How Chicago PD season 5 continues Kim Burgess’ powerful journey

In this edition of our ongoing TV Heroes article series at CarterMatt, we’re looking at a series in Chicago PD that often has a history of complicated heroism. While many of the cops often think in terms of the letter of the law, there are some who choose more to honor the spirit. There are then others, like Hank Voight, who have acted either out of vengeance or because they felt as though there was no other way. These are characters meant to draw strong reactions.

Earlier this month, we put the focus on one character in Jay Halstead who often does his best in order to put his best foot forward for others. Today, we’re putting the spotlight on another in Kim Burgess, played fantastically by Marina Squerciati.

One of the reasons why Kim excels so much at her job is, perhaps more so than anyone else, she doesn’t take it for granted. She has been in positions before where her career was on the line and, even beyond that, we’ve seen such a great deal of her journey play out. We saw her start off as a uniform cop well on her way towards becoming an eventual member of Intelligence. We experienced the blood, sweat, and tears that she put into being in the field; now, we see her working with the team and doing everything that she can to pursue justice.

There are many different qualities that understandably come with being a cop, but loyalty is among the top of the list. That’s what we’ve seen from Burgess time and time again. At times, this loyalty is expressed in the form of her doing something to help one of her fellow cops, whether it be a former partner or a current colleague going through emotional trauma. We’ve also seen that she will stop at nothing to help those she cares about in life, including her sister after she was sexually assaulted. She is determined, intelligent, and formidable, but also still able to slow things down and process cases without going a hundred miles an hour. She understands that understanding witnesses and hearing the victims’ stories are very much important in the process of catching criminals. It’s not all about busting into a room holding a gun.

Has she made mistakes? Absolutely; we’ve seen them on multiple occasions, but so do many cops. What matters here for Burgess is that she owns said mistakes and finds ways to come back stronger. She’s taken on some moral dilemmas the best way that she can and that is really all that you can ask for with a character like this.

What Squerciati has done with this character over time is intensely powerful, mostly in that she’s never strived to make her something more than who she is (other than, of course, some of those undercover missions). There is a beauty that comes in that restraint and that ability to channel someone so relatable and real. Burgess could be your friend or your own family member; she’s never distant and she is a fantastic character viewers can see and understand at eye level.

Related – Check out some more information now regarding the next episode

What do you appreciate the most about Burgess as a character and TV Hero from Chicago PD? Share right now in the attached comments!

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