Dante Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar) has been around for a season and some change on Chicago PD. He was mentored by Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer), and has been part of some essential PD story arcs. The thing is, the character still feels out of sorts with the rest of the show’s ensemble.
If Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) and the rest of the IU feel like a family, then Torres feels like a friend that got invited over, and is briefly spending time with them before going on his own adventure. This is due to most of his storylines being separated from the rest of the team.
Dante Torres needs more time with the IU
Torres got a decent amount to do in season 11, especially when it came to his undercover arc. He fell in love with an informant, nearly died, and effectively pushed himself to the limit to ensure that justice was (eventually) served. At the end of it, though, the character did not feel any closer to connecting with the likes of Voight or Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati).
This is why Torres needs more time with the ensemble in season 12. The character doesn’t really have rapport with his peers, and putting him in situations where he can make small talk or bond with others on the job is going to go a long way making him feel essential.
The character still feels estranged from his peers
The closest Torres has come to striking up a genuine friendship is with Kevin Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins). Atwater really stepped up and filled the void left by Halstead, but there was still a very limited amount of screen time for their bond to develop.
Season 12 will likely give Torres an episode or two as the main focus, but the way to ensure the character sticks around, and becomes as beloved as his peers, is to have him be around, and to bond with the likes of Burgess and Atwater on a weekly basis. It’s the little things that make a difference, and it’s about time the writers start filling the details of Torres in.
