Jo Petrovic is a mirror for Hailey.
The ultimate scene of Chicago PD Season 11 Episode 8 was the equal of the Spiderman Meme.
It is wonderful how usually one can come face-to-face with one other one who sees by way of the demons.
Jo is a comparatively attention-grabbing character for the collection to introduce, and it appeared as if she got here out of nowhere. It was difficult to get an actual really feel for her, too.
Whereas she did not have as a lot presence in the course of the harrowing Chicago PD Season 11 Episode 7, we acquired to know her higher this time.
And it was with a case that additionally fell into her purview higher.
In addition they used this hour as one other Hailey-centric, as Upton was subsequent up on the roster for an installment that centered nearly solely on her.
Thus, whether or not we prefer it or not, the merry-go-round of character-centric episodes retains spinning.
Total, the case was attention-grabbing and infuriating.
Luckily, as an alternative of getting considered one of our beloved characters “taking place” throughout a criminal offense scene that Intelligence takes on themselves, we had Hailey overhearing the decision on the radio and responding as an alternative.
I recognize the break.
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Tender-age circumstances all the time get you proper within the emotions, so the second the phrase was used, it was sufficient to place an individual on edge.
However happily, it was comparatively straightforward to look at. After Noah, we would have liked a lighter, much less traumatizing case to dive into, and whereas that should not be how one would describe a child abduction, within the more and more bleak world of Chicago PD, this was kid’s play.
Trent, Grace’s father, was suspicious from the beginning.
His aggressive response the second Hailey confirmed up on the crime scene was sufficient to place anybody on alert.
But, in some way, some unhoused man acquired hauled away in cuffs till he was cleared of all suspicions, whereas Trent acquired to drag a gun out, assault, and threaten a person, almost getting shot within the course of, and stroll away scot-free.
Perhaps it was the primary clue that Trent could be scummy, and this case could be irritating.
And we went on to be taught that he was a serial cheater who could not keep trustworthy if his life or that of his daughter’s actually depended upon it.
Not solely was he a smarmy man who engaged in infidelity, however he did not have the mind cells the great Lord gave a fruit fly to even take into account that possibly considered one of his many mattress bunnies whom he delivered to the house he shared along with his spouse and knew the safety code might possibly be behind kidnapping his little one.
Hailey: Why do you normally trip the desk?
Jo: I simply choose it. I can not assume the identical within the area.
If solely the correct individuals had the audacity of the Trents of the world, am I proper?
Tammy was off her rocker, however you nearly sympathized with this poor lady as a result of she fell in love with a married man who used and discarded her after forcing her to get an abortion, after which she was unable to have kids of her personal.
However earlier than we might even have an iota of sympathy for Trent’s spouse and Grace’s mom, this weak-willed lady might in some way muster up the boldness to desert her little one at residence after midnight to confront her chronically dishonest husband about one other considered one of his affairs.
Nonetheless, she could not put that very same power into leaving his sorry ass.
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Poor Grace does not stand an opportunity if she needed to develop up in a family with these self-absorbed individuals with no regard for her or anybody else round them as they stay out their cleaning soap opera of a life.
Grace’s mother and father have been the WORST. They have been an ideal reminder of how irritating it’s when legislation enforcement tries to assist individuals who will not even assist cops assist them by giving all of them the pertinent info.
Their nine-month-old little one was lacking, there was blood within the room, they usually by no means as soon as thought of telling Hailey and the others the reality concerning the timeline or their messy love lives.
They wasted a lot time. And there was nothing extra relatable than that feeling of wasting your time.
Frankly, Trent ought to’ve gotten charged with assault towards that unhoused man, and his spouse ought to have gotten in bother for little one endangerment or one thing.
But it surely was an honest sufficient case to deliver Jo again into the fold, and she or he’s such a straight-shooter that you must respect her method. The handwriting evaluation second was nice.
That apart, the hour centered on her harboring this main secret and Hailey attending to the underside of it, and I genuinely want they’d executed this storyline higher.
I genuinely want they’d executed this storyline higher. Hailey Upton’s preliminary suspicions of Jo stemmed from her not nailing Baker once they noticed him within the parking zone, and he took off.
However the whole setup for it had me side-eying Hailey greater than Jo.
They spent the whole automobile trip digging round in one another’s heads, attempting to get a really feel for the opposite individual.
Jo did not wish to go into the sphere and wished to remain behind. For some purpose (As a result of plot), Hailey insisted that Jo needed to accompany her as an alternative of actually anybody else, regardless that Jo was adamant about staying behind.
Jo mentioned her desire for using the desk and never doing fieldwork. And since this was earlier than we had any purpose to suspect something uncommon about her, this could have been enough info.
Hailey: What occurred?
Jo: What do you imply?
Hailey: Why did not you shoot?
It additionally ought to’ve meant that when Baker acquired spooked and ran off, Hailey, the girl who opened with a montage of her happening runs and approaching each state of affairs like she’s in an motion film, ought to have taken off after him.
The logical factor was for Hailey to run after and nab Baker whereas Jo stayed behind with that poor bystander he shot in all of the hoopla.
There was no purpose in any way aside from a contrived must push this plot ahead for Hailey to stick with the sufferer and ship Jo, the girl who was simply speaking about spending all her time at a desk, by no means doing fieldwork, and had gotten dragged there within the first place, after the suspect.
Even when we did not be taught that Jo was a functioning alcoholic, Jo wouldn’t have been the individual to ship after the perp after the little we knew about her.
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Hailey’s insistence was weird and contrived and did not make her look the best or brightest on this state of affairs, which is ridiculous.
Utilizing that habits because the crux of Hailey’s suspicions did not work in addition to it ought to have.
It made Hailey look dumb for forcing Jo right into a state of affairs she would not and did not volunteer for, just for her to latch onto Jo like a canine with a bone as a result of Jo did not behave how Hailey wished her to.
My drawback with how this was executed was that earlier than we discovered that Jo had alcoholism, she principally exhibited behaviors that felt “neurodivergent-coded.”
My primary concern is Grace’s security, not your emotions. So sure, you may be offering us with a handwriting pattern.
Jo
So by then having Hailey seemingly randomly choose on her for behaving in a different way, it was straightforward to be delay by Hailey greater than centered on what, if something, was “unsuitable” with Jo.
Your complete premise had her preliminary odd habits as being “unsuitable” or “suspicious” properly earlier than we acquired to her consuming in her automobile.
Jo’s hesitation to nab Baker or draw her weapon might’ve been associated to many issues, particularly given her historical past of solely being on the desk and never having a lot area expertise.
She might’ve had PTSD or any variety of issues. So, this state of affairs immediately put Hailey within the ‘annoying’ class for her preliminary fixation. However as customary, she was confirmed proper, so we’re presupposed to overlook about the remaining.
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Issues acquired much more offputting when she went by way of Jo’s bag in the course of the bullpen.
Hell, it nearly had me wishing there was one thing else happening with Jo aside from the apparent and what Hailey suspected. However this was meant to nod at Hailey’s private background as they fed us a bit extra historical past about her experiences rising up.
She will spot an alcoholic a mile away as a result of her father was one, and she or he needed to take care of him whereas rising up.
It is one other piece to the puzzle, Hailey Upton, that we will file away and use so as to add extra context to this character who carries a lot of her previous in all the pieces she does.
The background and her expertise make her angle extra comprehensible.
But it surely’s nonetheless a tricky promote for a few of us when Hailey will get on a sanctimonious kick as a result of you’ll be able to’t stave off the urge to shove her personal misdeeds again at her in a basic “Is This You?” kind.
However at the very least that was typically the purpose this time. What does Hailey seem like digging into Jo’s enterprise, trying to find one thing unsuitable about her, after which lecturing and exalting this ethical superiority when she has no floor to face on herself?
No, Hailey does not have alcoholism on the job, and she or he’s not jeopardizing circumstances or doubtlessly placing individuals in danger due to a booze dependancy, however she’s had her personal crosses to bear.
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Hailey nonetheless works herself to the bone, which clouds her judgment on circumstances. Her sleep depravity and overexerting herself have been their very own danger to her and others.
And we needn’t rehash the litany of issues she’s achieved in her previous that makes one smirk on the thought of her ever standing on any ethical excessive floor.
Jo was so attention-grabbing as a result of she did not deny her personal faults. However she additionally did not hesitate to let Hailey know she noticed her.
They’re the identical.
Voight: You need me to ask you what is going on on?
Hailey: No. Not now.
She sees proper by way of Hailey utilizing her runs to punish herself and her physique as a way of addressing these sleepless nights and as a band-aid for extra important emotional points she refuses to do something about.
Hailey pointed a finger at Jo, however there was a finger pointing again at her. The chin verify was good.
In the long run, Jo did not lose her job after killing Tammy whereas beneath the affect.
As a result of Hailey did what she’s notoriously achieved and coated for her — one thing Hank Voight did not even trouble prying her about.
Hailey returned to these punishing runs as a result of she did not seem to know what else to do. Sadly, Hailey Upton will do something however go to remedy. Bless her.
Nonetheless, she and Voight are coping of their respective methods and checking in with one another.
They each have their very own demons and appear to suck at understanding tips on how to take care of them, but it surely’s related them greater than burying our bodies and overlaying up misdeeds ever did.
The paternal high quality Voight exudes together with her is coming by way of robust.
It is clear he is nonetheless deeply affected by this case with Noah, and I appreciated that they’d some follow-up on that relatively than not addressing it in any respect.
It is consuming away at him, they usually nonetheless don’t have anything to go on. I can not wait till we dive into this storyline once more.
Within the meantime, we acquired to verify in with Hailey once more, and whereas she’s not as unhealthy as she was all through Chicago PD Season 10, she’s nonetheless coping in a way that does not appear to be doing a lot for her.
It makes you marvel what should give earlier than she makes an actual breakthrough.
Over to you, Chicago PD Fanatics. Did you get pleasure from this installment? What did you concentrate on Jo’s secret? Hold forth beneath!
Chicago PD airs on NBC on Wednesdays at 10/9c. You’ll be able to stream on Peacock.
Jasmine Blu is a senior workers author for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching means too many reveals and binge-drinking means an excessive amount of tea. Her eclectic style makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for advanced characters, various illustration, dynamic duos, compelling tales, and responsible pleasures. You will undoubtedly discover her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
