‘Chicago P.D.’: Burgess Coming to Terms With Her Trauma Will Bring Her and Ruzek Closer Together
Kim Burgess and Adam Ruzek are easily the most beloved couple on Chicago P.D. Their relationship has had its fair share of ups and several downs, but they’ve stuck it out. Burgess has been through a lot on the show, but she’s managed to push it all aside for her daughter Makayla and her job.
However, she may have to deal with her issues, and the showrunner says the character coming to terms with her trauma will bring her and Ruzek closer together.
Burgess has been through a lot
Burgess is a hardworking, dedicated officer, but times haven’t been kind to her. Burgess worked her way from uniformed police to joining the Intelligence Unit. She then formed a relationship with Ruzek, and for a time, they appeared to be going strong.
Burgess even got pregnant with Ruzek’s child, but things began going downhill when she was abducted while undercover in a human trafficking ring. The abduction resulted in her getting beaten up and shot twice, leading to her miscarriage.
When her path joined with Makayla’s, Burgess found some comfort in having a daughter to take care of, but she was sent on the edge after Makayla was abducted. Things between her and Ruzek got worse after her miscarriage, and Burgess’ decision to adopt Makayla was a sour topic between the two.
It also didn’t help that she and Ruzek found themselves in a custody battle with one of Makayla’s relatives, which, even though it brought them closer, also left several things unaddressed. Burgess has opted to throw herself into her work to avoid confronting her trauma, but she may have to if she wants to move forward.
Showrunner says Burgess dealing with her trauma will impact her relationship with Ruzek
Burgess’s trauma may be catching up with her, try as she might. In episode eight of season 10, her refusal to process her harrowing experiences resulted in her hand shaking even after assuring Ruzek that she had forgotten her gun because of a bad day. When the series went on hiatus, Burgess was still trying to push through the pain instead of dealing with it.
In an interview with TVLine, showrunner Gwen Sigan said Burgess finally coming to terms with what happened will repair her relationship with Ruzek. “She will continue to deal with it. It gets to a point where she can’t really ignore it,” Sigan said.
“She’s been in this space of denial in episode eight because it’s frightening,” she added. Sigan said that Burgess may not fully understand what is happening to her and isn’t sure why it’s happening now, but in newer episodes, Sigan theorizes that Burgess may try to “push it away as much as she can until she can’t anymore and has to look at it.”
According to Sigan, this will shape her, and from the self-reflection, she will find a greater understanding of why she constantly pushes Ruzek away and will find the clarity that will help “strengthen those bonds she has with her daughter and with Ruzek.” Sigan said Ruzek and Burgess are life partners, and dealing with her trauma will bring them closer as they will have to work to reconnect and form “new attachments again.”
‘Chicago P.D.’ returns in January
One Chicago has gone on hiatus, with new episodes expected to air in 2023. Chicago P.D.‘s fall finale aired on December 7, 2022, and will return for the second half on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. The other two shows under the One Chicago umbrella, Chicago Fire and Chicago Med, will also air on January 4, 2023.
Chicago P.D. fans have a lot to look forward to when the show resumes since fan-favorite Jesse Lee Soffer, who recently exited the series, will return to direct episode 16.
