The eleven seasons of Chicago P.D. so far have been short on lasting happy endings, but the latest episode delivered a twist that gave viewers reason to celebrate. After more than a decade of hurdle after hurdle, Ruzek proposed to Burgess at their home following a tough case, and she accepted. Burzek are officially engaged… and will hopefully tie the knot this time around! Marina Squerciati opened up about the proposal that she described as “perfect” to CinemaBlend, sharing why she was nervous originally.
Marina Squerciati has been a proponent of the Burzek relationship for years, and she (along with co-star Patrick John Flueger) addressed the importance of their family unit with Makayla for the 200th episode in 2023. When I spoke with the actress about the characters in Season 11, I asked for her reaction when she originally found out that Burgess and Ruzek were getting engaged in the 2024 TV schedule. Squerciati shared:
I think I was a little scared because I was like, ‘What’s gonna happen now?’ We’re so used to tumult between them. But [showrunner] Gwen [Sigan] is like, ‘No, they’re steady now. So now we find other sources of drama, because they’re the steady couple,’ which I love. The fans deserve that.
Marina Squerciati isn’t kidding when she mentions “tumult” between Burgess and Ruzek on Chicago P.D.! The last several seasons alone saw them going through a brutal miscarriage, Burgess nearly dying from a gunshot wound, their differing approaches to Makayla being kidnapped, and then Ruzek nearly dying from a gunshot wound. And those are just some of their struggles in recent years! Luckily, showrunner Gwen Sigan had the reassuring words that Burzek are “steady now.”
Gwen Sigan also spoke with CinemaBlend about the Burzek family unit prior to the proposal, promising that it will be “a nice ride for the two of them this year.” Burgess and Ruzek do indeed seem to finally be catching a break this season, as the work they put into making their family whole is paying off, and the proposal was lovely. Who knew that Chicago P.D. could find a way to top the sweetness of Makayla finally calling Adam “Dad” last season?
Plus, Burgess and Ruzek getting engaged gives fans at least one Chicago P.D. romance that’s going well! The season began with Upton mailing the divorce papers that would make her split from Halstead official, and confided in Voight of all people about her attempts to move forward. There seemingly isn’t much up for Upstead for now, but at least we have Burzek as a source of lightness in a show that can get pretty dark. Even with other sources of drama that are surely on the way, Burzek seems to be a bright spot of Season 11.
The next episode looks like it will deliver plenty of darkness with a high-stakes drug case, although it does bring back Benjamin Levy Aguilar as Dante Torres for the first time since the penultimate episode of Season 10! Check out the promo for the new episode on February 7:
Keep tuning in to NBC on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET for new episodes of Chicago P.D., and check out a Peacock Premium subscription if you want to revisit earlier seasons of the hit drama. As always, P.D. is preceded on Wednesday nights by Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. and Chicago Med at 8 p.m., with plenty of first responder action and medical drama in store in 2024.