Chicago PD - Call It Macaroni - Review
Oct 1, 2014
Chicago PD MR ReviewsThe second season picks up right where the last left off. An investigation has been launched for Sheldon Jin’s murder, and we first see Voight at a hearing. It seems CPD believes he may have had something to do with it. Internal Affairs slime ball Stillwell is also there, looking smug as ever. While I know people were suspicious of Voight, I have to say, I never was. The man may flirt with the line between legal and illegal on a regular basis, but he has always been very firm in his hatred for cop killers.
On a lighter note, Halstead and Lindsay are as flirty as ever. Lindsay mentions it’s Nadia’s first day and tells Halstead not to hit on her. Jealousy, perhaps? I hope so.
When Voight returns from the hearing, Halstead asks why they aren’t looking into the murder. Out of everyone in the unit, Halstead clearly trusts Voight least. It will be interesting to see how Voight and Halstead’s relationship with each other affects each of their relationships with Lindsay throughout the series.
Antonio meets up with a CI named Alyssa, who gives him a tip for info on a deal going down. He sets up the operation, in which Ruzek will go in undercover. Of course, the deal doesn’t go as planned, and shots are fired. In what I found to be a humorous moment, Ruzek frantically jumps out of the car (as shots are already flying) yelling, “Popcorn! Popcorn! Popcorn!” which was the word to signal the team to move in.
I love Olinsky and Ruzek, and I can’t wait to see this relationship continue to develop. Sergeant Platt is suddenly nice to Burgess (they even fist bump!), and assigns her a new partner, Sean Roman. He seems standoff-ish, and it’s clear he was hoping for a male partner. Platt then gives Halstead a package that was mailed six weeks earlier. He opens it at his desk, but mysteriously slides it inside when everyone walks in. Halstead, what are you up to? I was nervous for just a moment, before I remembered that Halstead seems to be the moral compass of the unit (yes, even more than Antonio).
Thanks to new guy Roman, the team is able to identify the dead body and begin piecing together the third party at the deal, led by a man named Oscar and his brother Jacob. Oscar runs a crime outfit, prostitution, extortion, and drugs. Oscar also got away with the murder of his mistress, a former informant for Olinsky.
Halsead pulls Lindsay into the locker room and shows her the note from the package, which says, “I know I can trust you.” It’s from Jin! I shouldn’t have doubted you Jay, not for a second. My apologies. The package includes a flash drive, and Lindsay tells Halstead to give it to Voight. “Not til I know what’s on it,” he replies. At some point, Lindsay will have to side with either Voight or Halstead.
An attorney shows up, a prosecutor for Oscar. As it turns out, a key piece of evidence (a T-shirt) with DNA was being transported to a lab in the van that was overtaken that morning. CPD wasn’t made aware of the situation because there is corruption within CPD. The evidence is gone, and Oscar is going to walk.
Elsewhere, Burgess and Roman adjust to being partners. I have to say, I wasn’t crazy about Burgess and Atwater’s scenes last season, they just weren’t interesting. I haven’t been impressed with Atwater yet, and I don’t know if it’s a lack of character development or just disinterest. I love the new pairing of Burgess and Roman; I’m hoping I enjoy their scenes away from Investigation this year.
Halstead finally gives Voight the flash drive, which has incriminating evidence giving up Stillwell as Jin’s murderer. Can I just say, called it? Voight confronts Stillwell, and of course, he won’t go down without a fight. If Voight turns him in, Stillwell will reveal that Voight not only has a deal with IA, but also the particulars of their illegal business agreement (namely, the cut of the profits they had agreed to while Voight was pretending to be dirty).
Well that leaves Voight in quite the pickle.
When nothing comes of the incriminating drive, Halstead goes to Voight, who says it will take a while (translation: nothing will come of the flash drive). Furious, Halstead goes to Lindsay and tells her Voight is burying the case.
“Do you really think you know everything about this guy?” I see fractures in Voight’s and Lindsay’s relationship beginning. I just hope it pushes her towards Halstead.
In a very touching scene, Susan Jin speaks with Voight, thanking him for making his dreams come true. All Jin ever wanted was to be a police officer, and working with Intelligence was the first time he felt part of a team. She hugs him, and you just know that Voight can’t bury the evidence. Right?!
Right. Stillwell is arrested for Jin’s murder, which means bad news for Voight. Of course, he works his way out of it (actually, blackmails his way out of it). The team now knows everything, and Lindsay is clearly fuming.
Thanks to some work by Roman and Burgess, the team is able to get a man on the inside to help take down Oscar. They watch the deal unfold, and things of course don’t go according to plan. Oscar and Jacob decide to shoot everyone instead of pay up. The team moves in, and Halstead tells Jacob to show his hands. When he pulls out a gun, Halstead shoots and kills him. Oscar can clearly see who did it, and the name on his vest. Not good.
Alyssa Martin, Antonio’s CI, show up at the district, per Antonio’s instruction. He says 200 grand was recovered, and it stemmed from her tip. A CI is entitled to 10%, so she gets 20 grand and gets the heck out of dodge (or rather, Chicago). She kisses Antonio, and I hated it. The man isn’t divorced! I expect better from him.
One of the minor story lines this episode was someone named Bunny repeatedly calling for Lindsay. She continually tells Nadia to take a message, and it’s clear she has no desire to speak to this person. Finally, Lindsay goes to a bar and asks for Bunny. Turns out, Bunny is her mom. It seems they aren’t what you would call close. Bunny is getting married, to which Erin replies, “Great. Email me.”
Al finds Halstead at Molly’s with some of the team, and pulls him aside. An informant let Al know that Oscar put a bounty (100 grand) on Halstead’s head for killing Jacob. Shoot!
What did you think of the episode? What are you most hoping to see this season?
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Nice review. I don't quite understand why Erin is so upset with Voight. It is a father-daugther relationship, of course Voight has some secrets who he is not willing to share unless he has to. Is she upset because she thought he was on the take and she was ok with it and now it seems he just pretended to be? Either way I agree that it will change their relationship and hopefully pushes her in Halsteads direction, though Halstead respects Voight a bit more after this episode, it is going to be interesting to see who helps Halstead more in his current situation with the hit on him.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be so hard on Antonio, the kiss was not more than appreciation that he is good as his job. And Antonio certainly deserves a bit positive feedback for all the things he is doing good. After all he is just married but not dead. He went through a lot and his wife is giving him a lot of grief, they have been married for a long time so his wife should know him. Just be because he got shot, she expects him to sit around all day? I am quite sure they will get back together and I was happy for him when he got the kiss and did not read anything sexual in it.
It's not like antonio kissed her back. He was stunned cause it came out of nowhere. She was happy.
ReplyDeleteAtwater needs to just go away.
ReplyDeleteAtwater was way better with Burgess than in the Intelligence Unit, I don't see him as a partner with Antonio who is the only one without a partner right now. So I am wondering what the plans are for him in long term... it seemed as a logic step to promote him but he does not really fit into the Intelligence Unit.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, I really enjoyed the season premiere myself. Will be interesting to see how Halstead responds to the bounty on his head! Looking forward to reading your reviews!
ReplyDeleteThere's something about how Atwater was written that made him such an odd-fit for the show. He was not as involved as Burgess in many of Intelligence's missions and suddenly he somehow got promoted when we barely see much of him when he's not on any B-stories with Burgess for much of the first season.
ReplyDeletegreat review and great start for the second season. can't wait to see more. Love the Erin-Voight-Hastead interraction. I think this show is getting better and better
ReplyDeleteI might be reading too much into that bit with Antonio, I guess I just expect him to be a saint, a foil for Voight. It's not just this one incident either, he is a bit flirty with Nadia (near the end of last season, even before his wife left).
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say he needs to go away, we just need to learn more about him and feel some sort of connection to him. We have connections with every character besides him. It will be interesting to see how they develop him this season.
ReplyDeleteI love that all characters have flaws on the show but are likable in their own way. I still file Antonio's behavior under ''married not dead''.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the plans are with Atwater? Also in episode 2, he had no storyline at all.
It is weird...
Yeah antonio definitely needs a partner. Maybe that'll give him more screen time.
ReplyDelete