Spoilers Ahead
Never go into a case without backup.
Case Summary: When a local family’s home is invaded as they’re all drugged with ‘laughing gas’ to continue sleeping, their 14-year-old daughter is raped, and the Intelligence unit gets involved to find the culprit/s. And later when they find a man that could potentially be involved during an undercover night out, another female states to have been raped in the same way, but it turns out she’s only trying to free her partner from Intelligence.
Review | Analysis: The series picked up its pace this week with an engaging case that had all of Intelligence at the top of their games, and perhaps even a bit too much. It’s never easy to listen to rape victims talk about what they’ve been through, and it’s even worse to know that a woman would be a part of the villain team. Women should love and support each other, not the other way around. Though as far as storytelling goes, Tawny’s involvement was a fine way to shock the audience. “Knock the Family Right Out” worked wonderfully as a whole because for what seems like the longest time, no one felt disconnected. Even Platt’s wedding plans fit in for it gave Kim the opportunity to open up her actual thoughts on the delay. And because Kim got to play around with Intelligence this week, it all correlated smoothly with the running theme of honesty throughout the episode.
Honesty is the act of telling the truth — it’s having the strength to confront what’s inside, and even the nobility to admit when you’re wrong. Within the case we were presented with two females: one who chose to reveal what really happened and another that deceitfully put the life of innocents at risk in order to carry on her dastardly duties. And with Lindsay, admitting that her rash decision wasn’t wise is yet another example that rings true to the theme of practicing rectitude. But perhaps when it comes to honesty, the truth about Kim’s feelings surfacing may have just been my favorite part of the episode.
I’ve voiced my concerns numerous times about the inability to comprehend why a series isn’t okay with having two steady couples but in each their own right. That said because Ruzek’s been engaged before if the two of them part ways in upcoming episodes it’ll diminish so much of the growth we’ve seen in him. The only way I can actually see the situation working out to their benefit is if they carry on together without plans of a wedding in the future until he works through the issues it appears the series is trying to present his character with. Chicago P.D. has many flaws, but what series doesn’t? My biggest concern however is the lack of follow-up on conversations that are brought up and left unfinished. For example, I’m still waiting for the writers to follow the rules of Chekov’s Gun and enlighten the audience on Jay’s traumatic past with Mouse. It made absolutely no sense for the series to present it at the time when they did without paying proper homage to the character’s backstory — that said, we’ve still got an entire season in front of us and I’ll continue hoping until there aren’t any episodes left. Sigh. Now, although there are ways the series can maneuver around Jay’s past (it’s common for men who’ve served to be weary of discussing their time in the military), it needs to follow up on Adam and Kim’s slight argument. In my honest opinion and a general understanding of men: they’re not all the same (shocker) and they don’t all care as much about weddings as some of us females do. That said, just because he’s okay with holding off, it doesn’t mean he loves Kim any less, and in order for this entire storyline to work, these two desperately need to have a detailed conversation about their intentions.
Adam’s love for Kim is undoubtedly deep — he’d completely fall apart if anything ever happened to her. She’s strengthened him, inspired him, and made him better in ways no one ever has and for that, we can be certain that his love goes deeper than what he can utter. And let’s be real for a moment, Adam’s not one for flowers, poetry, and romance — he’s the kind that’ll say it how it is. He’s the kind that feels so much but the best way he can describe those feelings is “freakin’ awesome together” — followed by a kiss that makes it clear if he didn’t have to catch his breath, he’d stay in that position forever. I can understand Kim’s frustrations, but I can also understand Adam’s confusion about why she’d speak to someone other than him. Hopefully, this is an issue that’s addressed next week because the longer we hold off on something as significant as this, the more heartbreaking their fallout will be. But since it’s focused on Eddie, it’s only fitting we get more on Kim and Adam’s fragmentary discussion.
One of the things I’ll always appreciate about Erin Lindsay’s character is how gentle and considerate she is towards young girls who’ve gone through a traumatic and vicious rape. And although her choice to go over to Tawny’s was reckless, it was understandable — Lindsay wants to see the best in people and when it comes to situations like this, she cares too much to take a moment to rationalize. A young girl needs her help, she’ll do her best to be there. It’s an admirable trait, but as we’ve seen in this week’s episode, at times, it can be dangerous. That said, it’s always incredible to watch a character admit to their faults — Lindsay knows she was wrong to go in on her own, but what speaks so highly about this series is the way men are presented as equals to women. And the level of respect Jay has for Erin continues to be one of the most gorgeous shades of their relationship. If I had to pick an MVP for “Knock the Family Right Out,” Jesse Lee Soffer takes the crown for the impeccable work he’s done in the subtlest of ways. Soffer’s especially best at conveying profound emotions through his expressions and because of this, his scenes with Lindsay in the break room were a marvel to watch. I appreciated the subtlety in his protectiveness — Jay’s a man who not only sees Erin as her equal but a man who understands that respecting agency is key to a successful partnership. While he knows she can handle herself, it doesn’t change the fact that as her partner in everything, he needs her to be okay 110% of the time because of her safety and happiness matter most to him. Because Soffer’s able to communicate the right amount of emotions, seemingly effortless voice breaks and terror in his expressions allow the audience to understand just how deeply Jay cares for Erin. Thankfully, Jay killed the rapist before he could actually do anything to Erin, but it was wise of Bush to deliver the scene with tinges of fear even though it was Jay freeing her. She couldn’t be touched. She needed to come back to a state of mind where she understands and feels she was okay, and it was great for the two of them to communicate in the break room as they did. Soffer and Bush are best at delivering intense emotions through their expressions — truly, it takes skilled scene partners to say a 1000 words with one look than they could ever say with dialogue. This is a moment and a time that required nothing but the quiet reassurance of adoration — a moment to solidify the meaning of a partnership. Jay doesn’t ask for much, but he needed her to promise she’d never go somewhere without backup and the looks following were all that she needed to understand that she’s safe and treasured with him.
Additionally, one of the nastiest and most disrespectful things a person can do other than rape and murder is spit in someone’s face. It’s such a cowardly act, and I’m glad Tawny got punched in the face for it after Erin once again tried to defend Carolyn. And I loved being able to see the looks on the Clifford family’s faces when they learned no one would ever be harmed again by the man who raped her.
Platt’s dad is broke which means her dream wedding is out of the picture and to be quite honest, I love the kind of weddings that follow realizations of this sort. The quiet, small weddings on TV always end up being the most magical.
Worth Mentioning:
- Mouse is truly the best addition to Chicago P.D. and I adore the sibling-like relationship he’s got going on with Jay.
- Burgess and Lindsay both looked equally badass and gorgeous in those dresses. Where can I buy them!?
- Does anyone else sorely miss Antonio Dawson? I’d love to know what he’s been up to when he’s not bringing down the bad guys.
Next week Voight’s unsurprisingly caught in the middle of things again. What are your thoughts on this “Knock the Family Right Out”? Remember: if there’s anything you’d like to discuss whether we agree or disagree, I’d be happy to. Let’s just be kind and civil adults about it and chat in the comments section below.