We finally learned the truth about the enigmatic SVU detective.
All eyes were on Josephine Petrovic (Bojana Novakovic) heading into the latest Chicago PD episode. The character had a memorable debut an episode earlier, but it was clear something was slightly off about her, and it was only a matter of time before the skeletons in her closet were revealed.
“On Paper” did not disappoint in this regard. The episode saw Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) call upon Petrovic for help with a kidnapping case, only to discover a series of odd behavioral tics and slights of hand meant to conceal the truth.
Petrovic is revealed to be an alcoholic
Petrovic prefers the desk over the field, she’s constantly taking on cases without signing off on them (meaning she doesn’t get the credit for the arrest), and she’s popping cough drops like they’re going out of style. All very odd, seemingly unrelated things, but Upton’s personal experiences allow her to see right through Petrovic’s charade.
Upton goes through Petrovic’s backpack and discovers a water bottle filled with liquor. In essense, Petrovic is a functioning alcoholic, and Upton tries to up the matter in a non-confrontational way by alluding to her father’s struggle with alcohol:
“My dad used to do that, cough drops. He thought it hid the smell. It didn’t, I could still tell… I spent 18 years of my life living with an alcoholic.”
It’s a tense moment, and one that ultimately proves that Petrovic isn’t ready to confront her addiction. She denies Upton’s assertion that she’s an alcoholic, and effectively blackmails her into keeping her findings quiet because Upton is the one who requested she be put on the case.
Upton decides not to report Petrovic
The situation goes from tense to transactional in a matter of seconds, as both characters have dirt on each other. Petrovic even makes reference to the fact that she’s been sizing Upton up in return:
“I appreciate you profiling me, don’t think I haven’t profiled you, but if you’re thinking of reporting me, my name is on this case because your team put it there.”
The two officers manage to solve the case, but Petrovic’s addiction goes unresolved. The episode ends with her going about her business, which suggests to us that the character’s arc on Chicago PD is far from over.
She’s already clocked two appearances in season 11, and given how much the cast has hyped up the character in interviews, we’re hopeful that she will return to offer her expertise and to eventually deal with her personal demons.
