‘Chicago P.D.’ Season 12 Kicks Off in September: Everything to Know About the Cop Show
Chicago P.D. has a lot to celebrate come season 12 — even without Hailey Upton on the Intelligence squad.
During season 11 of the series, fans finally saw Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) and Adam Ruzek (Patrick Flueger) get engaged and stay that way. The pair famously got engaged and broke up twice during their years-long romance, before Burgess said “yes” a third time.
Ahead of the proposal, LaRoyce Hawkins, who plays Burgess and Ruzek’s BFF, Kevin Atwater, exclusively told Us Weekly that he would happily marry them in a TV wedding.
“This is something a lot of people don’t know about me … I’m certified to marry people,” Hawkins revealed in June 2023. “I consider Burgess and Ruzek to be family, and I think Atwater should get first right refusal to actually marry [them]. That’s what we wanna see.”
While a wedding could be in the cards for season 12, it is unclear whether Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) would make the ceremony since she exited the show during the season 11 finale. Either way, there is a lot to unpack before the show returns this fall.
Scroll down for everything we know about Chicago P.D. season 12:
What Happened at the end of Season 11?
During the season 11 finale, which aired in May, Detective Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) was held captive by serial killer Frank Matson (Dennis Flanagan). In keeping with his tradition, the killer tried to convince Voight to call someone he loved to try and save them. Voight didn’t take the bait, because he knew if he called Upton, who is like a daughter to him, Matson would kill her, too. Ultimately, Upton did come to Voight’s rescue and the pair fought together for his freedom and saved his life.
No More Hailey Upton in the Windy City
After saving Voight from danger, Upton decided that it was time for a change. In the final moments of the season 11 finale, she got in a taxi and headed for the airport but didn’t reveal her destination or what job she took outside Chicago.
News broke in October 2023 that season 11 would be Spiridakos’ last. After joining the cast in 2017, the actress said goodbye to P.D. this spring — but didn’t rule out a return. She told Variety in May that “it would be a dream” to reprise the role in the future.
Will There Be a Burzek Wedding?
Showrunner Gwen Sigan teased in May that she is “very excited to get into it” while talking about Burgess and Ruzek’s next steps. The couple got engaged during season 11 for a third time and it might just be the charm.
“There’s definitely a possibility of, ‘Are we going to do the wedding next year? Are we going to do the planning? What are we going to see?’” Sigan told TVLine, teasing the “when” isn’t set in stone.
The EP added that Burgess and Ruzek’s roles as parents to Makayla might influence what they do for their special day. “I also think about Makayla and that she’s going to be a part of all those conversations and wanting to be a part of [the ceremony],” Sigan said. “And Ruzek has this big family and all these friends. … Is he going to want to do the whole thing? You could see them go either way. There’s probably a good middle ground there.”
There’s a New Detective in Town
Us confirmed in August that Toya Turner was cast as police officer Kiana Cook following Hailey’s departure from the Intelligence Unit. Kiana is someone who “loves the adrenaline of the job and its stakes and doesn’t blink in the face of chaos,” according to TVLine.
When Does Season 12 Begin?
Chicago P.D. returns to NBC on Wednesday, September 25, at 10 p.m. ET.
There’s a New Deputy Chief This Season
Animal Kingdom alum Shawn Hatosy is joining the show as Deputy Chief Charlie Reid, TV Insider reported in September. He will make his debut during the September 25 premiere and will give Voight (Beghe) a run for his money.
“I think he sees a lot of himself in Voight and identifies quite a bit with Voight and Voight’s philosophy as a police officer,” executive producer Sigan told the outlet. “And they have a really interesting relationship that will evolve as the season goes on.”
