SPOILER ALERT AND WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Chicago PD Season 14, Episode 1. It also contains discussion of sexual assault.
The Chicago PD Season 14 premiere is not a typical premiere. It’s focused mostly on the character of Eva Imani, instead of being about the entire Intelligence Unit. But “Demolition” plays out exactly in the way that the NBC show has figured out to get to 14 seasons in the first place.
Viewers learn right at the start what happened with Imani’s sister Shari, and that forms the basis of the episode. When a parolee is suspected of shooting his parole officer and murdering an innocent bystander, it’s very easy to see the parallels between Imani not being convinced of his guilt and the situation with a now-incarcerated Shari. Luckily, writers Gwen Sigan and Gavin Harris spare the audience the scene of someone else actually calling out that parallel, thus not hitting fans over the head with the idea or making it seem like Imani’s being dismissed out of hand. Instead, it’s presented as the rest of Intelligence being skeptical, but also allowing for the idea that they have the wrong guy. That reminds viewers that our heroes, while tough, are not single-minded—something that ties into the episode’s C-story.
“Demolition” is another episode about corrupt law enforcement, which has been part and parcel of Chicago PD from the start. The show has done plenty of episodes about public servants who turn out to be nasty people, from dirty cops to now a parole officer sexually extorting one of his parolees, before raping her. It’s revealed that Imani was right and the real shooter was the assault victim, who was then poisoned by the parole officer after he survived his injuries. It’s a reprehensible case, and it sort of sums up Chicago PD. The audience knows that Intelligence has done some terrible things, but they also take down people who are a lot worse. And it results in them semi-regularly being under scrutiny.
That’s the C-story, as Sigan and Harris introduce another subplot about an outside figure investigating Intelligence. What will FBI agent Charlie bring that previous threats to the unit’s future didn’t? There was a whole episode titled “Reform” several seasons ago and nothing really changed. But Charlie is introduced by randomly bumping into Hank Voight, suggesting that he’s at least going to confuse everyone with his personality. And an agent who seems chipper is more palatable than another Denny Woods or Charlie Reid trying to out-tough Voight all the time.
Imani’s personal life is the subplot of the Chicago PD Season 14 premiere, as she visits Shari in custody and it’s mentioned that Shari received a plea deal for her actions in the Season 13 finale. Does that feel a little convenient? Yes, but Shari deciding she no longer wants to see Imani is an effective way to put a pin in that storyline. It’s clear enough to end it and allow the character of Imani (as well as viewers) to move on to other things, but allows Sigan and her team to revisit Shari should they choose to later on. Most of what fans know about Eva Imani is through the Shari storyline, so it’s exciting to pause that and move on to anything else. Like perhaps Imani finally being able to get a couch for her mostly empty apartment.
Perhaps she can go furniture shopping with Torres, because one scene in “Demolition” brings up the potential of Imani and Torres’ friendship. Imani steps in front of Torres’ gun during an arrest scene, and he later tells her that all she had to do was talk to him first. Torres has also been underwritten at points, so building up that dynamic is a win-win for both characters. And Torres can’t be riding around with Atwater, because this episode also mentions the imminent birth of Atwater’s baby with Tasha Fox, presumably setting up LaRoyce Hawkins’ exit from the series. Fans already knew this was coming, but it can’t be understated how good it is that Kevin appears to be getting a happy ending and he’s not being killed off or going impulsively to a foreign country.
There are a couple of other small things in the Chicago PD Season 14 premiere that are so like the show, too. The early bickering between Voight and Trudy Platt over the unwanted guests in their district is genuinely funny in addition to generating the warm fuzzy feeling that happens whenever a Voight and Trudy scene exists. And the camera work in the scene where Kim Burgess searches a recreation center locker room for the suspect is an incredible example of Chad Saxton’s great direction that’s become a visual hallmark for the series. The camera moves so fluidly as it deals with a maze of walls; it’s lovely to watch.
The biggest criticism of this Chicago PD episode is that it’s basically a palate cleanser. It’s tying up two past stories for Imani and Atwater, and then setting up the FBI subplot. The best premieres feel like they’re well-rounded, giving viewers an idea of what to expect from everyone rather than just one or two characters. “Demolition” is not that episode. But it’s another story about stopping corruption, another time where Intelligence is being investigated, and there’s even another car chase. This is Chicago PD through and through, even if it’s not the most headline-grabbing hour.
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.
