"Stepping Stone"
Written By: Matt Olmstead
Directed By: Michael Slovis
Episode #: 01
Plot:
Henry "Hank" Voight (Jason Beghe) looks in the rear-view mirror at some perp he's apparently grabbed off the street. The perp is begging for his life, plainly thinking that Voight's taking him out of the city to do away with him, mob-style. And perhaps Voight-style, based on the run of Chicago Fire eps that introduced Voight.
But perhaps I was wrong about the gravelly-voiced sergeant. He roughs the guy up, with the trademark cityscape of Chicago, Illinois in the background, gets the name and address of a guy putting bad dope on the street, tells the unfortunate guy to stay out of "his city" and leaves him some cash for a bus ride home. It's a grim and rather shocking opening. Not sure whether you're meant to like Voight, or just respect him. He's tough and sets the tone, pretty much for the whole show, signalling that it's going to walk that fine line between hard policing and out-and-out assault.
We see the Wilhite family out the front of the squad. Antonio Dawson (Jon Seda) arrives, and it's obvious that Jules Wilhite is his partner, and they're close. Upstairs, Erin Lindsay (Sophia Bush) quizzes her partner Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer)about a friend of hers she set him up with. Halstead says that it's his loss. Lindsay says she'll never set him up again.
Voight returns to the precinct, and speaks with his commander, who observes that Voight must have some pull to be let go from jail and given command of an intelligence unit. Internal Affairs is calling the commander about Voight, who claims to know nothing. The two uniform cops, Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins) and Burgess (Marina Squerciati), and their sardonic-looking desk sergeant Trudy Platt (Amy Morton). Platt is going to be a lot of fun, I think. Sheldon Jin (Archie Kao) appears, and talks like he's a tech expert.
The intelligence squad is completed with the introduction of Alvin Olinsky (Elias Koteas) who appears to be of Voight's vintage. Their interaction suggests that they're old friends. Voight takes the squad over to the address that he garnered during the episode's opening sequence.
Somewhere else in the city, we're introduced to a guy called Pulpo - "the Octopus", because he has arms everywhere in Chicago - who doesn't seem to mind waving his fingers over a flame, and seems to enjoy brutally killing those foot soldiers who let him down. It's clear pretty quick that this isn't much like Chicago Fire.
Halstead and Lindsay go undercover as a couple looking to buy some dope. They cancel the intended op when Lindsay spots what she thinks is blood on the leg of the guy answering the door. The others aren't so sure, but they come under fire quickly, which convinces them Halstead and Lindsay were correct. They grab the "long guns" and breach the apartment. More blood, and a dude missing his head. They also find a young kid hiding in the wardrobe. There's a cameo from Chicago Fire's Herrmann, and Atwater is looking to hire out Molly's bar.
There's a lot of headless people as the squad pursues Pulpo across Chicago. They're meant to be working with another unit at District 21, but there's friction between Voight and their commander, and not much information flowing in either direction. Willhite and Dawson interview the kid from the apartment - he's in gang databases, but can only be ten or eleven. They learn of Pulpo's existence, although Dawson's tracked the guy before.
Voight gives Halstead a rocket for not completing the undercover buy of the dope with Lindsay, and blames Dawson, who recommended Halstead for the unit, for not keeping him in line. Voight then takes Lindsay on a ride, where he meets some very shady characters. Definitely gangsters - Voight gets cash from them, apparently for protection, and you wonder if the guy's still dirty. Olinsky is at the Academy, looking for a fresh face to use for undercover work, and discovers Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger).
Burgess, who, it is revealed, was formerly a flight attendant and wants to get into the intelligence squad, is on a mission for Platt at the morgue: claiming an expensive ring from a dead relative, and then Platt asks the obviously-green patrol cop to go and pawn it. Platt's facial expressions are fantastic. She's got exactly the right delivery for her lines. A kind of comic relief.
Lindsay is a real a mystery. You get the feeling she's got something brewing with Halstead - and they certainly have good chemistry - who beats a wise guy for making lude comments. She's got a history with Voight, but no one knows what - Willhite and Halstead both ask, and Lindsay is very cagy with both.
Turns out the kid from the apartment, D'Anthony, is thirteen, and Voight watches him go back to his cousin, but not before giving the kid his business card. Later, Voight drives to an alley, sees a figure in a hoodie. It's D'Anthony, and he's been beaten up badly. He tells Voight that he wants out, and Voight agrees to help. Dawson's wife and son appear at some sort of bakery.
Ruzek runs an undercover buy. They make an arrest, which leads them to an address where Pulpo might be. Voight's cop adversary is there, and Voight gets some information relating to a previous beheading that puts Dawson and Willhite in danger. But the call comes too late. As Willhite approaches the door, a gun is fired from inside. She's shot through the neck, and there's blood everywhere. The Intelligence squad storm the apartment, and Pulpo sneaks out back. Willhite, badly wounded, is helped into the ambulance by Chicago Fire's Shay and Dawson. A visibly upset Lindsay goes with her.
After a chase, Halstead captures Pulpo. Voight heads back into the District, and gets a call from Lindsay: Willhite is dead. He walks inside, sees the cop who witheld the crucial information that led to Willhite's death and goes ballistic. They have to be separated as Voight accuses him of causing Willhite's death.
Dawson's son, Diego, is putting rubbish out into the bin when a white van approaches ominously. Meanwhile, Dawson is interrogating a cocky Pulpo, but gets pulled away to answer a call from his wife: Diego has gone missing.
My thoughts: Tight opening episode - less about personal relationships, like Chicago Fire, and more about some . Lots of blood, grim scenes and, of course, the death of Willhite, which seems like it's gonna change everything. There's some interesting characters, particularly Lindsay and Olinsky. Can't wait to see what their back stories are. Good start. Chicago PD has promise.
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