Wednesday’s most-watched dramas, Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med, only continue to gain popularity as the seasons go on. And now that all three shows are to return for the 2022-2023 season, they will undoubtedly continue to do so. Fire will return for season 11, P.D. will return for season 10, and Med will return for season 8.
Over the last decade, all three shows have gained somewhat of a reputation for their gripping storylines, nailbiting cliffhangers, and beloved characters, which have made for some very emotional episodes. And given the intensity of Chicago P.D.’s Intelligence Unit, they are responsible for a large part of that emotion. From beloved character deaths like Alvin Olinsky to hard-hitting topics like miscarriage, this is one show that isn’t above making you ugly cry.
“Descent” (Season 6, Episode 9)
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Whether you liked Antonio Dawson (Jon Seda) or not, it’s never a fun time to see a usually well-kept together character’s gradual downfall towards rock bottom, and this was no exception. Antonio was part of the one Chicago family from early on, as he was Gabby’s (Monica Raymund) brother.
Following an injury sustained while on the job, Dawson became addicted to painkillers, which sparked his gradual downfall. Making his exit even harder for fans of the character, he left the show off-screen, and many fans weren’t happy and felt he at least deserved an official goodbye.
“Fork In The Road” (Season 4, Episode 23)
The departure of any beloved character is always a sad watch, and it can hurt to see them go. Erin Lindsey (Sophia Bush) had been a big part of the team since season one, so when she said goodbye to her P.D. family at the end of the fourth season, fans were sad to see her go.
In the run-up to her exit, Lindsey was going through some stuff that set her down a dark path, indulging herself back into drugs and alcohol. Feeling like she didn’t belong in Intelligence, she left the team. Between her and Jay’s (Jesse Lee Soffer) last scene to that final shot of her looking over the Chicago nightscape, her presence in the unit is still greatly missed by many.
“Burden Of Truth” (Season 7, Episode 15)
Chicago P.D. bid farewell to Sean Roman (Brian Geraghty) following an injury that left him unable to return to active duty. However, his season seven return was incredibly bittersweet to see. While it was great to see Roman back after four years away, the circumstances of his return were not happy ones.
After his sister was deemed missing, Roman returned to Chicago to help look for her. Sadly, he and Burgess (Marina Squerciati) discovered his sister frozen in the snow. From Sean’s face when he saw her lying there to that heartbreaking eulogy scene, there wasn’t a dry eye by the end.
“Emotional Proximity” (Season 4, Episode 16 Crossover with Fire’s Season 5, Episode 15 “Deathtrap”)
She may not have been a main character in the show, but that didn’t stop her death from tearing our hearts into a million pieces. Lexi Olinsky (Alina Taber) was the daughter of Alvin, and the circumstances of her death were horrendously cruel.
In a crossover event with Chicago Fire, Alvin (Elias Koteas) turned up at an out-of-control warehouse fire begging Boden (Eamonn Walker) to find his daughter, who was trapped inside. Lexi sadly died from her injuries, and P.D.’s episode 16 saw the Intelligence unit tracking down the person responsible. This crossover was heartbreaking, and between the Fire team’s exhaustion and Al saying goodbye to his daughter, we were broken.
“Reform” (Season 5, Episode 1)
Jay Halstead has faced many hard times throughout his life. Whether that be his time in the Rangers or as a Chicago police officer, his career has often landed him injured or emotionally exhausted, and season five’s opener was certainly no exception.
After a shootout ends with innocent people caught in the crossfire, it comes to light that a bullet that hit a little girl amidst the chaos came from Jay’s gun. Jay is understandably distraught, and between his guilt throughout the episode and his apology to the mom, along with the topic of a little girl’s death, this season opener was a heavy hitter for sure.
“Start Digging” (Season 3, Episode 23)
While Justin Voight (Josh Segarra) may have only appeared in nine episodes throughout the show’s first three years, he quickly became a favorite whenever he would show up on-screen.
The first impression we got of Voight’s son was one of an arrogant personality being released from prison, so to see him go from an inmate to being in a stable relationship with a wife and child undoubtedly gave you a strange sense of pride. Having all that ripped away after a gunshot wound to the head was soul-crushing, only made even more so by his dad discovering him in the trunk of a car bleeding to death. If his death wasn’t sad enough, any time Voight shows his softer, caring side is enough to make your heart hurt.
“The Number Of Rats” (Season 2, Episode 20)
In what might be one of the most shocking character deaths to come out of the One Chicago shows, Nadia Decotis quickly became a very likable member of the team while working as the administrative assistant for Intelligence. Her journey may have been bumpy, but she fitted in incredibly well with the team.
In the second part of the three-way crossover event between Fire, P.D., and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU), Nadia found herself a target after serial killer Greggory Yates chose her as his next victim. Making her untimely death even harder to process, her name was added to the list of fallen officers on the memorial outside the precinct.
“Absolution” (Season 7, Episodes 9)
Jay was knocked unconscious and kidnapped at the beginning of episode nine, and the episode followed both Jay’s torment at the hands of his kidnappers and the Intelligence Unit as they raced to find him before it was too late.
Jay, already with a heavily bleeding laceration on his head, was then shot right at the end and left struggling to breathe, resulting in a nearly two-month wait for episode ten to determine whether he’d live or die. While he ultimately survived, the thought of losing this beloved long-running member of the One Chicago family was a tough one to bear.
“I Was Here” (Season 7, Episode 13)
Adam Ruzek (Patrick Flueger) and Kim Burgess have had their ups and downs, but halfway through season seven, they had one of their most heartbreaking to date. After a one-night hookup between the two, Kim became pregnant with Adam’s baby.
After discovering she was pregnant in episode eight, Burgess was initially unsure about whether to keep the baby. However, she ultimately decided she wanted to keep it. Tragically, in episode thirteen, she was beaten while trying to save a victim and lost the baby. From Ruzek’s obvious worry upon finding her to that final scene of the pair in the hospital, our hearts were breaking with them.
“Homecoming” (Season 5, Episode 22)
Even four years on, P.D.’s season five finale is still just as capable of bringing a tear to your eye at the mere thought of it. It could be one of the saddest things to come out of the franchise, as the character we lost had been a much-loved team member since season one.
After being arrested for a murder he hadn’t committed, Alvin was stabbed by an inmate while awaiting trial. He was rushed to the hospital, but he sadly died from his wounds in surgery. Between Voight breaking the news to the rest of Intelligence and the heartbroken and shocked looks on their faces, this episode will always be one of the most soul-crushing to come out of the entire Chicago franchise.
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