DVD Review: Chicago PD Season Two

The second season of Chicago PD follows a very similar format and tone as the first season. It alternates between cases from the intelligence unit (which is the focus of the show) and the main beat cops Burgess and Roman (played by Brian Geraghty) Burgess' new partner since Atwater was promoted to the intelligence unit. It is mostly, but not exclusively, a case-of-the-week type procedural which also crosses over with the "parent" show Chicago Fire, and a couple of times through the season with episodes from Season 16 of Law and Order SVU, which is also a part of the Dick Wolff production machine. In fact, in the crossover later in the season, a case that continued one of the SVU storylines from a decade earlier was brought to a conclusion. The events of that crossover would have ramifications that lead into season three, as one of the characters is at a major crossroads as the season ends on a cliffhanger. 

The acting and writing on the show are very good. The writers do a great job redeeming the character of Hank Voight, while still leaving him with a very hard edge. Of course, the show has a very large ensemble cast, and while not every cast member gets an in-depth storyline or even character-centric episode, the writers do a good job balancing the cast and making all the characters interesting. While season one really focused on the character of Antonio, this season, the focus is on Erin. We learn a bit more about Lindsey's background and meet her mother, played by Markie Post, who as some will remember was one of the leads on the great 80s sitcoms, Night Court. This season also introduced the character of Will Halstead played by Nick Gehllfuss (who has a small recurring role on Shameless before this) who would go on to play the same character (although written differently) on Chicago Med which would premiere the next season as another Chicago-based spin-off. Interestingly, Brian Tee who would also be hired for Chicago Med played a completely different character in one episode this season, which made it a bit surprising that he managed to get cast as Ethan Choi since the shows are pretty good about continuity. 

For those who get the DVD set, the extras include behind the scenes featurettes for some, but not all of the episodes (similar to what are included in the Chicago Fire DVD sets for seasons 1-3 of that show) and then the episodes from Chicago Fire and Law and Order SVU that were a part of the crossovers so you can see the entire story even if you do not watch the other shows. Overall, I would say if you like the first season and are a fan of Chicago Fire, you will probably like this season of PD. On the other hand, if you did not like the first season of PD, and/or the weekly procedural drama format does not appeal to you, then it is not likely that this is going to change your mind.