‘Chicago P.D.’: Benjamin Levy Aguilar on What Made Torres a ‘Very Dangerous Person’ After Threat
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Chicago P.D. Season 10 Episode 4 “Donde Vives.”]
Rookie officer Dante Torres’ (Benjamin Levy Aguilar) neighbors may not respect the badge, but his actions at the end of the latest Chicago P.D. episode should mean he and his mother don’t have to worry about moving immediately… hopefully.
During Intelligence’s investigation into the murder of a woman Torres considered to be like a second mother, he crossed paths with a street dealer — who was then waiting for him when he got home after the case was wrapped. He warned Torres it was time to move, but the officer instead took off his jacket, badge, and gun and punched the dealer, repeatedly. Then, he walked away.
Aguilar breaks down that ending and teases what’s next for Torres.
I was thinking that Torres and his mom were going to have to move, but then Torres reacted like he did. So is it safe for them to stay there, at least for now?
Benjamin Levy Aguilar: I don’t think it’s safe necessarily. There’s definitely risk, but there’s also a respect that people have to him, especially now in a way. Someone that can stand up like that to that type of world deserves some respect. There’s definitely also a risk because there could be repercussions, and I’m sure that that is a feeling that Torres has. So I think he’s gonna be extra alert, maybe more paranoid, but at the same time, there’s something that got sparked in him at that moment that can in a way blind him. In a way, it was kind of blind rage mixed with blind faith and mixed with courage and mixed with so many different things that make him a very dangerous person.
Speaking of repercussions, is that something that’s gonna come up at work? Is someone in Intelligence gonna find out what happened?
I hope that — I don’t know. The truth is, I don’t know how he’s gonna handle it or if they’re gonna find out and if they do, how he’s gonna handle it.
Torres and Mia left things in a really rough place. He told her he’d protect her brother, but now her brother is in jail for 20 years.
Yeah, I know, and it’s so crazy how the system works and what is fair and what isn’t fair, but at the end of the day, he was a part of that murder. And I think that from what I felt in that moment, there was a transformation and a change of priorities in him saying like, “I can’t ever please everyone and I’m not trying to please everyone. I’m trying to do the right thing.” But it hurt him because it was someone he loves so much. So I think we’re gonna have to see how it unfolds because there’s also a moment of his that was kind of like, “That hurts me so much clearly, but you will never understand what I’m trying to do and that what I’m trying to do is greater than you or me.” I think he’s gonna have to walk that path alone.
What is next for Torres after this episode? Is it mostly just him learning the ropes of Intelligence, or are we gonna see more of his personal life?
For now, from what I know, there’s been moments of learning the ropes of Intelligence and also contributing in cases and stuff. I can’t wait to read another Torres-focused episode and see where they take it. But based on what I’ve seen in Season 9 Episode 18 and Season 10 Episode 4, I have a good feeling that it’s gonna be really deep and exciting.
Chicago P.D., Wednesdays, 10/9c, NBC