It looks like the IU has finally added a new officer to the mix.
Chicago PD is short-staffed in season 11. The IU has been forced to spend the last six months without Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) or Dante Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar) in the mix, and Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) has gotten pressure from the chief to find new members.
Well, it looks like Voight finally caved and brought in new blood. The promo photos for season 11, episode 3, titled “Safe Harbor”, sees the show introduce a new IU officer named Danny Alvarado (EJ Bonilla). He will be filling in for the still-absent Torres.
Danny Alvarado will debut in Chicago PD 1103
Alvarado is featured in several of the promo photos for the episode, and will be working closely with IU veterans Ruzek and Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati). Ruzek has just been cleared to resume work, so it’ll be interesting to see how he interacts with the newcomer.
Here’s the thing: Chicago PD showrunner Gwen Sigan has already confirmed that Torres will be coming back to the show in season 11, which means Alvarado will either have a short-lived stint with the IU or the team will have one extra member for the duration of the season.
All the evidence points to the former being the most likely, which doesn’t bode well for Alvarado. The character can be seen wielding a gun at one point in the promo photos, but, tellingly, he’s nowhere to be seen in the promo photos for the episode that follows, “Escape.”
Alvarado is filling in for Dante Torres
While it’s certainly possible that Alvarado is absent from the photos, and still a part of the IU a week after making his debut, the chances of him not even appearing in the background of photos are slim. It’s much more likely that the character is A) transferred B) discovered to be dirty or C) killed in the line of duty.
There’s very little we know about the character, as Gwen Sigan has not mentioned Alvarado by name during her interviews. There was mention of bringing in new officers, but it’s very possible that there could be multiple officers that try out for the IU over the course of season 11, in order to find the right fit.
The actor who plays Alvarado, EJ Bonilla, has a track record with Dick Wolf Productions. He’s had one-off appearances on Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and has also brandished his cop show credentials with a bit part in Blue Bloods.
Bonilla is best known for his starring role in the soap opera Guiding Light.
