Where's Kim Burgess In The Chicago PD Season 12 Premiere? Marina Squerciati Absence Explained

Spoiler alert: The following article contains spoilers from the Chicago PD season 12 premiere, “Ten Ninety-Nine.”

Intelligence is busy when Chicago PD season 12 opens, but while the characters are flying by, solving cases left and right, one person is noticeably missing — Officer Kim Burgess. Marina Squerciati’s character is nowhere to be seen throughout the episode. Instead, Sergeant Hank Voight, Officer Kevin Atwater, Officer Adam Ruzek, Officer Dante Torres, and newbie Detective Emily Martel are handling the inflow of cases coming in and out of the 21st District during the Chicago PD season 12 premiere.

Following Voight’s brush with death and Detective Hailey Upton’s exit during the Chicago PD season 11 finale, the members of the Intelligence Unit are keeping themselves busy. Well, Voight is keeping everyone busy to avoid dealing with his own issues. Voight clearly isn’t handling his recovery, Upton leaving, or hallucinating Alvin Olinsky while on the brink of death very well. Unfortunately, while all of this is happening, Voight is also missing one of his top officers.

Burgess Is Away At A Conference In The Chicago PD Season 12 Premiere

Marina Squerciati Doesn’t Appear In The Episode

At the beginning of Chicago PD season 12, episode 1, “Ten Ninety-Nine,” Ruzek clues the audience in on where Burgess is during the episode. Burgess is away from the Intelligence Unit and Chicago as she is attending a conference. After talking to his fiancée on the phone, Atwater asks how Burgess is doing at the conference. However, viewers don’t learn much more than that, and, unfortunately, it’s unclear how long Marina Squerciati’s One Chicago character has been gone in Chicago PD or when she will be back.

However, Ruzek informs Atwater and Martel that Burgess is contemplating returning to Chicago early. She heard about their extensive caseload and presumably wants to come back to Intelligence to help. Nevertheless, Burgess evidently isn’t swayed to return early (or Ruzek reassures her that they can handle it and persuades her to stay at the conference). So, Squerciati never appears in the season 12 premiere of the One Chicago TV show.

Why Burgess’ Absent In Chicago PD Season 12 Premiere

Intelligence Is Swamped With Cases

The exact reasoning behind why Burgess is away at a conference and not helping Intelligence with their overwhelming number of cases isn’t clarified during the Chicago PD episode. Viewers never learn if Burgess wanted to go to the conference or if she was invited. Martel does comment that Burgess should stay because the CPD (Chicago Police Department) would want her to. So, Burgess may be representing the CPD at this conference. Consequently, her role there would be quite significant and make sense. Still, Burgess’ coworkers are completely swamped with numerous tragic cases that they could use her help on.

Of course, the main problem regarding Intelligence’s caseload can be tracked back to Voight. He’s the one who is busying himself with work. Therefore, Voight’s actions are directly affecting his team and their ability to solve the various cases that come across their desks. Hopefully, that will change going forward and Burgess can return to a calmer Intelligence Unit in Chicago PD season 12.

When Will Burgess Return To Intelligence

Marina Squerciati Shouldn’t Be Gone For Long

The good news is that Burgess shouldn’t be away from Chicago for very long (especially after the Chicago PD season 12 premiere’s tragic ending). It isn’t clear in the first place why Marina Squerciati didn’t reprise her role in the first episode, but she’s not among the One Chicago actors not returning in 2024. So, viewers should expect to see Burgess return in episode 2. Conferences typically don’t run for that long, and Burgess will undoubtedly want to be there for her fiancé after Martel’s death.

At the end of Chicago PD season 12, episode 1, Ruzek and Martel are driving when they hear gunshots. The two characters, who attended the police academy together, get out of the car, draw their guns, and look for the source of the gunfire. While Ruzek is able to shield himself behind a car, Martel doesn’t get so lucky when the gunshots return. Ruzek looks back and sees Martel lying on the ground with a bullet hole in her head. Martel’s death will undoubtedly significantly affect Ruzek, and Burgess should be around to comfort him in Chicago PD season 12.