The duo will take center stage during the new season.
Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) was one of the hot topics heading into Chicago PD season 11. Was he still alive? Would he be able to rejoin the IU after sustaining such a severe injury? Well, we got an answer to the former, but not so much the later in the season premiere.
Ruzek appeared, as did Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati), but the real focus of the episode was on Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) and her increasing sense of frustration on the job. It made sense to open with her character, since she will be leaving the show at some point during season 11, but it also made us wonder when we’d be getting storylines centered around Burzek.
Ruzek’s recovery will get attention in S11E2
It turns out that we won’t have to wait long. During a recent interview with Hello! Magazine, Chicago PD showrunner Gwen Sigan revealed that the second episode of the season would shift the focus to the duo, and the struggles they’ve had to endure between seasons:
“”Episode two is a Ruzek episode; we really highlight him and show his journey and what it’s been like for him for the last six months – and it’s been a hard road.””
Ruzek is shown to be struggling with his confidence in the season 11 premiere, as he has repeatedly failed the power test necessary to be reinstated as a member of the IU. The character’s absence has also put pressure on commanding officer Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) to find a replacement.
Ruzek and Burgess will finally be a family unit
Voight is obviously reluctant to do so, and based on what we know about Ruzek, he is desperate to get back on the job and prove his worth in the field. Sigan confirmed this to the outlet, adding:
“”It’s been six months of physical rehab, and it takes a lot physically but also mentally to get you back to where you were before. Adam is someone that relies so much on this job – it’s part of his self-worth, part of keeping him sane – and he needs the adrenaline and the impact of this job.””
While we have no doubt that the character will be able to overcome his crisis of confidence and get back to busting criminals, it does make for an interesting thematic pairing with Burgess, who is still going to therapy to help process the PTSD from her shooting incident.
What we all want to see, of course, is Ruzek and Burgess working together as a family unit, and that’s something Sigan guarantees outright. “We get to see Burgess, and what they look like together now that they are a family unit and are committed to each other,” she explained. We can’t wait.
