Chicago P.D. Fans Are Impressed By The Continuity Of Kim's PTSD Storyline In Season 10
Contains spoilers for Season 10, Episode 8 of "Chicago P.D."
One of Chicago P.D.'s strongest attributes is the way in which the writers and actors strive to capture the gritty and dangerous realism of law enforcement work. This commitment by the "One Chicago" production team includes working with a retired Chicago Police Department consultant as well as using real police officers as supplemental actors in the background to add to the authenticity of the fieldwork the performers work so hard to make believable (via American Police Beat). For the actors on the show, this level of genuine dedication to their characters is also observable, with Marina Squerciati (Kim Burgess) a prime example of shining an important light on moments of trauma and how it affects mental health.
Officer Kim Burgess has encountered several moments of unfortunate trauma throughout the program, which includes being abducted and physically assaulted, leading to intermittent struggles with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). For the November 16, 2022 show, Squerciati took to her Instagram account to urge fans of her character and the series to watch Season 10, Episode 8, in what she described as "Burgess's big episode." Her alert was spot-on accurate, as the installment dealt with Kim's PTSD in ways that left fans impressed by the continuity of exploring an important disorder.
Chicago P.D. fans praise the authenticity of Kim's processing of the disorder
In the "Chicago P.D." episode titled "Under the Skin," Kim Burgess takes over a case where she comes across a victim who was struck by a bullet in the same location that she was, which triggers her PTSD (per Tell-Tale TV). The character's struggles resonated with fans, with @ladysnightpod on Twitter observing, "Oh poor Kim. Having flashbacks to being shot is the worst... #ChicagoPD #OneChicago." On the program's subreddit page, u/Trayew shared a personal anecdote, stating, "Kim's PTSD in this episode is the best continuity this show has done in years. People on this show get shot, and it never comes up again, it's never an issue. My cousin got shot 20 years ago and he STILL deals with it on a regular basis."
In a 2021 interview with Hello Magazine, Marina Squerciati spoke openly about how she observes and portrays Burgess's struggles with the disorder. The actress commented, "She's really affected in the beginning. Whatever she is suffering though, she's put a mask on in front of her kid, which is something we all do. We want to show our kids our best selves [because] we want to make them into the best people we can." The actress continued by highlighting the causes of Burgess's struggles with PTSD and how her work can worsen conditions based on circumstances. In "Under the Skin," viewers saw just how debilitating the disorder can be.