Chicago PD - Prison Ball - Review

“They’re just a bunch of animals looking for weakness. You give them nothing.”
The team arrives on scene to find a ten-year-old girl named Mya dead after taking two shots to the head. It’s a heavy opening, one of the darkest yet. It only gets tougher to watch when Mya’s mother arrives on scene and collapses in Atwater’s arms, crying for her little girl.

James Grant, an NBA-bound high school senior, had his whole life ahead of him until he robbed a convenient store. He thought he got away clean, but there was one witness, Mya. His uncle, Levon Tucker, is not the best guy, as he’s locked up. The team talks with the warden, looking to pull Tucker out for ordering the hit. Because Tucker is in the process of making a deal with the feds, they tell the team they can’t risk it. Any attempt to get to Tucker will be of their own doing, no backup.

Atwater gives Voight a speech about how he’s from the streets, and it could have been his sister. He’s determined to get Tucker and convinces Voight to let him. It was nice to see more from Atwater than well, we’ve ever seen. But, something’s still missing. This episode was Atwater's chance to shine. He didn't.

Atwater and Ruzek go undercover (without approval from the warden, meaning they are on their own) as prisoners while Antonio is under as a guard. As they get the lay of the land, they also spot Tucker and his posse. Atwater needs to find a way to get close to Tucker, make him talk.

Before too long, Tucker is taken to “see the doctor”. Really, he’s transferred to protective custody as his deal with the feds is about to go through. This narrows the window to get him for Mya’s murder, and drastic measures are needed. Ruzek decides to start a fight with Atwater, knowing it will send Atwater to protective custody. I loved this because it was a flashback to the Ruzek of the pilot episode. Yes, he’s matured quite a bit, but he’s still feisty and willing to do anything to get the job done.
The head guard threatens, “I want to know who threw the first punch. Because someone will go to the hole for this.” I don’t know what the hole is, but it doesn’t sound like a place I never want to visit.

Later, Ruzek is surrounded, and an inmate tells him a rumor is circulating that Atwater is a cop. Before he can get more information, the guards come to take him to the hole, as they know that he started the fight. I’ll admit, that hole is nowhere near as scary as I thought it would be.

Outside the prison, the team narrowed down the search and found the shooter, Omar Martel. Of course, Oscar is connected to Tucker. How, you ask? They were inmates together. Oh, the fun times.

Atwater gets close to Tucker, telling him he has a message from Omar Martel. He tricks him into confessing everything, even saying, “James wanted to cap that girl himself.” Naturally, Atwater is wired, so it’s the end for Tucker, Omar, and James. I say good riddance.

Character observation: Olinsky vs. Voight
We all know that Voight wears his heart on his sleeve. When he’s mad, you know it (and probably have a bruise or two to show for it). He’s all yelling and tirades, big threats and bold moves. With every passing episode, Olinsky proves that he is equally – if not more so – terrifying. He’s more calm, cool, and collected. He’ll threaten you and your livelihood with a tone that he would also use shooting the breeze with a close friend. I’ve officially decided, I’d be more afraid of Olinsky than Voight.
Once again, a few of the subplots introduced little snippets of topics that will probably arise in the future…

To Burgess and Roman’s surprise, Platt spontaneously assigns them to three kids supposedly part of the Police Explorers. With the best line of the episode, Platt says, “Did you not get the memo? I must’ve never written it.” I love her! I hope her role only continues to grow, because she is underused talent. Here’s an idea, let’s replace all of Atwater’s scenes with more Platt.
Platt really has a heart of gold, and that’s made evident a bit more when Roman and Burgess lose the boys. Turns out, they aren’t Police Explorers, they’re delinquents. Platt pulls strings to get at-risk youth into the district every so often to show them it’s never too late to turn your life around.

Roman was excited to head up the group. Guys, he bleeds blue. It is for that reason that his beef with Olinsky bothered me so much. We finally find out that years ago, Roman and his partner were backup on an undercover operation, one that Olinsky was part of. Roman’s partner was shot, and instead of staying with the officer down, Olinsky chased after the shooter.

This is my issue, Olinsky wasn’t wrong. Roman was there (among other officers) and his partner was attended to. What was Olinsky supposed to do?! He’s not a doctor. He’s not a paramedic. He’s a detective who did his job by getting the shooter. Risk is a big part of the job, and they all know that. I found it beyond strange that for a guy who is so completely dedicated to the police force and everything they stand for, he had an issue with what Olinsky did.

I was really liking Roman, but this just made me mad.

Roman did redeem himself a bit near the end of the episode. When Platt wants to lay it on thick for the delinquents, Roman surprisingly stands up for them. He tells them charges won’t be pressed, because when he was their age, he was also given a second chance. He invites them to join the explorers (for real) and one kid takes him up on it. Roman is a good guy and a good cop, which is why I’m still baffled by the whole thing with Olinsky. I’m excited to see more from Roman, he’s been a great addition to the cast.

Elsewhere…

In the first scene, we see Atwater, his little sister, and Burgess. When Atwater gets the call for work, Burgess stays with his sister. She asks Burgess why she’s not in intelligence, and Burgess responds, “That’s a good question.” Well, it is and it isn’t. Burgess isn’t a bad cop, but she’s a bit entitled. And hello! She’s dating Ruzek. That’s why she’s not in intelligence. If Halstead and Lindsay can’t have both, neither can you, Burgess! Her partnership with Roman has made her more bearable, but it’s moments like these when I’m reminded how much I dislike her.

However, she might “get the call” sooner than we thought. I think that if Lindsay takes the job heading up the task force, Burgess might be her replacement. I think this conversation was the writers’ sly way of hinting that. Speaking of Erin’s possible new job…

Erin mentions the job offer to Jay (of course), asking him what he thinks of the lawyer who offered her the position. Right away, Jay’s response makes me think that this guy is not to be trusted. Jay’s clearly disappointed at the thought of Erin leaving, and I love it. I just wanted to yell at him, “But then you can date her!”

Later, Erin and Jay visit the owners of a car possibly involved. This whole scene was just wonderful. Halstead clearly does not want Erin to leave, and she’s really considering it. If I had to guess, I would say she will leave for this task force long enough for her and Jay to start something. Then, Jay’s suspicions of the lawyer will prove right, and the task force will be dismantled or Erin will choose to leave.

Erin does meet with the lawyer, and it’s looking more and more like she’ll take the position. I’m beyond excited to see where this goes, as it will add dynamic to procedural routine and hopefully add in a bit of Halstead as well.

Just a heads up (in case you don’t already know), next week is the big crossover event in the Dick Wolf universe. It might behoove you to tune into Chicago Fire and SVU in addition to Chicago PD, if you don’t already.


What did you think of the episode? Will Lindsay take the job? What needs to happen with Atwater to make him interesting?

About the Author - Meghan Reynolds

A Colorado native, Meghan was born a raised a Denver Broncos fan. Aside from football, she loves storytelling, whether it be movies, television, books, or music. Some of her favorite shows of the past and present include LOST, Friends, The Office, Scandal, Chicago PD, and Chicago Fire. She is excited to be reviewing two of those shows for SpoilerTV, Chicago PD and Chicago Fire.