CHICAGO P.D. Post-Mortem: Marina Squerciati and Gwen Sigan on Burgess’ Big Career Move

November 6, 2024 by Marisa Roffman

CHICAGO P.D. — “Pawns” Episode 12006 — Pictured: Marina Squerciati as Kim Burgess — (Photo by: Elizabeth Sisson/NBC)

[Warning: This post contains spoilers for the Wednesday, November 6 episode of CHICAGO P.D.]

CHICAGO P.D.’s Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) is officially a detective!

“Right away in the room, we’re like, ‘Oh yeah, it’s Burgess; Burgess has to [be promoted],’” CHICAGO P.D. showrunner Gwen Sigan tells Give Me My Remote. “She’s earned it. She’s been through so much. And I also think she’s in a place to want it.”

“Burgess is somebody who I don’t think is ever satisfied with where she is; there’s always more,” she continues. “She can always do more. I think she’s aware of that and likes [to] be striving towards something. And so it seemed like the perfect fit for her to, at this point in her life— where a lot of things have been found steady ground—to pursue something more in policing. After what she’s been through in the past, I think she is always looking for new ways to help and new ways to use what’s happened to her to help other people.”

This official shift in the team hierarchy will also allow for the writers to play with new beats. “It also opens up all of these new dynamics for her within the unit,” Sigan says. “With her and Voight, getting to see that relationship. With her and the deputy chief. With her and Ruzek now—she outranks him, so that’s sort of fun. It gave a lot of story for us to play with. So it was exciting.”

Here, Squerciati talks with GMMR about her character being promoted, the messy department dynamics that kept her in Intelligence, and more.

What was your reaction when you found out that Kim was actually going to become a detective this season?
I was more like, “What is going on with Reid?” Because I don’t know! And [Shawn Hatosy]’s such an interesting actor that it’s impossible to figure out. Like, I asked him if he knew, and he was like, “I have no idea.”

What I loved about making detective is that nothing is ever sort of clean on our show. It’s not just a clean win. Even adopting Makayla comes from such a tragedy—there’s always a gray area on CHICAGO P.D. So it’s a win, yes, but at what cost? And I think we’re gonna find out that cost at the later half of the season. I don’t know what it is. I’m not just hiding that from you. I don’t know. [Laughs.]

She was willing to leave this unit—and thanks to Reid, there was this potential favor for her to stay in. What is her mindset after this all goes down?
I think that in order to sort of exist on this team, you sort of need to let things go. I don’t think she holds onto it. I mean, you just kind of move forward, right? I think she’s wary of Reid when he comes into the room, but she’s just gonna put her head down [and do] her job until whatever the consequence is pops up.

Is she able to celebrate herself and this big career accomplishment?
Maybe a little, I’m sure she went home and had, like, ice cream and champagne with Mak and Adam. But, yeah, I think it’s tainted to some extent. I think Burgess is a clean, clean cop, and hates it that politics got in the way of her win.

She’s been an officer for so many years. In what you’ve filmed, how is she adjusting to being a detective?
It’s a little weird, sometimes, because even within my fellow actors, we’ve all been equal for so long. I, personally, don’t want to be like [pointing] “Atwater over there, Cook…” Imagine if…you were just suddenly [working] a higher level job [than your friends]. You have to treat that and your co-workers with respect. So inhabiting the role of power, but delicately.

How are things with Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) and Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins) now that she’s technically above them professionally?
I make sure not to do that. I feel like, if I was like, “You listen to me,” they would be like, “Get ahold of yourself.” [Laughs.]

How is this changing her professional relationship with Voight (Jason Beghe)?
I think Kim has just been ready and sort of inhabiting the role without the title for a long time. So I don’t know that it changes anything. She can run more scenes; like Voight can sleep in and let her take it. But…what I would like to see is a closening of the relationship of Voight and Burgess and what that is. I haven’t seen that yet, but I do hope to.

There’s the moment in “Pawns” where she leaves the scene of the crime to chase a lead and Suarez (Elizabeth Rodriguez) points out it’s her job to delegate and make sure things are secure. How has that been playing out so far now that she’s officially promoted?
There are some gold nuggets that maybe you can see, [where] it’s like, “Kim, run this.”

I think one time, [in] the rain episode, I was running like I didn’t want to get wet. And [director] Chad [Saxton] was like, “You’ve got to run like a detective.” And I was like, “Okay.” Just like, little things are…in your power. And not running, like, “Ah, my hair!”

Looking ahead, what are you excited for fans to see?
I mean, the Burzek wedding! I want to know! I’ve only asked Gwen, “Just make it at the end of the season. Like, a girl’s gotta fit into her wedding dress.” Like, give me a little time. [Laughs.]

CHICAGO P.D., Wednesdays, 10/9c, NBC

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CHICAGO P.D. Post-Mortem: Marina Squerciati and Gwen Sigan on Burgess’ Big Career Move

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