Kiana Shines in Illuminating Centric – TV Fanatic

Money really is the root of all evil. 

Because of money, Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 9 concludes with two sweet little babies without their parents and Kiana more fractured from one half of her family than ever. 

If the hour didn’t prove anything else, Kiana Cook is the best thing to happen to Chicago PD in quite some time. 

(Elizabeth Sisson/NBC)

A Complex Kidnapping Case Provides Serviceable Midseason Opener

When we spoke to Gwen Sigan, she teased a strong opener, and the hour delivered that. 

Intelligence can never rest. There isn’t a day that goes by where a member doesn’t waltz into trouble that requires their attention. 

Their squad finds more cases off the clock than they do on it! It was Kiana’s turn with that accident right before her eyes. 

The second she got to the driver, Gregory, it was evident that something far more sinister was at play, and he was barely able to tell her about the ransom and his endangered wife and daughters. 

It was grueling as Kiana watched Gregory fighting for his life. You knew instantly that her devotion to this case would take her to new heights. 

(Elizabeth Sisson/NBC)

And it did. We had one of the messiest abduction cases we’ve seen on the show in some time, and admittedly, it dragged in many parts, following along with the convoluted nature of it. 

We learned that there was a huge ransom because Gregory and his family resided in a gorgeous and enviable penthouse despite coming from humble beginnings in Canaryville. 

But then we learned that he was deep in debt, didn’t have the money for the ransom, and that his wife was unaware that he and their family were cash-poor and only rich in appearance. 

Somewhere along the way, there was a sneaking suspicion that Gregory’s wife may have been involved in this ordeal somehow, but when the video came through where the abductors shot and killed her, I had second doubts. 

Of course, in true Chicago PD fashion, there was a twist, and it turned out that she was having an affair with one of the abductors, but things turned sideways. 

The tragedy in all of this was two dead parents and the Intelligence Unit having to scrape together bits of information to figure out where two innocent children were and rescue them in time. 

(Elizabeth Sisson/NBC)

Chicago PD is Nailing Character Dynamics in Refreshing Ways

Outside of my absolute devastation over those poor kids losing both of their parents due to greed and idiocy, the case itself wasn’t as gripping as watching the unit work it together and learning more about Kiana’s backstory. 

The pair-ups during this hour were top-tier, and it’s only proof that they’ve struck gold and hit a sweet spot with this current cast. 

It’s not to say that previous characters weren’t great in their own right, but Chicago PD Season 12 has gone to great lengths to incorporate all the characters better and take advantage of the unit’s natural chemistry. 

We get so many great dynamics, and there isn’t one that doesn’t work. It’s also refreshing to have everyone mixing and matching and working collaboratively rather than separate factions and the unit coming across as frustratingly fractured. 

(Elizabeth Sisson/NBC)

As a dynamic girl, it thrilled me that we had so many little moments and interactions. Kiana and Voight were great because we haven’t spent that much time with them, and it’s great to see Voight exude some of that lingering paternalism. 

He instantly realized that seeing Gregory injured like that affected Kiana and helped her get the blood off of her hands. But he also let her lead, followed her judgment, and trusted her. 

It’s a pairing that the series could easily explore more. It would be something wholly different than Voight’s other interactions over the years, which is great. 

We also got some great Burzek moments and classic Oceanwater goodness, which is always delightful. 

Kiana is a Natural Fit for Intelligence, and Her Notable Dynamics Prove It

But since it was a Kiana-centric, her pairings stood out most and were fruitful, and the two strongest of the hour for her were with Ruzek and Burgess. 

(Elizabeth Sisson/NBC)

Let the record show, that I’ll eternally be a KiKi fan for the mere fact that there’s been such a stunning lack of strong female interaction on this series. 

Kiana and Kim have great chemistry. The pair mutually respect each other. 

Kim’s promotion has led to many things, one of which is that she’s taken on a mentorship role, and it’s reflected well in how she interacts with both Kiana and Dante. 

Their car moments were great because Kim spent some parts of it checking in with Kiana and ensuring she was in the right headspace during such an emotionally taxing case. 

And then they spent the rest of their time together being badass. Their balance works so well because we get satisfying emotional interaction, vulnerability, and openness between the two, but we also get kickass moments! 

(Elizabeth Sisson/NBC)

But if any interactions topped the night, it was RuzKi. Kiana fits into this team effortlessly and has great interactions with pretty much everyone. However, her dynamic with Ruzek will always be the most special because of their shared experience during Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 2. 

Through that dynamic, we learn a great deal about Kiana. 

Additionally, we see the softer and more seasoned side of Ruzek. He’s such a “Girl Dad” now and it carries over into his work and how he communicates, which is endearing. 

He’s genuinely interested in Kiana and ensuring that she’s okay. He always has her back, especially out in the field. And he’s such a “big bro” with her during down times and moments. 

His prying into her life as much as he could without overdoing it was hilarious. But it was especially sweet when he told her how great of a job she did, and he understood the importance of doling out genuine praise. 

Her smile as she walked away was the absolute cutest. 

(Elizabeth Sisson/NBC)

Cook and Torres Parallel Each Other in Subtle Ways

We still need more Kiana and Kevin interactions. But there was also something intriguing about the unspoken tension between her and Torres. 

It was awkward when they were briefly left alone in a room together. It’s evident they still haven’t cleared the air yet. I look forward to how that will play out. 

Interestingly, they have ties that the hour touches on as we met Kiana’s family and understood her background together. 

Offhand, the series is doing a much better job of incorporating culture and identity authentically and effortlessly. For so long, Atwater was the sole person of color in the series, and they didn’t always know how to navigate that well without becoming redundant or overdoing it. 

With Torres, we’ve seen how they approached showcasing him as a Latino without tokenizing him, and little things like the use of Spanish (especially without subtitles) or spending time on his faith are proof of that. 

(Elizabeth Sisson/NBC)

And with Kiana, there’s her appearance, more specifically, her hair. The stylist did a fantastic job with her braids, and there wasn’t a better episode to note them than this one where Kiana had to come face-to-face with her mother. 

Hair is so distinctly cultural for the Black community, especially Black women. There’s so much discourse, complexity, and layers and nuance to those conversations surrounding it. 

It was intriguing that Kiana’s braids are every bit as symbolic as Torres’ white tee-shirt/jeans combination. They’re conscious choices for them — bold statements about who they are in their field and deeply tied to their identity. 

A Peek Inside Kiana’s Family Background is Illuminating

Kiana’s father was sweet, and you could tell she’s such a daddy’s girl. Their interactions were endearing, and he’s this humble, hardworking shop owner who genuinely loves her and is proud of her. 

But then we met her mother. It was such a jarring switch-up that even Ruzek hilariously made note of it.

(Elizabeth Sisson/NBC)

Kiana begrudgingly taking poor (literally) Ruzek to this lavish house to meet her mother was comical. I can already imagine the Burzek pillow talk later when he retells the experience to Kim. 

After that sheisty situation with Reid (who seems more like a younger, shadier version of Voight by the second) and how he acquired money, Kiana put herself out there by seeking her mother’s help. 

She hadn’t seen the woman in three years, and her mother exuded “rich bitch” energy from the second they crossed the threshold. 

Her comments about Kiana’s hair were particularly telling and made me cringe. With hair tying to things like class, specific levels of culture, and femininity, such a small moment said so very much about Kiana’s mother, the nature of their bond, and her expectations of Kiana. 

Her mother comes from money, and after a one-night stand with Kiana’s father, she was born. No one approved of her mother’s choice of man or having a child like Kiana, and it doesn’t seem like Kiana has ever wanted to conform to their upper crest lifestyle.

(Elizabeth Sisson/NBC)

Striking that deal with her mother was like making one with the devil, and you could see how much it pained Kiana to consider going back for a party and rubbing elbows with her grandfather who is running for alderman. 

The ending was an illuminating moment for Kiana. She looked gorgeous in her fancy dress for the occasion. But she stood her ground by still wearing her signature braids. They were an act of defiance and rebellion, and I loved that for her. 

Of course, I loved it more that she didn’t bother going inside. But one has to wonder if there will be consequences or if we’ll revisit this down the road! 

We certainly have more pressing things to get into, like whatever the hell Reid is up to and just how shady he is! 

Over to you, Chicago PD Fanatics. 

Has Kiana won you over? What do you make of her background? Will she and Torres ever make amends? How are you feeling about Reid? 

Sound off below!

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