Crime TV Heroes: How could ‘Chicago PD’ further inform Hank Voight?
It is interesting labeling Hank Voight purely a Crime TV Hero in the latest chapter of our ongoing series this month, largely because many of his methods on “Chicago PD” are not exactly ones you find in the hero archetype. “Vigilante” is a word often used to describe him; while his intentions are typically in the right place, it is some of his methodology behind these such moves that tends to land him in trouble and cause tension between himself and others.
Can Voight become a cleaner cop? It’s hard to say, and in some ways the show would lose a little bit of its sting if he was suddenly on the straight and narrow. Through this article, we just want to figure out what could be the finest way for him to move forward as an officer and a person.
What makes him a hero – Mostly, it comes from his desire to see justice brought to those who deserve it. However, he doesn’t always do the right thing in pursuit of it, and sometimes he does things that are just downright wrong in many ways. Just think back to why his relationship with Matthew Casey became strained in the first place … even though his son was involved. Voight’s the kind of guy who is viewed as a mentor, and commands leadership really without hesitation from anyone around him. Without him, we’re not sure what the organization of Intelligence as a unit would be.
What he can learn – There are times when we think he should look more to the actions of some of his own people to know that there is a way sometimes to get answers without perpetuating more violence, or that there is a different way to be a leader. It’s almost a shame that he cannot just head over to New York and look at Olivia Benson as a mentor-of-sorts for him. He does not need to do patience per se, but a little bit of restraint could go a long way.
Ideas for the future – We’ve seen now through his history with his son that Voight has a history of putting his job first, so why not see if he can correct that relationship in the future? There should be opportunities, even with Justin enlisting, where we can see more of him. We don’t think there is much in Intelligence anymore that challenges the character, so we’d like to see something change for him in his personal life. We don’t always advocate for a love interest, but we do think Voight either needs that or someone else who gives him more of something to lose. These sorts of things are imperative to further shaping a character and giving them motivation.
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