Crime Dynamic Duos 2018: Chicago PD (Halstead / Upton) vs. Gotham (Gordon / Bullock)

Welcome to CarterMatt’s Crime Dynamic Duos 2018! This is the third year in which we’re doing this tournament, which is a way to honor some of the best crime-solvers in all of TV. This tournament runs throughout the month of August, and over the course of it we describe what makes certain pairs the perfect crime-fighting duo while also allowing you to share some of your thoughts on the matter! Each article is accompanied with a description and a poll; the winning duo will advance to the next round leading up to the winner being announced on September 1!

What are the rules of the tournament? Basically, all eligible shows have to still be in the midst of their run on TV as of August 1, and at least one character involved needs to be involved in solving crimes in some capacity. They can be a cop, a private investigator, a federal agent, a lawyer, or a high-ranking officer. What matters is that they put plenty of bad people away.

Voting Rules – Vote however often as you like! Voting for Round 1 is open until Friday, August 10 at 1:00 p.m. Pacific time. Round 2 will begin the following day; the image at the top of the article should explain everything.

In this article, the focus is on Halstead and Upton of Chicago PD versus Gordon and Bullock of Gotham. Basically, you have two different kinds of shows featured here, but duos who ultimately want to accomplish much of the same thing.

Halstead and Upton, Chicago PD (#3 seed) – Even though Hailey Upton is still relatively new to the series (she’s coming off of her first full season), we do think that she and Jay have forged a rather tight-knit, emotional partnership. At the core of it is really the sort of understanding that can only stem from people who have gone through difficult, traumatic things together. They know how to pick themselves up during difficult times and, beyond that, how to put the trauma aside in order to stop very bad people in the Windy City. They are committed at times more so to the cause than themselves and hopefully, there is going to be a great opportunity to explore them further moving into the new season premiering this fall. Regardless of whether or not you ‘ship them romantically, that’s really irrelevant to their contributions to the show and why they are included in the contest this year.

Gordon and Bullock, Gotham (#6 seed) – Even though both of these characters’ employment status within the GCPD has fluttered all over the place through the past four seasons, their willingness to work together and fight the good fight in the city remains the same. Harvey is probably the closest thing that Jim has to a friend; meanwhile, Bullock recognizes that he can get through to Gordon in a way that very few people can. There’s a good push and pull here as they each understand both their personal ambition and the need that Gotham has for people like them — even though they may need some convincing from time to time. Moving into the final season, these characters’ relationship is going to be essential to laying out the groundwork so that Batman can someday rise as the Dark Knight the city needs.

Your take

Let us know which duo you want to see advance below! Meanwhile, be sure to like CarterMatt on Facebook for more TV news on many of your favorites.

I can’t see the poll; what do I do? – If you are on mobile, scroll to the bottom of the page and click to view the non-AMP version. If that does not work, give the poll a moment to load! On some mobile browsers, it may take a moment.

How can I vote more than once? – If you are having trouble casting multiple votes, try switching your browser, your device, or visiting the page under private browsing or incognito mode. There should be many handy guides online explaining how to do so if interested.