Spoilers ahead for Episode 4 of Chicago P.D. Season 13, called “Root Cause” and available streaming now with a Peacock subscription.
Chicago P.D. had a lot of loose ends to tie off with the first few episodes of the fall 2025 TV schedule, starting with Voight needing to get the Intelligence Unit back together, putting Burzek through the emotional wringer as parents, introducing the newest member of the team, and now possibly debuting the big bad of Season 13. That big bad reveal came along with a taste of what might be a pretty tragic backstory for Voight himself, but I’m still thinking about who I really missed from the episode, especially with the upcoming absence of one member of the team.
A New Chicago P.D. Big Bad?
While Chicago P.D. is generally a procedural drama, there is often a big bad over the course of the season for the members of the Intelligence Unit to deal with. The show may be hard pressed to top Shawn Hatosy’s Chief Reid from last season when it comes to despicable villains, and I still have a soft spot for the juicy storylines that came from Sean O’Neal as a nemesis for Upton. It’s still early to say for sure, but Raymond Bell seems like a possible contender for at least the first half of Season 13 after his introduction in “Root Cause.”
Although the killer of the episode was Gary Bell, all signs point towards Raymond Bell as his father as the one who shaped him into what he became. Raymond’s lack of reaction to the news of Gary’s death wasn’t lost on Voight either, so I’d be surprised if we don’t see him again this season.
But is he in any way tied to the photograph of a young Hank, which was left on his car? Voight spent most of the episode refusing to elaborate to Imani about the photo, but she ultimately used context clues to piece together that the now-CPD sergeant was the little boy in the photo. The episode ended without revealing how the picture ended up on his car, let alone who left it, and Voight unsurprisingly didn’t start opening up with all the details of his childhood.
There are many more questions than answers at this point, and it’s possible that Raymond is a red herring and the bigger point of the episode is the introduction of the mystery of the photo. Either way, “Root Cause” was a big episode for Voight, with Imani at his right hand and support from Burgess, Torres, Ruzek, and Platt.
What About Atwater, Ruzek, And The Rest Of Season 13?
You may have noticed that I left a name out of the list of characters who had Voight’s back in “Root Cause,” and that would be because Atwater was completely absent. It’s not unusual for One Chicago actors to miss episodes here and there after initial changes to NBC’s Wolf Entertainment shows that were then confirmed again when the three Windy City series were renewed in the spring.
It’s not even out of the ordinary for a character to miss an episode without anybody giving an on-screen explanation for why, but dang it, I really missed Atwater in an episode that otherwise had all-hands on deck. That’s largely due to the recent news that Patrick John Flueger, who has been playing Ruzek for as long as LaRoyce Hawkins has been playing Atwater for the past thirteen seasons, is taking a temporary leave from Chicago P.D.
It remains to be seen how P.D. handles Ruzek’s absence, and I for one am curious to see if the cop drama delivers a twist like how Chicago Fire accommodated Taylor Kinney’s leave back in 2023, but the news left me paying closer attention to other members of the Intelligence Unit who may have to step up more this season. What a time for Atwater to be MIA from an episode! Even if I don’t get my wish for Atwater to make detective one of these days, I love a good Atwater-centric episode.
Luckily, Chicago P.D. is about to deliver with a big episode for LaRoyce Hawkins. Per NBC, here’s what to expect with the next installment, called “Miami,” on October 29:
Atwater reunites with an old friend from his academy days after a bombing rocks downtown Chicago.
Hopefully Atwater’s reunion with his old friend in Season 13 goes a lot better than Ruzek’s reunion with his old friend in Season 12! The promo for “Miami” reveals that Atwater will be in his patrol uniform for at least part of the episode, and that’s not all:
The “Miami” episode of Chicago P.D. airs on Wednesday, October 29 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, following Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. ET and Chicago Med at 8 p.m. ET. You can also find all three shows streaming with a subscription to Peacock.
