S03.E17: Forty-Caliber Bread Crumb

[WendyCR72]

While out on a bank run for his off-duty security job at the dispensary, Halstead and his co-workers find themselves under attack by a violent robbery crew which quickly becomes a full-scale shootout. Voight and Lindsay question the owner of the dispensary who mentions her business has received threats from local gangs upset she's cutting into their revenue. Meanwhile Roman, Burgess, Antonio, Halstead, Ruzek and Atwater follow-up on a lead and track down a potential suspect.

[oucellogal]

I love Halstead and Lindsey both individually and together, so this episode was right up my alley! I had long suspected that the "possible love interest for Halstead" bit the promo monkeys were throwing at us would prove to be a red herring, and this played out exactly like I thought it would. She was interested, but he's loyal to Erin. My shippy little heart was pleased with that, as well as how she took such great care of him. He's done that for her so many times, it's nice to see the tables turned. I love those two.

 

I love Halstead's relationship with Mouse, and how Mouse keeps gently poking at Halstead's leftover war wounds. I think Terry is ultimately a symbol of those war wounds. I mean, yes, it's evident he and Halstead were friends, and the circumstances of him leaving a pregnant wife behind while he was on the cusp of entering the police academy were tragic, but I also think this runs deeper even than that. He's obviously still pretty messed up over whatever happened during the war, and I do hope we get to eventually learn what that was. I'm officially very intrigued.

 

Other things I loved: Burgess and Roman laughing and having fun together (I don't ship them, but I like their partner/friendship dynamic), Olinsky calling Ruzek out on his crap (I wanted to stand up and cheer), and Lindsey's delightful little eyebrow-raise when she learned that Brianna was into Halstead. Also? Voight. I thought he did a great job of giving Halstead a little free reign without there being any doubt at all that he (Voight) was still in charge. He knew exactly when to back off and when to step in, and I ADORED his Protective Papa Bear routine ("Are you sleeping with her?"). 

Edited March 3, 2016 by oucellogal

[MissLucas]

Great episode. Ruzek was idiot of the week, first with the attitude towards Roman and Burgess (who are fine the way they are - you hear me writers?) and then with the remark that the detective spying on cheating spouses was ruining marriages. I think the cheating spouses deserve the top spot in the blame-game. Luckily Olinsky gave him a bit of lecture let's hope it sticks.

 

The Halstedt plot was great. Some fine acting you could tell he was not okay even though he managed to keep it together till the end. And while it was depressing to see how even having a great network of folks around you ready to help did not magically make things better I appreciate the touch of realism.

 

I do hope the show follows up on his story. That's much more compelling than Ruzek's broken heart or Roman and Burgess all of a sudden deciding that a work-marriage isn't enough.

[Watermelon]

As someone who has a voilent streak I probably would never act on, Voight's speech about how he was really only there to protect Ginger Beard, but with the way he was speaking to Halstead, he couldn't be a hypocrite and not open the cage.

 

Yeah yeah, police violence is bad, mkay. Totes don't care in 1)fiction and 2)fictional bad guys.

[oucellogal]

Great episode. Ruzek was idiot of the week, first with the attitude towards Roman and Burgess (who are fine the way they are - you hear me writers?) and then with the remark that the detective spying on cheating spouses was ruining marriages. I think the cheating spouses deserve the top spot in the blame-game. Luckily Olinsky gave him a bit of lecture let's hope it sticks.

 

 

AMEN. I saw nothing between Roman and Burgess that should've made him suspicious, and even if there was, Ruzek had no right to be all jealous and douchey about it, because THEY BROKE UP. I have hope that Olinsky's beautiful bit of tough love will prove to be the kick in the pants Ruzek needs, because he's gotta grow up.

[betsyboo]

I love Halstead and Lindsey both individually and together, so this episode was right up my alley! I had long suspected that the "possible love interest for Halstead" bit the promo monkeys were throwing at us would prove to be a red herring, and this played out exactly like I thought it would. She was interested, but he's loyal to Erin. My shippy little heart was pleased with that, as well as how she took such great care of him. He's done that for her so many times, it's nice to see the tables turned. I love those two.

 

Other things I loved: ..... and Lindsey's delightful little eyebrow-raise when she learned that Brianna was into Halstead.

Agreed - and I loved that THAT was all of Erin's reax. No drama, no jealousy, no "what are you doing with her?" just the "really?" eyebrow and that's it. They are confident in each other.

 

I want to see more of the veteran confabs. I think Halstead, Mouse and Choi can help each other. (was SO GLAD Dr. McDouche brother did not make an appearance)

 

Killing Terry was enough, tho - adding the pregnancy was a bit too far. :-(

[oucellogal]

Other things I loved: ..... and Lindsey's delightful little eyebrow-raise when she learned that Brianna was into Halstead.

 

Agreed - and I loved that THAT was all of Erin's reax. No drama, no jealousy, no "what are you doing with her?" just the "really?" eyebrow and that's it. They are confident in each other.

 

Yes, absolutely. They are confident in each other, which allows for their relationship to progress in a natural, drama-free way that's there, simmering on the back burner most of the time. They are An Item, and their relationship gets some screen time, but most of the time it's just a backdrop for both characters. They're cool with each other, they get each other, they want the same things...congratulations, Linstead, you have achieved an Adult Relationship. (Burzek, you could've learned a few things from these two).

 

I want to see more of the veteran confabs. I think Halstead, Mouse and Choi can help each other. (was SO GLAD Dr. McDouche brother did not make an appearance)

 

 

Amen to all of this. I do think these three would be a great combination, especially since Choi is now taking some steps to work through his issues. It seems like Mouse is working on it, too; maybe he and Choi could talk Halstead into seeing Dr. Charles. (I would pay actual money to see those two together). Plus, shallow, but the eye candy rating on that bar scene was off the charts.

Killing Terry was enough, tho - adding the pregnancy was a bit too far. :-(

 

I thought so too at first. I think why they did it, though, was to create some emotional impact with Terry's death. I'm glad they didn't go the route of killing off a character we know and love to give Halstead his angst-a-thon, but the choice that they were left with then became someone we didn't know or care about. I think the pregnancy was to make us as viewers care more about poor expendable doomed-from-the-outset Terry than we would have otherwise, and for me, it worked.

 

That particular writing decision also made me wonder if they're foreshadowing the eventual Halstead War Angst Reveal; Halstead said in the bar scene that the thing he feared more than firefights was coming home and looking into the eyes of the wives and families of the guys who didn't make it. So I'm beginning to think that whatever happened to Halstead was very similar to this episode's incident: a friend of his got killed, and Halstead either feels directly responsible for the death or is dealing with massive survivor guilt. 

Edited March 3, 2016 by oucellogal

[Texasmom1970]

I am so glad they didn't go the typical television route with Halstead and the boss lady who was wanting to jump him. I am glad he quit the job and did not let his grief have him make bad decisions and mess around on Lindsey. Hope they keep it that way.

Oh and Dr. Choi please drop by anytime, he is my fav on Chicago Med.

[CoyoteBlue]

I think the pregnancy was to make us as viewers care more about poor expendable doomed-from-the-outset Terry than we would have otherwise, and for me, it worked.

 

Yeah, I knew he was doomed the minute that ultrasound came out. 

[MakeMeLaugh]

Choi, Halstead, and Mouse at the bar at the end--be still my heart. I would totally watch those guys in a new series, Chicago Veterans. Put Olinsky in with them once in a while too and I will be in heaven.

 

I too hope Roman and Burgess stay partners and do not go down the romance road. Be bffs or brother-sisterly (but okay if he has a little crush on her like some guys have on their brothers' wives) or something like that. Ruzek was a lot cuter on the first season btw--his haircuts this season are doing him no favors.

[jewel21]

This is the first time I thought Jay was cute. He looked really good, especially in the beginning of the episode. I thought overall it was great and I loved seeing Charisma Carpenter on my screen again.

 

I don't recall seeing Terry before though... Was he introduced on another episode?

Edited March 6, 2016 by jewel21

[SnarkySheep]

I agree with everyone who enjoyed seeing the maturity of Linstead's relationship; too many shows go the predictable "OMG, s/he's cheating on me!" route, only to have us find out by the end of the episode that nothing happened, etc. Lindsay clearly knew her man well enough not to doubt him, and likewise I think the viewers agreed with her POV. It would be very OOC for Halstead - the guy who dated the same girl all through high school and is still in touch with her family at age 30 - to go to bed with a woman who merely suggested it. He's an attractive guy, so I'd have no doubt this wasn't the first situation of its kind. But he dealt with it well, and Erin knew that he would.

 

In regard to Voight...I thought he was really out of line asking Halstead if he was sleeping with Brianna. Yes, we know that's how Voight rolls, especially when it comes to protecting Erin. But there comes a point where it's absolutely NONE of his business. Even if he was cheating, that's for him and Erin to work through and nobody else. 

 

As for Terry leaving a pregnant wife...I would have been a little better of that if it didn't smack so strongly of Natalie on Chicago Med. It was like the writers were too lazy to come up with a fresh storyline.

 

 

[BasilSeal]

In regard to Voight...I thought he was really out of line asking Halstead if he was sleeping with Brianna.

 

 

He's not just asking in his capacity as Erin's white Knight though, he's Halstead's commanding officer, he'd need to know that Halstead wasn't involved with one of the key witnesses / suspects in an ongoing investigation that Halstead was working on, (though obviously IRL his personal involvement with the case would surely have precluded him from investigating it anyway)

[Samantha84]

PD and Med don't share the same writers or showrunners though.

As for Terry leaving a pregnant wife...I would have been a little better of that if it didn't smack so strongly of Natalie on Chicago Med. It was like the writers were too lazy to come up with a fresh storyline.

 

[WendyCR72]

PD and Med don't share the same writers or showrunners though.

 

Are you sure? As Dick Wolf properties, I know the entire L&O/L&O: CI/L&O: SVU, et. al. franchise shared many of everything (writers, producers, directors, with some directors [Jean de Segonzac, as an example] being part of both franchises).

[Samantha84]

Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov showrunners and executive producers. Matt Olmstead is that for PD. Olmstead, Wolf, and Derek Haas are all EPs on both shows. Olmstead & Haas write for P; not Med. Olmstead most recent being "The Cases That Need to Be Solved" 

[WendyCR72]

Per Wiki, Matt Olmstead is co-creator of Chicago P.D. along with Dick Wolf and is also show runner of Chicago Fire. No Chicago Med yet as far as I can tell, but going by the L&O franchise, it can still happen. :-) But that explains so many Fire/P.D. crossovers, I suppose.

I did see that longtime L&O franchise director Jean de Segonzac will direct the Chicago Law backdoor pilot. So Wolf seems to not deviate much with those he collaborates with.

Since it works for him, why not? :-)

[torqy]

Charisma Carpenter is looking good at 45!

[SnarkySheep]

PD and Med don't share the same writers or showrunners though.

 

Regardless of whether they do or don't, I'm sure that TPTB must chat with one another periodically, or at the very least watch each other's shows, just to make sure that they aren't stepping on each other's toes by duplicating a storyline or messing with someone's continuity, as they do incorporate one another's characters quite often.