‘Chicago P.D.’ 200th Episode: Marina Squerciati Teases Action & Hope for Burzek (VIDEO)
Marina Squerciati wants the Chicago P.D.‘s milestone 200th episode to leave viewers breathless — and the actress, who plays Intelligence Unit Officer Kim Burgess, promises it will. “We do it all!” she teases, referring to the many action-packed moments, which include a stressful pursuit through moving train cars and an underwater rescue. “It’s kind of like Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. We’ve left no stone unturned.”
The high-octane episode revs up early on when Burgess and Officer Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger), her police partner and former fiancé, see a young man shot on the street and lose both shooter and victim in the crowd while entering the subway, as you can see in the exclusive clip above. After searching the packed train for clues, Ruzek braves the tunnels to continue the hunt. “Paddy and I got to walk through actual CTA [Chicago Transit Authority] tunnels with real live trains whizzing past us,” reveals Squerciati, adding that everyone involved had to take safety lessons about crossing the tracks. “It was exhilarating; it added to the tension of the moment.”
They eventually discover that the crime involves a troubled family with a maltreated child, whom Burgess must save in a nail-biting underwater moment. To film the scene, Squerciati spent 12 hours in a tank of water.
(Credit: NBC)
“This episode is like a battering ram — it breaks Burgess,” says Squerciati. The harrowing case and claustrophobic attacks evoke flashbacks from the character’s vicious, near-fatal kidnapping several seasons ago. “She hasn’t dealt with her unresolved issues, and because of [this crime’s] brutality and being trapped — and the similarity between what happened to her and what happens to the victim — it throws her into a scary spiral.”
The beleaguered cop finally decides to take a big step forward and share her pain with a therapist, something that could signal good news for “Burzek” fans who are rooting for the pair’s future. “Ruzek has been there with an outstretched hand for a long time, and it’s Kim’s turn to show up,” Squerciati says. “She wants to take control of her life and not carry this pain and feel trapped inside herself.” Does that mean there’s hope for the on-again, off-again lovebirds? “I think fans won’t be pleased, from what I can gather on Twitter, until we kiss,” she muses with a laugh. “But in the sense that it’s movement toward a greater good, yes.”
Though Burgess has been shot, abducted, or sexually assaulted at various moments throughout the series — “I think the characters are stronger than we are!” — Squerciati emerged relatively unscathed this time. Her only battle scar came from a subway door that closed on her shoulder and caused it to pop out of its socket. Still, the shoot wasn’t all grueling — the cast marked this landmark episode with a cake decorated with cast portraits. “We were all teasing, ‘Who’s going to eat someone’s face?’” Squerciati says, before reflecting on the series’ longevity.
“Actors don’t think anything can last,” she notes. “So many shows don’t make it, but [überproducer] Dick Wolf seems to have the secret sauce. So I never should have doubted!”
Chicago P.D., Wednesday, February 22, 10/9c, NBC
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