Thankfully, we survived another frustrating hiatus.
It feels like it's been forever since Chicago PD was on our screens, and the hiatuses have been frustrating.
But alas, Chicago PD Season 11 Episode 10 is coming in hot with a ... spins wheel ... Hailey Upton installment.
By now, we're accustomed to the character-centric focus. We don't have to care for it, but we're used to it.
Despite annoyance about the formatting, the midseason premiere may feature most of the team.
Given that it has been a while since Chicago PD Season 11 Episode 9, a refresher may be necessary.
"Somos Uno" was the rather abrupt and severely underwhelming conclusion to Dante Torres' storyline with the cartel wife.
While his canoodling with Gloria was a shocking development that arose when introduced, the storyline got shoved out of sight until it resurfaced and wrapped up abruptly, making many of us wonder about the necessity of it in the first place.
It was an hour that didn't heavily feature any other members of the team beyond Torres and Burgess, who called him out on his inappropriate behavior.
And thus, we were presented with an installment that didn't incorporate other team members at all.
The unsolved serial killer storyline is the most significant and consistent arc. It has also been the season's most compelling plot so far.
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It lingers in the background while more pressing cases with leads take precedence, but we're eager to solve this case and secure justice for Noah.
Unfortunately, the storyline will be put on the back burner again as the second most prominent arc comes into play.
Jo Petrovic has been an exciting character introduced to the series this season, and as it progresses, we keep learning more bits and pieces about her.
The character-centric rotation, interestingly enough, is returning to Hailey despite her and Jo dominating Chicago PD Season 11 Episode 8.
Given that it's Hailey's final season, they're opting to focus more on her as they set her up for her impending departure.
Although, we still don't know how she'll exit the series.
The new episode may help us in that department, although it'll be heavily case-centered.
It'll also take on that creepy tone the series has been leaning into over the past two seasons.
We can't help but compare some of the installments to that of Criminal Minds or even The Killing, and the setup for the midseason premiere promises more of the same.
The hour is titled "Buried Pieces" and has an ominous tone.
On the one hand, it could reference their case and may even have to do with buried evidence at the most ideal or bodies at the most disturbing.
There must be a literal component to "buried pieces," as a few images depict the team in the field late at night and staring at the ground.
In one image, Atwater and Torres exchange a look between them as they stand on grassy land, late at night, with their night vision flashlights.
It makes you think they could be stumbling across a potential burial site, but what's in the ground is yet to be determined.
"Buried Pieces" could also reference Hailey's emotional state. She's been in a fraught mindset ever since Halstead left.
And we've been slowly unpacking how his absence has severely affected her for the better part of a season and a half now. Hailey has since taken to running, almost to a punishing level, to help her cope with her insomnia and other issues that have arisen, particularly since signing the divorce papers.
It prompted Voight to check in with her, and more interestingly, it caught the eye of the incredibly perceptive Jo.
Jo has a great read on Hailey and has made a thrilling connection with her, far stronger and less problematic than Hailey's dynamic with Sean O'Neal during Chicago PD Season 10.
So, the title of the hour could also be a reference to Hailey's emotional and mental state as she continues to bury all of her feelings and pain deep down inside without adequately dealing with any of the things bothering her.
The title could also reference the emotional state of the young girl who kicks the case into gear in the first place.
The synopsis implies that a mysterious young girl named Hope will appear at the station searching for help.
She'll come into contact with Trudy, which is fantastic. At the very least, they've been showing Trudy so much more in the recent installments, even though she's still underused and has little to do.
We see this young girl speaking to Trudy and a friendly and reassuring-looking Hailey about whatever help she must need.
The promo teases that the young girl was with her mother but ran away, and she mentions that her mother is still behind with "the monster."
Naturally, we know that the scariest monsters roaming the earth are depraved humans, and tragically, it seems this young girl has crossed paths with one of them.
She'll likely require medical attention, where we see Hailey speaking to the girl in the hospital and hoping to obtain as much information as possible.
The promo also heavily features the eerie music you anticipate from a horror film.
The season has been incredibly dark and creepy, so the horror themes are on par with what we've been experiencing thus far.
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The promo also indicates that we may deal with a jump scare or two as the Intelligence Unit searches through a dark area outside with their night vision flashlights. Hailey is seen searching under floorboards or other entrapments, possibly for Hope's mother or whomever else.
We also know the case is a decades-long cold case connected to Jo Petrovic.
It's likely one of which she set up a profile or perhaps a case that she was looking into before she started taking more of a backseat due to her alcoholism.
It wouldn't be entirely surprising if this case were something that may have contributed to that alcoholism, as mentioned earlier, as the wear and tear of the job took an emotional toll on her.
In that sense, this intense hour could have the two women crossing paths again and lead to more intriguing interactions.
We're also getting a lot of build-up for Jo, which makes you wonder if she will occupy space adjacent to the Intelligence Unit when Hailey inevitably departs.
The series has yet to establish Jo as a replacement for Hailey, but Hailey's absence will leave an apparent void, and it feels like they're using Jo to infuse some fresh blood into the mix once we're down another member.
The case feels like an eerie ordeal, but it may be a strong return, primarily if they focus more exclusively on it.
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And since most of the team is prominent in the preview images, we'll have a stronger group dynamic than the previous two episodes.
Although we don't see Voight anywhere in the mix, it makes you wonder if Hailey is the one taking point during all of this. If that's the case, it should be interesting.
We also see a lot of interaction between Hailey and Torres, which indicates that it is prominent during the hour. She typically works alongside Voight.
But the Upton/Torres dynamic already looks great, especially the protective stance Torres seems to take with a woman linked to the case and the badass shots of them in their gear on the scene.
But we also have some great Atwater and Burgess shots as well.
It seems "Buried Pieces" will be an intense, eerie, and chilling hour that will likely have us on the edge of our seats.
But we'll have to see.
Over to you, Chicago PD Fanatics. Do you have any theories about the midseason premiere? Sound off below.
Chicago PD returns on NBC next Wednesday, May 2, at 10/9c.
You can stream the following day on Peacock.