Summary
A brand-new series regular officially joinsChicago PDseason 12 on the heels of Hailey Upton’s departure. One Chicago is entering a new year with some big personnel changes. For Hank Voight’s Intelligence, the special team based out of the 21st District will have tomove forward without Tracy Spiridakos' Upton, who officially left in theChicago PDseason 11 finale. Since her exit, much has been discussed about who could replace her. Now, the show officially adds a fresh main character, although she may not fill the void that Upton vacated.
Less than two months beforeChicago PDseason 12 premieres,TV Linereports that the police procedural has cast a new series regular inWarrior Nun’s Toya Turner. She will play Kiana Cool,“a patrol officer who loves the adrenaline of the job and its stakes and doesn’t blink in the face of chaos.“Considering the position that Turner’s character will play, the hunt for Upton’s replacement will continue in the next few weeks.
How Toya Turner’s Kiana Cook Changes Intelligence In Chicago PD Season 12
Cook Revives A Forgotten Aspect Of Chicago PD
For years, calls for Chicago PD to bring back patrol officers persisted.
Since Turner’s Cook will be a patrol officer, she won’t be an official member of Voight’s team. Instead, she will work more closely with Trudy Platt, who manages her department. That said, it doesn’t mean that she won’t have an impact on Intelligence’s cases and success rate. For years, calls forChicago PDto bring back patrol officers persisted.Both Kevin Atwater and Kim Burgess started as uniformed personnelroaming the streets of Chicago. Their stories would often be B-plots, but sometimes, they would intertwine with the bigger case that Voight and his squad were working on.
Cook’s arrival signals thatChicago PDseason 12will resume doing patrol officer stories. The show wascriticized for Platt’s reduced screen timein the last couple of years. Considering how interesting her character is, reviving this part ofChicago PD’s storytelling hints that there will be increased focus on her again. Most importantly, the police procedural can move away from its divisive one-character/week format. While it allows every cast member to get their time under the spotlight, it quickly becomes boring and one-dimensional. Expanding its storytelling to other characters remedies this.
Chicago PD Can No Longer Fix Its Worst Character Assassination After Upton’s Exit
After Hailey Upton’s exit, NBC and Wolf Entertainment can never fix Chicago PD’s worst character assassination for an Intelligence member.
AsOne Chicago’s universereturns next month without a promise of a much-clamored crossover, its police procedural can focus on fixing the issues that have been plaguing it for a while. Bringing in Cook as a new patrol officer is the first step towards that. Hopefully,Chicago PDseason 12’s next update will be on who will officially replace Upton in Intelligence.
Chicago P.D.
Cast
Chicago P.D.: This police drama, set in Chicago’s District 21, follows the distinct units within the Chicago Police Department—uniformed officers addressing street crimes and an Intelligence Unit tackling major offenses such as organized crime and drug trafficking, capturing the dedication of those who serve and protect their community.
