Chicago P.D. Season 12 Premiere: Where Is Burgess? Showrunner Gives Update On Her Absence and Ruzek's Wedding

Intelligence is back at it—and very busy—when Chicago P.D. begins its 12th season, but one member of the unit is noticeably MIA: Burgess (Marina Squerciati).

The premiere, however, doesn’t make us wait to find out where she is. Early on, Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) walks in, having just spoken to her. “She said the conference is good, learning a lot,” he tells Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins). “She’s disturbed by our caseload, so she’s thinking about coming back early.” Martel (Victoria Cartagena), the new detective working with the unit who is killed in the premiere’s final moments (scoop here!), says she shouldn’t, that CPD loves stuff like that because it gives her a leg up.

Fortunately, fans don’t have to wait too long to see Burgess again. Squerciati is back in Episode 3, showrunner Gwen Sigan tells TV Insider.

Furthermore, there’s some happiness coming her and Ruzek’s way. The two got engaged (again) last season, and they’re solid. There will be a wedding this season.

“What we want to do is show an authentic long-term relationship. They’re getting married and they are each other’s person. They’re each other’s kind of foundation and rock and sounding board. We’ll have the wedding in sort of the later end of the season, but until then, we will always get to see them coming back together as a family unit and dealing with problems as couples do,” Sigan shares.

“It’s not easy necessarily, but the two of them are now looking at it from a focus of, what’s good for our family, what’s good for the pair of us,” she continues. “It was fun to remember that they’re two separate people still so all their stories don’t need to be about them as a couple and they’re going through a lot independently and they still deal with it all together, but we see independent parts of their identity and who they are and also how it transforms this year when new opportunities arise for both of them and how that affects them in ways as a family unit, but also just as independent people.” Might those new opportunities include one of them getting promoted to detective?

Burgess and Ruzek's Future

Sigan says that Burgess and Ruzek are in a good place, and that the show will explore their relationship in a realistic way. “We want to do is show an authentic long-term relationship. They’re getting married and they are each other’s person. They’re each other’s kind of foundation and rock and sounding board,” she said. “We’ll have the wedding in sort of the later end of the season, but until then, we will always get to see them coming back together as a family unit and dealing with problems as couples do.”

Sigan also hinted that Burgess and Ruzek may be facing some new challenges this season. “It was fun to remember that they’re two separate people still so all their stories don’t need to be about them as a couple and they’re going through a lot independently and they still deal with it all together, but we see independent parts of their identity and who they are and also how it transforms this year when new opportunities arise for both of them and how that affects them in ways as a family unit, but also just as independent people.”

The Show's Future

Chicago P.D. is entering its 12th season, and showrunner Gwen Sigan has hinted that there are some big changes in store for the characters. The premiere episode saw the return of the Intelligence Unit, but one familiar face was missing: Burgess. However, Sigan assured fans that Burgess will be back soon, and that she and Ruzek are in a good place.

Sigan also hinted that there may be some new challenges for Burgess and Ruzek this season, and that the show will explore their relationship in a realistic way. She said, “It was fun to remember that they’re two separate people still so all their stories don’t need to be about them as a couple and they’re going through a lot independently and they still deal with it all together, but we see independent parts of their identity and who they are and also how it transforms this year when new opportunities arise for both of them and how that affects them in ways as a family unit, but also just as independent people.”

What's Next for Burgess and Ruzek?

While the showrunner didn’t disclose too many details about the upcoming season, Sigan has hinted that viewers will get to see Burgess and Ruzek face some new challenges as a couple. With both characters dealing with new opportunities and evolving independently, it’s exciting to see how they navigate these changes as a team and as individuals. Will Burgess be promoted to detective? Will Ruzek get to be the groom he always dreamed of being?