4 Chicago PD moments that made the show great in 2024

TV seasons spill over into different years. 2024 may be a single year on a calendar for us, but for the characters on Chicago PD, the year represents two different seasons. There was a lot that went down between the second half of season 11 and the first half of season 12 in 2024.

One could feasibly make a top 20 list of standout moments from One Chicago’s grittiest spinoff, but we decided to keep it concise. We wanted to touch on heartwarming moments, emotional moments, and of course, the ones who’s repercussions are still being felt throughout the franchise.

Alvin Olinsky’s return (season 11, episode 13)

This was huge. The season 11 finale already had to contend with Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) being kidnapped and nearly killed, but the most memorable moment in the episode occurred when a dazed Voight has a vision of his old colleague, Alvin Olinksy (Elias Koteas).

It was the last thing any of us expected to see, and yet, the way it was depicted allowed us to accept a brief return form the character without sacrificing the emotional impact of his death. It was a flawless execution of a very risky idea.

Hailey Upton says goodbye (season 11, episode 13)

Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) was a crucial part of Chicago PD, but we knew at the beginning of season 11 that she would be leaving. It was less a matter of “if” and more a matter of “how.” We are happy to report that PD handled the character’s exit extremely well.

Upton helped rescue her mentor, Voight, from certain death, and the two characters had a tense exchange in which she revealed that she would be leaving the Windy City for good. It was what we wanted to see, especially since Upton seemed much happier in her final moments that she’d been in the previous few seasons.

Nina Chapman’s romantic confession (season 12, episode 4)

ADA Nina Chapman (Sara Bues) has quietly become a crucial supporting character on Chicago PD. The character has established a strong professional bond with Hank Voight (Jason Beghe), but we did not see the revelation that she has strong personal feelings for the lieutenant in season 12.

Chapman admitted that she was interested in Voight romantically, and this is new ground for both the show and Voight. We can’t wait to see where this goes, and whether the veteran IU leader decides to do something about it.

Kim Burgess gets promoted to detective (season 12, episode 6)

Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) has always been a reliable officer. She’s been through hell and back over the course of the show, and has managed to come out the other side a tougher and stronger IU member. It was great, consequently, to see her get promoted to detective in season 12.

The character was very deserving of the promotion, and we have already gotten a chance to see her take charge in a more pronounced way than before. She’s transitioning to becoming a member of the old guard, and we love to see it.