Chicago P.D. Boss on Whether Intelligence Will Get a New Recruit in Season 11: ‘I Think We Will’
The following contains spoilers from Chicago P.D.’s Season 11 premiere. Proceed accordingly.
Chicago P.D.‘s roster is looking a little thin these days.
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With Upton (played by Tracy Spiridakos) poised to leave at season’s end, and Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) on the bench after catching a bullet in the gut, the Dick Wolf procedural’s elite unit from District 21 could use some fresh blood.
“We’re pretty lean right now,” showrunner Gwen Sigan tells TVLine.
Wednesday’s Season 11 premiere revealed that Ruzek, who miraculously survived being shot by a fifth grader at close range, was struggling to pass his physicals six months later. And while his spot in Intelligence remains open — Voight (Jason Beghe) has not tried to replace him just yet — the squad will also need to address the Upton-sized hole that will be left with her impending departure. So, does that mean the team is getting a new recruit?
“I think we will,” Sigan says. “We’ve got space for another, and it would be really fun to have someone new come in. It always offers up so many opportunities for our existing characters to interact with someone new so yes, I hope so.”
What we know for sure, though, is that Intelligence won’t be at a loss for new issues to explore in Season 11. “We’re pulling a lot from the zeitgeist,” the EP shares. “We are leaning into new possibilities with our characters, but also with policing.”
We saw that in the premiere, with the police department launching a new initiative in which crisis intervention teams tag along on mental health-related calls. The program introduced Dr. Julian Mitchell (Jason Bowen), the easy-going mental health clinician who partnered with Upton for Intelligence’s latest murder case.
Sigan also hinted at some “really great big bads” this season as well as an “incredibly dark” storyline that will become “a bit of a white whale for Hank Voight.” Additionally, Torres will go undercover with a “really fun criminal organization.”
What are you looking forward to in Chicago P.D. Season 11?
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