The eighth season of Chicago P.D., an American police drama television series with executive producer Dick Wolf, and producers Derek Haas, Michael Brandt, and Rick Eid. The season premiered on November 11, 2020.[1]
Voight and the rest of the Intelligence unit grapple with the revolution of police reform and COVID-19. Meanwhile, the Intelligence unit investigates a shooting that involves a five-year-old child. While dealing with police brutality, Atwater suggests not to engage in physical altercations with the suspect, to Voight's dismay. Also, Voight is introduced to the new Deputy Superintendent, Samantha Miller (guest star Nicole Ari Parker). Later, Atwater gets into a blowup with Voight over the way the police confront suspects, and Voight tells Atwater to find another job if he wants to argue about how the Intelligence Unit runs. Later, Atwater is attacked by several unknown people and is left struggling to get back up.
After a local and highly respected alderman's son is suspected of murder, Miller tries to pressure Voight into charging the teen quickly and quietly without him being suspected of racial favoring. Meanwhile, Atwater and Voight continue to have disagreements on how to handle the racial insensitivity Atwater is experiencing within the police department. Sgt. Nolan's ongoing harassment against Atwater continues to escalate, and things come to a head when Ruzek is wounded due to patrol officers not responding to Atwater's unit's requests for backup. Faced with losing his badge or accepting a deal that would hinder his career and prevent him from leaving Intelligence or even being promoted to the rank of Detective, Atwater takes a third option when he confronts and threatens to sue Nolan and the Chicago Police Department if the hazing continues while the crooked cop agrees to back off.
While on patrol, Burgess and Ruzek discover a little girl wandering the streets alone and also discover that her family had been murdered and she is the only witness. Though awkward at first, Burgess is able to get the girl, Makayla, to open up and forms a bond with her. The unit soon learns that Makayla's biological father was responsible for the murders because he was trying to get his daughter back. After he is apprehended, Burgess bids farewell to Makayla as she goes to live with family and expresses to Ruzek that she still harbors a desire for motherhood but is uncertain of her ability to be both a mother and a cop due to her previous miscarriage. Meanwhile, Upton is offered a job with the FBI in New York but turns it down and finally expresses her feelings for Halstead, which leads to him kissing her.
The Intelligence unit investigates the murder of a Chicago police officer. Upton soon discovers that the suspect might have had a grudge against the officer prior to the murder. However, surveillance photos lead the detectives in a different direction to a domestic abuse victim that the officer was assisting, and they soon realize that her abusive ex-boyfriend was the true culprit. Meanwhile, Voight struggles to get the Deputy Superintendent on board with the investigation. Also, Upton and Halstead reignite their romance, and Upton finds herself unable to face her father due to his abusive history after learning he has suffered a medical emergency.
The Intelligence Unit investigates a rash of violent carjackings and learns that the offenders are a group of foster teens and members of a teen prostitution ring who have aged out of the fostering system or will soon. After apprehending one of them, Burgess learns that the teens are robbing their johns in the hopes of building a better life for themselves and finds herself conflicted, believing that the system has let them down. In addition to this investigation, Burgess learns that Makayla's (the girl she helped two episodes earlier) cousin has been unable to care for her, leading Burgess to make an impulsive and potentially life-changing decision.
While on a stakeout, the Intelligence Unit's cover gets blown while finding a man who is caught selling heroin. The man reveals that he is working for a gang to find out who had killed his son who was not involved in gangs. Halstead soon discovers that the son might have been killed over a relationship.
After a series of meth drug dealers get killed in an ambush, Ruzek enlists the help of his top CI who has knowledge of gangs and dealers in Chicago. Ruzek soon realizes that his CI is not fully clean of meth and may compromise the investigation.
Deputy Superintendent Miller asks the Intelligence Unit to arrest and protect seasoned patrol officer Dave Wheelan (Michael Rispoli) after he was caught on video murdering a young black man at a routine traffic stop. When the footage is uploaded on social media and goes viral, Ruzek and Atwater are ambushed at the CPD safehouse, which Voight suspects might be an inside job. Ruzek and Atwater clash about what went down, while Wheelan insists he was acting in self defense.
Miller asks Voight to use Officer Andre Cooper as part of an undercover operation to take down a gang member when a local business owner is gunned down in cold blood. Later, Cooper begins to bond with the suspect, telling him about his personal life. Things get personal for Atwater, as he used to patrol the same streets when he was a patrol officer.
Ruzek's father, Officer "Disco" Bob Ruzek, is kidnapped by a gang who wants the identity of a valuable confidential informant in exchange for his life, and the Intelligence Unit must find a way to rescue him without endangering the CI. While investigating, Ruzek learns a devastating secret about his dad that could affect his own future with CPD and Intelligence, and a sudden development in the case results in a rift forming in Ruzek and Burgess's relationship.
The Intelligence Unit investigates the disappearance and abduction of small family with a history of domestic violence and financial issues and the case stirs up painful childhood memories for Upton, causing her to lock horns with Voight over how to solve it. Meanwhile, Upton and Halstead's relationship reaches an apparent impasse after Upton finds herself unable to respond to Halstead's declaration of love for her.
The Intelligence unit investigates a serial rapist who has committed a series of murders and leaves little to no evidence. After Deputy Superintendent Miller argues that the CPD should go by the books when it comes to police work, Voight tries to resist his normal tendencies when it comes to his way of investigating. Miller asks Voight to include a suspended Detective, who was leading the original investigation, for help but Voight later has cause to worry that she may get too involved in it.
The Intelligence investigates the brutal murder of a young pregnant woman involved illegally in a fake adoption ring, Meanwhile, Burgess contemplates a decision about who should be responsible for raising her newly adopted daughter, Makayla if something happened to her.
As the team investigates a rash of brutal home invasions, Upton finds herself wondering if her relationship with Halstead is affecting her police work and immerses herself into the case in an effort to prove otherwise. Voight begins to suspect that Upton and Halstead are romantically involved.
An attempt to help a newly minted CI get out of a drug debt inadvertently leads to a major clandestine criminal operation. As the Unit investigates and attempts to shut it down, clashing ideologies between Voight and Deputy Superintendent Miller and efforts to adhere to the reformed police policy impede the investigation, and Deputy Superintendent Miller begins to second guess her own decisions when someone close to her is endangered. Burgess is hurt during an investigation. (Part 1 of 2)
Burgess is assaulted and kidnapped during an investigation, and the Intelligence Unit find themselves in a race against time to rescue her before it is too late. Tensions and tempers mount, resulting in Ruzek and Atwater coming to blows when they disagree on the proper course of action to take while Burgess struggles to stay alive after being shot and left for dead, and Voight crosses a familiar yet dangerous line in his determination to find her. (Part 2 of 2)
Filming for season 8 began October 6, 2020.[1] On September 22, 2020, Nicole Ari Parker joined the cast as Deputy Superintendent Samantha Miller.[19] In December 2020, Cleveland Berto was announced to be joining the cast as a series regular in the role of Jalen Walker. The character was later renamed Andre Cooper and Berto was only credited in three episodes as a guest star.[2]
Ratings
Viewership and ratings per episode of Chicago P.D. season 8
