S01.E11: Turn Off the Light

[formerlyfreedom]

Voight and the team discover a massacre, eight million in cash stolen and two wounded men in a clearing house. During questioning, one guy, Perko, provides some intel that is key to the case and leads Antonio to realize that two gangs were involved. Burgess steps up to help the unit and prove herself to Voight. Meanwhile, a softer light is cast on Platt when she enlists the help of Ruzek.

[LittleIggy]

I love Sgt. Platt. The looks she gives are hysterical.

[Chas411]

Yes she's like a non irritating Sue Sylvester

[Rionadh]

This was such a good episode! Probably one of my favourite so far. I loved the pacing, it was really intense. I loved that Nadia was back and that she finally took Erin's help, the scenes with the two of them together are so good. I hope they continue with her storyline.

Burgess did great undercover, I really like her character, she's fast becoming one of my favourites.

The scenes with Adam and Platt were hilarious though, they're an odd pairing but so funny together.

Promo for the next episode looks awesome!

[BindsTheTuna]

The actress who plays Burgess really did "take the light out" of her eyes. That was so cool, and such a good scene. 

I never thought I'd say this, but I like this show so much better than Fire. CF has turned into Everyone Loves Gabby. While I spend the hour hoping SOMEONE will call Voight on his shit like yesterday, the characters on PD seem more real.

[Happywatcher]

The actress playing Burgess did a great job.

Once the Sarge started getting mad why didn't he just ask her "Since you are straight, then you must be 12, lying to your father, right? Plus, I am the one doing you a favor."

So the secret plan to flush out a bad guy is to put an even worse guy back out free? I have an issue with suspension of disbelief on this one.

 

[Happy Harpy]

I really loved the episode. The show is really getting better and better for me.

I have to admit that at first, I didn't give a second thought to Burgess and she finally becomes a very interesting character in my eyes. I, too, would like to know about her backstory. I liked how she was all "go, don't mind that I was beaten into a pulp by the closest human equivalent of a Terminator" to Ruzek. And about those two, I liked that the whole undercover thing was used on the side to show that he genuinely cares for her, as a person, and didn't further the romantic angle.

I liked how they dealt with Lindsay and her friend. It was really realistic for me, and powerful without overdoing the pathos.

I knew that the guy cleaning the car was fishy. Since I have no instincts, I think that Ruzek and Olinsky should have reacted immediately.

Do I care about Jay and his life? Nope. Still nope. I found his conversation with Lindsay the most genuine I've seen so far, though. I might believe they're really  friends one day, along the road. Maybe the character of Jay suffers in my eyes from what usually is a female character problem, i.e being written as a  love interest, or a potential one  (on CF for Dawson and here for Linday) and not having much substance beyond that. But I'm still at a point where I wouldn't care one way or another if he was dropped.

I think they overdo the quirky thing with the sergeant. The actress is really good so I felt for the character at times, but not enough and the character is still a jerk in my eyes.

I like the Antonio/Sumner/Voight relationship. I like how you don't know who trusts whom, but how the characters have grudging respect for one another. I find it very interesting to watch. And I like how it's on the backburner, and is probably preparing a big kaboom down the line; because the Antonio/Voight mirror game might be imo one of the backbones of the show.

I can't wait for another formal crossover and my beloved Boden/Voight interaction.

[Chas411]

Another great episode - I love the Erin/Nadia storyline and am so glad that she got clean. I really hope nothing happens to her and she can just pop every now and then like a surrogate sister to Erin.

 

At this point I can see Kim being bumped to Intelligence by the end of the season. Every episode seems to be her impressing them in some way. The only way I can see her continuing as she is is if they decide to bump Sumner to regular status as I can't see both of them working there without it being too crowded.

 

Poor Atwater and Jin continue to get shafted in every episode. Honestly what do they have to do to get a storyline. We know absolutely nothing about them. I'm predicting that they kill one of them off in the season finale for ~emotional impact/to shock us.

 

Platt is always hilarious regardless of who she shares scenes with. She can do no wrong in my eyes.

[Rionadh]

I agree with you regarding Burgess, Chas. I like her and I think she's a good officer but I don't understand why they're focusing so much on her at the expense of other characters. Maybe it's for the sake of the romance with Ruzek. I don't mind that either but I just wish we got to see a bit more of Atwater and Jin.

[SnarkySheep]

 

At this point I can see Kim being bumped to Intelligence by the end of the season. Every episode seems to be her impressing them in some way. The only way I can see her continuing as she is is if they decide to bump Sumner to regular status as I can't see both of them working there without it being too crowded.

Well, if nothing else, I would presume the higher-ups would be pushing Voight to have another woman in the unit aside from Lindsay. Presumably Sumner doesn't count, as she's essentially "on loan," so I'd think it would be Burgess at this point. Before, they had Jules, and she was replaced by Ruzek. I don't claim to know anything about police rules, but like anyplace else nowadays, I'd imagine that workplaces that are so male-dominated like the police would be keeping a close eye on making sure there are women balancing out the departments. One Lindsay would not be enough, especially if it were known (as it seems to be by many unofficially, a kind of "open secret") that she has a personal relationship with Voight and was essentially handpicked for that unit by him.

[Happywatcher]

I don't think Burgess is getting overused at this point in the story. She is a character who is earning her promotion, and her only misstep is getting ready to sleep with an about to be teammate who is also engaged (big misstep, but still). Otherwise she is earning the promotion. I leave aside the Sgt, who sees a failing to arrest a criminal, wrecks the new police car, rookie.

I still can't see what game Voight is playing. The other characters are getting a story of the week episode in turn, except for Lindsay, who is the center of all attention and goodness. This is getting a little old.

[Mars477]

I find that Lindsay is also the best character out of this lot of mostly white angry guys, so I don't mind that she gets so attention. Better her than Ruzek or, ick, Burgess.

I'd rather see Sumner stick around than have Burgess graduate to intelligence. Atwater is, unlike her, marginally competent (or at least less green) so why can't he make DT? And Ruzek can get busted down to uniform because karma bitch. That would be ideal.

[Rainbow]

Sorry but Burgess and Ruzek are two main reasons why I enjoy this series so want to see more of them not less !! I like Erin but think she is on way too much so if she was backburnered somewhat I would be okay with that but would like to see more on Platt and Antonio who IMO is often overlooked in favor of Halstead who is great but he is on too much too and could be backburnered some !

Edited April 17, 2014 by Rainbow

[Rionadh]

I don't really see that Erin has been on too much but then she's one of my favourite characters after Voight so maybe I'm just a little blind to it. I honestly don't think she's had too much focus since the first few episodes though.

I'm surprised by how much I like Burgess and Ruzek together and separately. I'd definitely like to see more of them but I need for Ruzek to split up with Wendy. As much as it isn't real, it makes me feel uneasy rooting for a couple that are essentially having an affair.

As for Sumner, I like what we've seen of her so far but I can't really make a decision on her yet because I don't think we've gotten to know her properly. Hopefully that'll come in the next few episodes.

Btw was it just me that thought Voight was the one who called Internal Affairs? I know he acted like he wanted to know who called them in front of the unit but then he offered the guy money and it just seemed to me like something Voight had set up himself?

[SnarkySheep]

 

And Ruzek can get busted down to uniform because karma bitch.

Honestly? I have never had any clear idea as to why Ruzek was taken from the academy and put right into Intelligence. He may have been a super-terrific student, no arguments. But on the whole, there is a very specific process regarding ladder climbing in such institutions as the police. Everyone else seems to have put in their time doing routine patrol, then taken a detective exam. Was there seriously no one who'd put in some time, taken the exam and then was sitting around waiting for such a slot to open? It just doesn't make sense IMO.

 

I don't really see that Erin has been on too much but then she's one of my favourite characters after Voight so maybe I'm just a little blind to it. I honestly don't think she's had too much focus since the first few episodes though.

Agreed. For the most part, I would say that Erin often seems to have the LEAST to do -- the guys are usually the ones doing most of the physical fighting/running around with guns/etc. She seems to spend a lot of time just sitting at her desk, pinning some photos onto the board, or else having the random private moment with Voight or else the guys in the bar at the end of the hour.

 

I still can't see what game Voight is playing. The other characters are getting a story of the week episode in turn, except for Lindsay, who is the center of all attention and goodness. This is getting a little old.

I still really can't, either, at least in terms of whether Voight is mostly good or dirty. At this point, I'd have to say he's a good mix of both - just like Olinsky, which is probably why they've been tight for so many years.

Regarding Lindsay being "the center of all attention and goodness," I really don't know where you're getting that vibe from...? She isn't treated in any special way by Voight, except in rare moments when they are sure they are alone. Then he speaks to her about something more private, or maybe pats her a little, but is in no way crazy affectionate (I simply don't think that's his style, no matter how he feels about someone). She's formed something of a more special bond/friendship with Halstead, which they are trying their hardest to suppress; but IMO it's only natural that some people are closer than others. It's just human nature. (Look at how Burgess and Ruzek hit it off almost right away, simply by spending time together.) And in no way has Halstead indicated he's put Lindsay on a pedestal. She told him the ugly truth of her early life, though in abbreviated fashion, and he still looked into her eyes and valued her as a person, flawed though she was and is. And Lindsay, in turn, doesn't seem to believe in anything other than the truth about Halstead...that he's a mixed bag. The way he averts the subject of Afghanistan all but says he saw and probably committed acts of ugliness there. But she also knows that he's capable of risking his own life for the sake of helping others, of achieving the good (i.e. the Rodiger situation) and that he is quietly there for her whenever she needs him to be. 

In fact, I'd venture toward the other extreme, saying that aside from Voight and Olinsky, we have learned the most dirt on Lindsay's past. The others we can merely speculate upon at this point. Although the things that Lindsay did as a young teen may have been fairly serious, i.e. assault, theft, solicitation, drug possession, IMO it's different than anything the others might have done because she was still technically a child and likely pushed into doing certain things by mere default of her circumstances. Now she seems eager to do things like help Nadia in order to "alter karma," or whatever you might call it, but I don't get the vibe that she's some nutty do-gooder or anything..