Past Episode Talk: The Intelligence Unit

[formerlyfreedom]

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments from Chicago P.D.'s early first season. Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for current episode threads, character topics, discussions, and other places for show-related talk.

[SnarkySheep]

Random question...did they ever mention in any of the beginning episodes if the Voights had actually adopted Erin, or just had her live with them? As far as I can tell, it was just the latter, although I'm not quite sure how, especially if Junkie Mom and Jail Dad were still around. Did they agree - or maybe Voight finagled something - to get Erin into foster care, so they could get her that way?

 

Another possibility, however ugly, yet feasible in both Voight's world and the world that Erin seems to have grown up in, is that Voight might simply have paid Erin's mother to take her. As I think I've mentioned elsewhere on this forum, I really believe that given her childhood, Erin's mother might have sold her daughter any number of times to whoever seemed interested, anything to earn a few quick bucks for her habit. If so, then she might have been willing to get rid of her permanently for a few thousand, perhaps.

 

Anyways, I remember the episode where she and Voight went to dinner with Justin, and he made some comment about "when we took you in." That phrasing made me think that there wasn't any legal adoption, just her living with them.

[Rionadh]

I'm not from the US so I don't know how it works there but at what age are you legally an adult? Is it 16 or 18? If it's 16 then I don't think they would have had to have adopted or even fostered Erin, right? It's probably 18 though as 16 seems a bit young so yeah, I doubt that it was above board. That's maybe another reason why they're all a bit secretive over it?

[SnarkySheep]

Yes, in the U.S. you aren't legally an adult until you're 18. Erin said she was 15 when she first met Voight as a CI (and Grandishar told Antonio that Erin was actually 14 at that time) and that she moved in with the Voights at 16.

[Rionadh]

Ah right ok, wasn't sure about the age thing in America. I'm not sure how it all happened with Erin and Voight then, I'm just glad that it looks like they'll be telling us before the end of the season.

[SnarkySheep]

On a similar subject, do we know that Nadia is really 18? I recall the first time that Erin had met her, when she had her in the interrogation room and was asking Nadia's age, the girl swore up and down that she was "18 and one month." Erin asked her if she was "sure," because she could find out the truth in a hot second, etc....and of course, it seemed awfully convenient for Nadia to be juuuuuust over 18 like that. 

 

Sad, though, to think that much like Erin had been, likely Nadia was also a "throwaway kid" - i.e. the kind that falls between the cracks and nobody is going to trouble themselves over much. Of course we have DCF and other services, but they are so swamped, there's only so much that can be done (I work in an urban school district, so suffice it to say I have a bit of experience in this department...) they don't really seem to do too much unless A, it's a younger child who is truly defenseless, and B, it's actual out-and-out abuse, neglect, etc.