TV REVIEW: Chicago PD’s Season Finale Shows Erin Was “Born into Bad News”

The Chicago PD Season Finale featured bad cops, Voight on a rampage, an Atwater save, but mostly Erin spinning out of control, circling the drain, and finally going right on down it. Our favorite detective isn’t just slipping on a banana peel; she’s riding that thing through tonight’s episode. Because this is Chicago PD, we end in a sort of cliffhanger and have a sort of surprise engagement thrown in.

Bad Cop, Bad Cop

The case of the night involves a young cop, Carter, whose uncle is old friends with Voight. They ask for Hank’s help in dealing with some crooked cops Carter’s been working with. He’s snitching on his fellow cops who are “crazy,” taking cuts from drug dealers left and right. When Voight asks him if there’s anything else he needs to confess, that little pause tells us that, yes, there is.

We meet main bad cop Roland when Voight and Erin roll in to set up a sting operation. They claim to need his dirty help with a dirty job; they’ll split the profits. He’s all in. They head to the “bait house” to make it look authentic but things go south quickly. Roland grabs a kid in the house to get the owners to “give up the stash.” We all know how Erin loves kids, so she shoots the cop in the shoulder. Would we expect anything less from her?

Carter’s at the scene with a smug Roland telling Voight to ask him about “219 Westlake Terrace.” All signs are pointing to good cop not being as squeaky as he claims. Yes, this one is a case of bad cop, bad cop.

Later, uncle and nephew are gunned down in a car, the older cop killed. Carter finally admits he may be a little guilty.

Voight is unamused, “You used your uncle to cover your own ass.” That pretty much sums up the situation. Now, our cops are off to catch the really bad cops.

In truth, the case of the night was a vehicle to showcase Erin’s downward spiral, to show her hanging by a thread. It was exciting enough with the prerequisite guns a blazing and bad guys going down, but it could’ve been almost any case and we’d still be invested. That Erin descent was the car wreck we couldn’t keep from looking at; the thing we came for.

Pictured: (l-r) Patrick Gough as Aaron Jones, Sophia Bush as Erin Lindsay — (Photo by: Matt Dinerstein/NBC)

Erin Gets Sent to the Principal’s Office

Voight does all he can to save Erin, and get her back on track, but we know it just won’t be enough. The moment she wakes up in Landon’s bed with a booze and drug hangover, we can see she won’t be making a miracle recovery in 60 minutes.

Bad mom Bunny is still in the picture, stirring the pot, trying to get in good with her daughter. She seems to be pushing Erin down that drain; she may have even provided the peel. Voight isn’t having it, telling her to “Go away and don’t come back.”

Throughout “Born into Bad News” Voight uses some tough love on his almost daughter, telling Erin to deal with it, to come on back. All the office visits in the world aren’t helping Lindsay. She’s convinced that she’s the reason Nadia is dead and there’s no recovering from that one.

Erin has to admit to Voight that she can’t take a mandatory drug test, “I will fail.” He tells her to “figure it out… you’re back to your old habits?” He goes low blow when he adds, “You know what you sound like right now? Your mother.” Ouch! Sophia Bush is amazing again tonight, the tortured look in her eyes conveying as much as any line of dialogue. Yes, the downward spiral storyline is a rehash of the ChiFi sad Severide plot point, but we’ll let it go because of how it showcases Bush’s acting talent. She shines in the darkness and steals almost every scene.

Jason Beghe is also riveting in his struggles to save his girl. His combination badass with concerned father feels is perfection. The best scenes of the night is with double B – Beghe and Bush bringing it (as always) and making us long for season three.

Best badass moment comes when Voight shakes down some small time thugs for a Roland location. “You know what bitch, you don’t have to talk because your boyfriend’s gonna do it for you.” He uses a blowtorch as the final blow (get it) to get some intel. He goes on to use the word “bitch” like 23 more times and it’s hilarious.

Meanwhile, Landon’s waiting at Erin’s doorstep. She says it hasn’t been a good day, and to go away. “Do you see me on one knee?” he asks. What a keeper. No time for sexy, drunken drug time tonight, the bad cops are waiting inside!

Atwater earns his way back into IU with a massive Erin save, shooting one of the bad cops who was just about to shoot the beautiful detective.

Voight eventually tracks down Roland who’s sipping whiskey and admiring his coffee table full of money – a million bucks. Bad cop (Roland, not Voight) tells him to take the money. Hank throws him his phone saying, “Turn yourself in.”

To make sure he doesn’t get any funny ideas, Voight lays out the best line of the night, “You move your hand any lower and you’re gonna be breathing out of your forehead.” Forehead breathing via Hank Voight – you gotta love it.

On a side note, you knew that money wasn’t going to end up in some evidence room. A big wad is thrown Antonio’s way. Dawson’s trying to keep a youth program going and now he’ll be able to do it. It’s a win even with dirty money, right?

Pictured: (l-r) Jason Beghe as Hank Voight, Sophia Bush as Erin Lindsay, Markie Post as Bunny Fletcher — (Photo by: Matt Dinerstein/NBC)

Burzek Forever

Ruzek asks Burgess to marry him, sort of. He’s in the locker room and leads with, “We are freaking awesome together.” Kim says yes before there’s a drop to a knee or anything. It’s cute and I’m setting sail on that ship.

Bunny – 1, Voight – 0

Voight tracks down Erin at episode’s end with Lindsay saying she’s on Team Bunny. Hank isn’t having it, commanding, “Let’s go.” Erin isn’t budging off the stool, saying she feels like she was, “Born into Bad News” and everyone she loves ends up hurt. She hands over her badge, adding, “I quit.”

Bunny just has to pipe in with, “We’re good, Hank. This is a family matter.”

Does anyone really think this is the end of Erin’s police career? No way. She’ll be back after some soul searching and maybe soul saving. Erin’s turmoil wasn’t fast forwarded into the healing stage. We will be starting season three right where we left off, with Erin in a bad, bad place. Bunny, not Voight, right by her side, perhaps giving her a firm kick further down the rabbit hole. We know Erin will eventually rise up from the ashes, but until that time comes, we have the privilege of watching Sophia Bush kill it, work every scene, and bring us to tears with hers.