The police procedural has thrived as its own entity, but also as part of the epic One Chicago crossover episodes that have helped catapult the franchise toward prolonged success. Chicago P.D. has always done a good job of exploring the different elements of police work, but there is one thing the early seasons did so well that needs to be brought back.
Chicago P.D.’s Up-and-Coming Beat Cop Stories Were The Perfect Balance For Weightier IU Arcs in The Early Seasons
The Uniformed Officers Who Were A Core Part Of Chicago P.D.’s Early Years Have All But Disappeared
There is no question that the early seasons of Chicago P.D. leaned heavily on beat cop storylines, with uniformed officers who sought to be in Intelligence having to do their time on the streets first. Some of the most prominent characters in the show spent their time on the beat, including Kim Burgess and Kevin Atwater, and Sean Roman.
These side stories contrasted well with the more epic and intricate Intelligence arcs, sometimes interlinking too, but by Chicago P.D. season 12 they’re a thing of the past. They provided a great respite from heavier, weightier stories, but also showed a gritty and raw side of Chicago policing that was sometimes lost in the glitz and glamor of Intelligence.
The Show Is Missing The Beat Cop Dynamics & The Growth It Provides
Beat Cop Storylines Provided Excellent Character Arcs
Burgess came of age as a beat cop before her promotion to IU, and took skills and lessons with her that made her better. She made mistakes, learned on the job, and built strong instincts when she was in uniform. Of all the members of Intelligence, Burgess has had the most complete arc thus far in Chicago PD.
What’s more, before Sean Roman’s Chicago P.D. departure, he was a great beat cop, with interesting stories, and a different dynamic to the rest of Intelligence. Chicago P.D. never really found the right way to replace Roman, and his by-the-book approach and passion for street policing was a highlight of the show’s early seasons.
Seeing Kevin connect with his community, and pound the streets trying to make a better world for young marginalized kids was core to his development.
Moral compass Kevin Atwater is another who thrived on the beat, but is now underused as part of Intelligence. Seeing Kevin connect with his community, and pound the streets trying to make a better world for young marginalized kids was core to his development. It worked much better than the raft of undercover stories he’s thrown into in recent seasons.
Ultimately, storylines featuring up-and-coming uniformed cops out on the beat were exactly the kinds of salt of the earth stories the early seasons managed to do so well. With the ever-growing focus on the Intelligence Unit, I feel like Chicago P.D. has lost a little of its magic, and featuring more of these stories can help capture that feeling again.
