Critic's Rating: 4.4 / 5.0
4.4
Anna secured her "in" with Escano.
We got back to that pivotal case on Chicago PD Season 9 Episode 16, and while it was slow-moving for some time, that shooting kicked things into gear.
Of course, with each passing moment with Anna, it feels like she's not long for this world.
The hour primarily served as case-heavy and an opportunity to catch up with the Escano open case and flesh Anna out even further.
We spent most of our time with Voight, Anna, Halstead, and Upton, and it's evident that this case is getting to Voight in many ways.
He's pouring his all into it, but it's very much like a General sending his soldiers into battle from the outside looking in. Voight makes all these calls; some are fueled by emotion, others lack it. And many of them irking Halstead and Upton or Anna.
By the end of the hour, he stated what we all knew to be true. The job is everything that he has right now. It's the only thing he has left, so he clings to it. I don't know who Voight would be without it or if he'd cease to exist if that time came.
In some ways, it makes for a sad existence, but it's part of what makes his relationship with Anna a compelling one. She manages to understand him on some level.
While it's hard to say that these two would ever be friends in some capacity outside of this, the bond they're building is born out of some similarities and an understanding of one another.
Voight: We’re going after Escano for everything. I want him for everything.
🔗 permalink: We’re going after Escano for everything. I want him for everything.
But this is one of a few reasons why it feels as though Anna is on borrowed time. She is growing on the other characters, and whether Voight would acknowledge it or not, he has a soft spot for her.
Maybe that's why he tries hard not to show it.
He's been confident that he can throw anything at her and place her in any position, and she'll get results and come out of it on the other side. Her resilence is something of which he admires and relates. But you can sense that he's taking that for granted.
Every time he sends Anna undercover to do something, she narrowly escapes with her life.
Adrian shooting up the bakery was scary, and at any point, she could've caught a stray bullet. But her actions after that are what expedited her getting closer to Escano, but as much as he sees her potential, he's smart enough to recognize how smart and dangerous she is, too.
Getting in good with Escano doesn't mean anything when everyone around him is expendable. It doesn't feel like there's a way that Anna gets out of this alive, and I hate that she'll be another person that Voight loses to the job.
Escano is scary. He didn't react as an average person would when Adrian was bleeding out on the floor. He didn't get as angry as you'd imagine when he overheard Anna's inquiries.
He's unpredictable, and it's terrifying. When he told Anna that he knew who she was and gave details about her life, it was enough to give you chills. He went from calling her "Rebecca" to having her number in almost every way.
But it's because of his thorough investigation he knew he could make Anna his new runner.
Anna: OK, we do that. How do we build the case?
Anna: You get closer.
🔗 permalink: You get closer.
Anna is such an adrenaline junkie type person. But the reality of what all this entails is hitting her hard. She was beside herself when they didn't break cover to rush into the bakery and rescue Adrian. She went from barely working the register to stitching up a gunshot wound while sobbing.
Voight was playing a risky and questionable game, risking Adrian's life like that. And he continued to push the envelope for the rest of the hour.
Adrian's motive for killing Joshua was anti-climactic, but Voight attempting to talk the kid out of killing himself was intense and horrifying when Adrian pulled the trigger. They didn't shy away from the violence during this installment.
Escano is a monster for making that teenager commit suicide. He knew that Adrian would do anything for him and go through with whatever he said.
Voight tried his best to save Adrian, but it ended with Voight watching the light go out of that boy's eyes after that lengthy scene. It's more motivation for Voight to take Escano down. He said he wanted to get him for everything, and it's believable. He was irate after Adrian's death.
Things will only worsen before they get better, but it'll be interesting to see them build a massive case against Escano. Anna is crucial to that, but they'll need more than her.
It's hitting her how deep she's gotten, and for the first time, we saw her questioning everything. She wasn't wrong about Escano and Voight either.
They're both using her and want something out of her, and she's beholden to them in different ways. Both men know enough about her to leverage her.
Escano: You’re not afraid.
Anna: Excuse me?
🔗 permalink: You’re not afraid.
And the deeper she gets into this, the more dangerous it is and unsettled she feels. She has to keep distancing herself from Voight for the case and her protection, but you can tell she's struggling with that. It's understandable why she asked for something out of him.
She needs some kind of connection to remind her why Voight is different than Escano and so she doesn't feel like a disposable asset.
The other characters fell to the background big time over this hour. It meant that we didn't get any sort of follow-up on previous stories. It can be so distracting, especially when we're coming off of storylines like kidnappings.
But alas, it's what you come to expect with this series.
Anna: You told me you have a son.
Voight: He’s dead. This job is all I have left.
🔗 permalink: He’s dead. This job is all I have left.
Over to you, Chicago PD Fanatics.
Will Voight be able to take down Escano without a significant cost or loss? Are you enjoying Anna or worried for her? Hit the comments below.
Unfortunately, Chicago PD is going on a three-week hiatus. Until then, you can freshen your memory on the season when you watch Chicago PD online here via TV Fanatic.
