it’s a testament to his character growth over 13 seasons. Ruzek is likely the most changed of any main character across the series, and this hour is an acknowledgement of that.

Chicago PD airs Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Photo Credit: Courtesy of NBC.

Article content is (c)2020-2026 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.