Warning: spoilers ahead for the February 3 episode of Chicago P.D., called "In Your Care."
Chicago P.D. delivered a game-changing episode for none other than Marina Squerciati's Kim Burgess with "In Your Care," both when it comes to her personal life and decisions she made pursuing a case of carjackings committed by kids who had been failed by the system. An accidental reunion with young Makayla combined with Burgess' realization that she wants everything out of life ended with Burgess taking the little girl in to build a family for her... and complicating any future she might have with Ruzek.
I was able to speak with Marina Squerciati about Chicago P.D. and "In Your Care," including what Burgess' future in Intelligence looks like now that she has a child in her life and what Makayla means for the relationship with Ruzek. Plus, she shared her thoughts in the video above on the absolutely adorable moment with Makayla, Burgess, and the stuffed platypus. Not a whole lot happens on Chicago P.D. that can qualify as "cute," after all.
Working in Intelligence has complicated the personal lives of a lot of the cops over the years, and probably contributed to why these colleagues have a tendency to date each other rather than elsewhere in One Chicago and haven't built families... until now. Marina Squerciati weighed in on how taking in Makayla will affect Burgess relating to her job:
We haven't really gotten to that story point yet. So I don't want to shift and then be like, I don't know, but I don't really know. And I think that's the beauty of having a working mom now on the team on Intelligence. I think that'll be part of the calculus of the next season or two to figure out how she does this job and is a mom.
Burgess taking in a little girl isn't a plot that can just be wrapped up in an episode or two considering how determined Burgess is to do right by Makayla. She may have a lot of learning to do when it comes to becoming a mom -- including how to buckle a child into a car seat -- but she seems to be all-in on a future as a working mom. And Intelligence will soon get a little bigger.
Of course, working in Intelligence tends to result in the cops making a lot of sacrifices when it comes to personal relationships, and Burgess as a single woman who suddenly has a young girl in her care faces a slew of new challenges. Marina Squerciati shared her thoughts on whether working and caring for Makayla is sustainable in light of everything she told Ruzek she wanted in this episode:
I feel like that's such a strange question. Like, everybody can. Sure, why can't she be married and have kids and go be a cop? Like, sure she could do it! Might be hard, she might be tired. Why not? Just fill up a coffee, get on the road!
If anybody in Intelligence can pull it off without sacrificing too much either personally or professionally, Burgess is probably the prime choice. She found ways of coping with her trauma from last season that were about as healthy as possible on Chicago P.D., and this episode alone showed that Burgess knows how to prioritize. Unfortunately for Ruzek, really, who was ready to hear her out about marriage and babies!
Ruzek being open to a full future with Burgess at the start of the episode definitely doesn't mean that their comfortable old married couple dynamic can continue with movie nights and evenings at O'Malley's. He wasn't fully on board with Burgess wanting to take in Makayla. I asked Marina Squerciati where the Burzek relationship stands now that they've hit this point of divergence, and she said:
I don't know. I mean, that's the only thing that I think about like when you think of having it all, like Burgess' calculus has to be different. Can she have a buddy, you know, when there's a kid at the house? Probably not. I mean, there's different calculations that have to happen now that she's a mom, so I don't know if she's going to allow or expect the same things from Ruzek anymore. 'Expect' doesn't really work. If she's gonna allow.
Burgess making the bold choice to take in Makayla doesn't mean that there's no future on the Burzek front, but there are more factors that she needs to take into account now. Ruzek wasn't so much against Burgess taking Makayla in as he was against Burgess possibly trying to replace what they lost with the miscarriage, so it should be interesting to see how their relationship changes (or doesn't) as Season 8 continues.
Find out what happens next with new episodes of Chicago P.D. on Wednesdays to close out NBC's One Chicago nights at 10 p.m. ET, and be sure to check back with CinemaBlend for more of Marina Squerciati's thoughts on P.D., including the idea of Platt as babysitter and the relationship that should be explored more. Don't forget to check out our 2021 winter and spring premiere schedule as well!
