Crime Dynamic Duos: NCIS: Los Angeles (Sam / Callen) vs. Chicago PD (Burgess / Olinsky)

In the first of two Crime Dynamic Duos face-offs that we’re spotlight today, we’re featuring a showdown between two very popular series — but also partnerships that are very different from each other. One in Sam & Callen is firmly established, while the other in Burgess & Olinsky is still fairly new and in development. How these dynamic duos evolve, if they are even dynamic duos moving forward, will be fun to explore at the start of the fall season.

For the sake of this tournament article, though, it’s about celebrating what’s transpired more so than what could transpire, and both of these partnerships are worthy of all sorts of recognition and love. That’s what this series is all about: Honoring some of the best pairings in Crime TV. We don’t think there are many other venues for that, and it makes this series so exciting to do for the second consecutive year.

Who moves on to the next round? That’s totally up to you! Check out the poll at the bottom of the article. The winner here will face off against either Shawn & Gus from Psych or Alex & Ryan from Quantico.

Voting Rules – You may vote however much you want within the specified voting window. (The image above explains everything in terms of start and stop dates.) Note that if you are struggling to cast repeat votes, you may need to clear your cache or use a different browser or device. If you are on mobile and you cannot view the poll, scroll to the bottom and click to view the non-AMP version of the page.

Still with us? Let’s dive into this battle…

Sam and Callen, NCIS: Los Angeles (#4 seed) – Out of all of the duos taking part in this tournament, they’ve been established longer than most. They have a great relationship, understanding, and dynamic with each other — they’re supportive, but also aren’t afraid to disagree here and there. You want your partner to be able to challenge you if you’re wrong!

Given what Sam went through at the end of last season with Michelle, they’re going to need each other more than ever. Hopefully, the start of the new season is touching and supportive for both of them as sam especially works on trying to move forward.

Burgess and Olinsky, Chicago PD (#5 seed) – Meanwhile, this partnership is certainly a little greener in that they only worked together for a handful of episodes. Yet, they did make each other stronger within that time. Burgess helped Olinsky with his worldview and as a source of support during a devastating crossover, while he, in turn, started to see her as an equal and understood that he couldn’t keep his distance from her in the way that he did at the start of their partnership.

With Marina Squerciati returning for season 5, we’re curious already to learn how this relationship evolves and if they continue to work together.

Now, let’s turn this over to you

As mentioned earlier, vote for your favorites in the poll below! You can also head over to this link in the event you want to see more editions of our Crime Dynamic Duos series.