Chicago PD showrunner Gwen Sigan revealed whether Season 13 will begin with a time jump. The long-running One Chicago series from NBC shifted the status quo at the end of Season 12 after Deputy Chief Charlie Reid (played by The Pitt star Shawn Hatosy) was shot dead by Renny Otero (the son of a hitman), not just in broad daylight, but in front of Intelligence Unit leader Hank Voight.
While the core Chicago PD Intelligence Unit was not directly responsible for Reid's death, he had it coming due to the revelation that he was a corrupt cop who worked his way to the top of the hierarchy by protecting some of the city's ruthless and powerful criminals. Still, the Season 12 finale confirmed that Voight played a part in Reid's death because he orchestrated the deadly kill behind the scenes after he released Otero and told him that one of Reid's hitmen killed his father.
Although Chicago PD Season 12 ended on a happy note with Kim Burgess and Adam Ruzek's romantic wedding, the team is not looking good at the start of Season 13, mainly because of Voight's involvement in Reid's death.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Chicago PD showrunner Gwen Sigan confirmed that Season 13 will have a major time jump since it will pick up a month after the finale while also confirming that the Intelligence Unit has been disbanded:
"What we find is that Voight's simple solution that he thought he had found was not so simple. So the team is actually disbanded and we are, in this first episode, exploring how the heck is he gonna get them back together? The bullpen has just been empty for a month, so it's a very different feel to our start."
While they faced extreme challenges and conspiracies in the past, this is uncharted territory for the Intelligence Unit because it marks the first time that the team has been disbanded.
Chicago PD brings back most of its series regulars for Season 13, such as Jason Beghe, LaRoyce Hawkins, Marina Squerciati, Patrick John Flueger, Benjamin Levy Aguilar, and Amy Morton. The Night Agent alum Arienne Mandi joins the cast as Eva Imani, a potential new member of the Intelligence Unit. Chicago PD is set to premiere on NBC on October 1 at 10 p.m. ET.
What to Expect in Chicago PD Season 13's Different Status Quo
The time jump makes sense for a number of reasons since it allows Chicago PD to show the lingering effects of Deputy Chief Reid's death to their careers. In a way, by disbanding the team, Reid still won since he achieved his goal of breaking up Voight's group.
The trailer for Chicago PD Season 13 showed the members of the team scattered in different missions and departments, meaning that Voight will have his hands full in trying to reunite everyone and make a plea to the higher ups to give the Intelligence Unit another chance.
It is unknown why the team was disbanded in the first place, but the Season 12 finale provided a hint that ADA Chapman (who was Voight's former love interest) may have played a part in it. In fact, she was the one who discovered Voight's involvement in Reid's death so she could've brought it up to the district office.
This potential betrayal is heartbreaking since Voight and Chapman had something good going on in Season 12. It remains to be seen if the pair will ever patch things up in Season 13. Whatever the case, the Intelligence Unit has proven time and time again that they are a force to be reckoned with, and it's only a matter of time before the main headquarters orders them to return to their usual assignment.
