Thank goodness, Adam Ruzek is finally back.
It feels like it has been forever since we’ve seen the man, but those craving his reappearance can rest assured that he’ll return just in time for the finale.
With Chicago PD Season 11 Episode 12 serving as the penultimate episode of the season, we can expect things to kick into high gear.
One of the most promising aspects of the “Inventory” installment is that it’s “all hands on deck.”
After we’ve spent much of the season lamenting constant character-centric installments, disappearing unit members, and cast shifts, the entire unit is on hand, leading us into the finale.
And there can’t be a better thing to unite them than continuing to look into the serial killer case.
Fortunately for us, whatever progress they make regarding this case will lead to a heck of a lot of action.
Seriously. almost every promotional still we see for this episode features someone in an intense situation and almost everyone aiming their guns.
We’re inundated with action shots, quite literally, which means that the hour will be chocked full of excitement, suspense, thrills, and action.
We can expect the Intelligence Unit to chase down a lead as it connects to the serial killer case.
But in the interim, they’ll have much to balance when the news about this killer makes it to the public.
Based on the promo, their lead in the case may be due to a tip from someone they have taken into custody.
While a serial killer on the loose is concerning, and the general public may not handle that information well, it at least opens the door for civilians to provide them with useful leads and information.
Related: Chicago PD Season 11 Episode 11 Review: The Water Line
But one of the most shocking details is teased right in the promo.
The person they’re looking for may be one of their own!
No, we’re not talking about the Intelligence Unit specifically, but rather a cop in general.
And if that’s the case, it makes sense why every road they go down hoping to get a break in the case runs cold.
If the serial killer is a police officer, it means they’re doing a great job at covering their tracks. They know what their colleagues need to make a case and are unwilling to give it up.
With the belief that it’s a cop behind these killings, the Intelligence unit can’t trust anyone.
It’ll make it difficult to phone in for backup, and they all have to be mindful about what they say and to whom they’re confiding about all of this.
Fortunately, they know they can trust one another, including Jo Petrovic.
We’ve spent a lot of time with Petrovic this season, and the last two installments will also feature her.
Her alcoholism has been an illuminating story, even if it meant the series pulled away from the other established characters to focus more on her.
And by now, it’ll likely be that she’ll have a pivotal role in what Hailey opts to do moving forward as we prepare for Upton’s exit from the series.
We’ve seen the two play off one another for most of the season.
Petrovic will likely be integral in wrapping up Hailey’s exit as she prepares to leave the series.
On that topic, of Hailey’s departure, this installment will be exciting because it marks Jesse Soffer’s return.
He’ll take another spin in the director’s charge as he gets his feet wet directing the series he departed for the second time.
While we may not be getting Jay Halstead’s return to the series as many have helped, it’s at least a comfort that Soffer isn’t afraid to return in another way to share his passion for the series.
We can’t think of a better episode for him to direct, as this one feels action-packed, which is true to form to what we’ve come to learn and admire about Soffer and his projects.
The Intelligence Unit may be under attack during this one.
One of the best and most visually appealing and surprising photos shows Burgess, Atwater, and Adam Ruzek huddled together and directing their guns upward as they shield each other and civilians from what’s to come.
It suggests that there is an onslaught of shooting that puts everyone at risk, maybe even a sniper of some sort.
The three besties working together in such a high-octane situation is worth getting excited about.
It’s exciting to see Ruzek back in the fold since we have not spent much time with the guy since he proposed to Burgess.
We’ve had zero explanation about what he’s been up to, so his return is welcome.
But we’ll also see that Petrovic will appear again, and she’s also brought into the fray. We see her with her weapon drawn as well, as she may be entering a building that requires her to be on high alert.
Petrovic had to shoot someone fairly recently, and we’ll likely get an update on whether or not she’s been able to get sober and remain that way after Hailey pushed her into attending rehab, and she committed to it.
In the one still of Petrovic, she looks incredibly nervous and scared with her weapon drawn, as if she’s expecting danger at any second.
But we also see her with Hailey a few times, including with a victim they’re both aiding.
Hailey is also on high alert at the scene, understandably so, as we see blood spattered on the wall and a bullet hole during one of the stills.
And Voight also has his firearm in play as he seemingly searches for a place of interest.
He’s been relentlessly in pursuit of this serial killer, and ever since Noah fell victim to the person, Voight has been obsessed with finding a lead and capturing this person.
The case has consumed him, so we’re due for results. But will Voight find the closure he needs?
It’s too early to say.
But “Inventory” may be the most exciting episode of the season, unmissable, and something that will have us on the edge of our seats.
You can’t ask for anything more in a shortened season that has largely underwhelmed.
Over to you, Chicago PD Fanatics. What would you like to see in this penultimate episode of the season?
Are you excited about the group feel? Let’s hear it below!
Chicago PD returns with an all-new episode on NBC on Wednesday at 10/9c. You can stream the following day on Peacock.
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Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You’ll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
