‘Chicago PD’ episode 10 review: Is this show bringing anything new to the table?

It has been a little while since we first checked on “Chicago PD,” and for that reason, tonight’s episode was worth watching. This series has a prime opportunity to succeed right now. “CSI” is old and “Nashville” is low-rated, and there is a niche here that could be carved out in a timeslot that hasn’t had a ratings force in it for quite some time.

What “Chicago PD” does it does pretty well: Being a gritty, serious drama that explores the inner workings of what it means to be a police officer. This show focuses more on the law more so than the rest of the cop shows out there, and that includes everything from procedures to interrogations. Also, you have good cops and bad cops … including some unafraid to fire at suspects without guns.

What the series does feel like it is lacking right now is a little something known as bravery. The acting and the writing are decent, but why not go in an even heavier, darker route? The show is trying too hard to follow the Dick Wolf mold that it’s not taking advantage of what it could be: A super-gritty look into the goods and bads of being a police officer, and that includes a mixture of procedural cases and also one that take a little bit more time to solve. Adopting a model like USA’s “Burn Notice” or another NBC show in “The Blacklist” would be a great way to push forward. Make the balance between serial and procedural a little bi more even.

At least the show genuinely tries to create an essence of Chicago and stay away from some terrible TV traps, which include characters hooking up the first time they kiss. It’s on the high end of procedurals, but rather than seeing the show go down the same road Wolf has paved a dozen times over, we’d like tos ee a different direction. Grade: B.

What did you think about this “Chicago PD” episode, and are you enjoying the way that this show is overall progressing? Let us know some of your thoughts below.