I don’t intend to be dramatic, but “Uncertainty Principle” was one of the boldest moves I’ve seen this One Chicago franchise make. Why, you ask? Because characters we’ve known for a grand total of one episode (if you don’t count backdoor pilots and guest appearances) go after a beloved One Chicago character—one who has been around for nearly four seasons. I’ll admit, I spent a good portion of the episode wondering if Peter and co. could redeem themselves. But, he didn’t like what he was doing either (in going after a cop). And it’s for that reason that “Uncertainty Principle” and “See Something” prove to be the start of something incredible—whether they like it or not, they have a duty to the law. This opens the doors for gray areas, questions about right versus wrong, and all sorts of endlessly debatable topics. And you know what? I’m here for it. Even if it did mean three new episodes in six days (a bit much, writers, don’t you think?).
“Part of what we do as prosecutors is to make decisions that might destroy the lives of innocent people. We do our best to make those decisions without prejudice or pride—sometimes we get it wrong.”
“Uncertainty Principle” kicks things off with ASA Anna Valdez paying a visit to Platt at District 21 to talk with Adrian Carrera in a holding cell. Adrian ended up killing someone in a bar fight, but that’s not the case the State’s Attorney’s office pursues. When Justin Wilkes—the man in the holding cell next to Carrera—dies, the immediate target is none other than Chicago PD’s Kevin Atwater, Justin’s arresting officer. Atwater arrested Justin for drug possession, and is investigated for brutality that ultimately led to Justin’s death.
Naturally, this storyline lends itself to significant Antonio screen time (an automatic win, as far as I’m concerned). Antonio stops by the district to speak with Atwater, but first runs into Burgess. Guys, I need a second to complain—once again (like the One Chicago crossover) Burgess is featured in a place she shouldn’t be. She acts all happy to see Antonio, like they worked together for so long. Thing is, they were never in the Intelligence Unit together! They seriously couldn’t get literally anyone else from Chicago PD to do a five-second scene?! Okay. Rant over. Moving on…
Sadly, this is the biggest storyline Atwater has ever received, and this isn’t even his show. He’s such a sympathetic character, and it makes the State’s Attorney’s investigation into his activity infuriating. Antonio finds himself between a rock and a hard place during the episode, as he’s forced to investigate Atwater, who actually worked in Intelligence with him (unlike you, Burgess). The video footage doesn’t exactly help Atwater’s case, because he is seemingly a bit too forceful. Then again, have you seen Atwater? He could probably look at a pickle jar and it would open.
Peter is skeptical to go after Atwater, but makes a valid point that Voight’s unit doesn’t have the most law-abiding reputation. Further proving that point, Voight claims, “If Kev killed that son of a bitch, that son of a bitch needed killing.” And though the case Peter and co. build against Atwater begins to look daunting, Atwater retains Law and Order alum Paul Robinette as his lawyer. Just for future reference, I am not familiar with Law and Order or SVU. Sinful, I know, but one can only watch so much TV. So please forgive any Law and Order oversights, as I’m sure there will be several in Chicago Justice’s future.
Though Robinette seems to provide reasonable doubt, we all know the world we live in—it’s a tough time to be a cop. The spotlight, or rather, scrutiny, has made life impossible for Atwater’s younger siblings, who he has full guardianship of. Carrera, of all upstanding citizens, testifies against Atwater as part of a deal he made with the SA’s office. That seems to put the proverbial nail in Atwater’s coffin, which is physically painful to watch. As Robinette points out, “Hell of a world, isn’t it? A murderer has more credibility than a cop.” And he’s right—even if Atwater miraculously gets off for this, no one will ever look at him the same. Even if he’s proven innocent, the damage is done.
But this is television, so we can’t see Atwater go to prison, right? No. In the end, it turns out to be Carrera who is responsible for Justin’s death. When Justin puked on Carrera in lockup, he beat him for it, which ultimately caused his death.
What did you think of the episode? Will this have lasting ramifications for Atwater on Chicago PD? Will we see Peter’s father at all? Share your thoughts below!
“That’s the funny thing about freedom—it gives our enemies the freedom to destroy us.”
When Danny Nasiri, a Muslim grad student, is found dead by Voight and the Intelligence Unit of Chicago PD, Peter and the rest of the SA’s office builds a case against Byron Welch, a white man who had a previous altercation with Danny. The case initially appears to be a hate crime, but right off the bat, it seems that the team is missing something. Did Byron really have such a strong prejudice against Danny that he killed him? That’s a bold accusation—one that begins to fall apart when Antonio and Laura discover Byron had a Muslim girlfriend who he was with the night of Danny’s murder.
So if it wasn’t Byron, who was it? Meet Jafar Boustani, Danny’s former roommate. Both Jafar and Danny studied theoretical physics and often found themselves competing against one another for recognition and awards. At first, Jafar tells “his story” that incriminates Byron, but Antonio’s not buying it. After speaking with Jafar’s former girlfriend, Antonio and Laura find that Jafar might have motive for killing Danny. Anna isn’t so quick to jump on board, and I can’t tell if it’s because she’s right to still have doubts or if she’s still too inexperienced. After finding Danny’s phone, Antonio and Laura find an eyewitness to the fight that led to Danny’s death. As Antonio suspected, Kalila identifies Jafar, not Byron, as the man who fought Danny the night of the murder.
Peter builds a patriotic jury, and it’s curious that the opposing counsel, William O’Boyle, allows it. No matter (for now), the case goes well for Peter. O’Boyle attempts to discredit Kalila because of her hijab and the complications that can arise from it—a vitamin D deficiency can cause diabetes, among other things. Luckily, Peter pokes a giant hole in that theory, keeping Kalila’s credibility intact. But as he later points out to Anna, it was a coin toss. Though we are only three episodes into this series, it’s been well established that Anna is still very inexperienced, while Peter is a veteran. It’s an interesting and dynamic combination, one that will hopefully give us a bit of internal drama in the SA’s office.
Sure enough, O’Boyle’s allowance of Peter’s patriotic jury selection becomes clear when Jafar admits to killing Danny on the stand because Danny was a terrorist. Talk about a bold defense strategy! Will a jury full of military vets, teachers, parents of soldiers, etc. convict Jafar for killing a terrorist? Not likely. But was Danny a terrorist? Peter has serious doubts, and I agree with him. So, Peter goes after Jafar—who has already admitted to killing Danny—for motives of jealousy rather than politics. He later tells Anna, “Jafar’s the one on trial, not Danny.” Logically (and legally), that should lead to a guilty verdict for Jafar.
And as Peter reminds the jury, “Great Americans look to the law that binds us together as a people. They ignore what their guts tell them is right, choosing instead what we, as a civilized society, have collectively determined is the right thing to do. Why? Because that’s the only way a great country stays great.” Chills. Chills all over the place! Honestly, Peter’s quote there, from his closing argument, could serve as a slogan for this entire show. Sometimes, our gut and the law don’t match. But when we start looking to see how the law fits the narrative we want, we’ll fall apart. And in the end, the jury looked to the law—Jafar is found guilty.
Another thought…The coroner is hilarious. Any chance she’s promoted to a regular? She’s been in all episodes so far (I believe), and it’s not like the murder cases are going to disappear.
What did you think of the episode? What will the dynamic be between Peter and Anna? Did you survive three new episodes in only six days? Share your thoughts below!
