Chicago P.D. Season 11's Big Engagement Might Finally Stick
Relationships are always tough and "Chicago P.D." Season 11 has showcased how romance can deteriorate. Nowhere was that more evident than when Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) filed for divorce from Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer), revealing that Jay's legal name is Jason in the process. However, Season 11, Episode 3 — "Safe Harbor" — gave fans a reason to hope that love can still thrive on this show.
The episode sees Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) propose to Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati). It's a lowkey proposal at home, and Burgess responds, "Third time's the charm, huh?" That's clearly a reference to the fact that Ruzek has proposed twice before (we'll get back to that later). Fortunately for fans who ship Burzek, Burgess holds out her finger, accepting the engagement ring. It finally seems like the two are heading to the altar for real this time, and Squerciati seems confident it'll last.
Speaking with People, Squerciati discussed why fans should be optimistic this time around. "I think it's time," she explained. "We've toyed with the audience's emotions enough, and I feel like the proposal just shows you that it is going to work." It sounds like the previous two proposals came down to "right person, wrong time" situations, and the actor continued by explaining how both characters have grown: "[Burgess] has her kid. She has dealt with her PTSD. It seems like Adam, in the episode before, is back on track, and I think they're both in good places."
The last two Ruzek-Burgess proposals crashed and burned
It would certainly be a major tease to have Ruzek propose for the third time, only for it still not to work out. The two have fluctuated between hot and cold over the years on "Chicago P.D.," exemplified by how the proposals shook out.
The first proposal came on Season 2's "Born Into Bad News." Things were looking great for the couple until some of Ruzek's foibles started to surface, such as delaying the wedding date and not wanting to meet Burgess' mother. She called off the wedding in Season 3, and the two went their separate ways. Eventually, Burgess got pregnant with Ruzek's child, and he proposed again. There was no time to celebrate, though, as Burgess promptly declined. On top of that, Burgess soon suffered a miscarriage in the character's most heartbreaking moment on "Chicago P.D." She later adopted a daughter whom Ruzek helped raise. The two have been through a lot together, but now that they're both in better places and have gotten healthier mentally, this engagement may be the one that sticks.
As for when fans can expect the wedding, it may take some time. Marina Squerciati told People they'll have their hands full this season: "Probably there'll be something down the line, but we're going to have a really big, bad sort of serial killer coming up, so I think that's going to take the focus more than the colors for my wedding." Fans have already waited this long; if they have to wait until next season to see the two tie the knot, so be it.