TV REVIEW: Chicago PD’s Antonio Goes Deep Cover in “What Puts You on That Ledge”

Last week we saw Burgess and Roman go through hell, ending up bloodied and narrowly escaping death. This week it was Antonio Dawson’s turn to take a trek down south with an undercover assignment that had Voight worried. Yes, Hank Voight was worried in “What Puts You on That Ledge.” The sergeant kept asking his detective “you alright?” obviously remembering what happened the last time Antonio went down deep. He almost didn’t resurface. It was the Dawson show tonight in an episode long on action and short on feels that was adequate but not stellar.

Dawson Goes Deep UC

The case of the night is a narc officer deep undercover, Rick Manning, who’s gone MIA. His team suspects he was discovered and is now just in too deep.

Voight sends Antonio in where he quickly meets up with an old acquaintance, Cooper, from his last UC assignment. Dawson gets in good with the guy by “shooting” a would-be robber who was really a cop because that’s what you’ve got to do to get a job nowadays.

Meanwhile, Olinksy and Erin visit Rick’s wife and find a bag of money in the fireplace. So he did steal from his fake employers? Dirty cop?

Cooper introduces Dawson to his bad bossman who says hello with a face punch. Some guys have a handshake, others… When Antonio comes to, new boss lays out the deal he has planned – an audition for the new guy in the form of hitting a lab that night.

“Hey, bro. You alright? Just tell me when this is over I won’t be diggin’ two graves,” Voight asks Dawson again, not entirely convinced he’s up for the challenge.

Antonio and the crew of bad guys rob the lab wearing creepy masks that look more horror flick than cop drama. One of the crew (is it Skinny Pete from Breaking Bad?) is a jumpy thing, almost shooting Olinsky who’s posing as a guard. Antonio comes in for the save.

Cooper is a bad guy with a few brain cells, saying they should just get into the roofing business. He doesn’t seem to know what happened to the other guy (the missing cop). He tells Antonio throughout the episode that they should just split, and get out while they can.

Pictured: (l-r) Charles Baker as Terry Warfield, Jesse Lee Soffer as Jay Halstead, Elias Koteas as Alvin Olinsky — (Photo by: Matt Dinerstein/NBC)

Burgess and Roman Do Good

Burgess and Roman don’t get into trouble, don’t face serious danger, and their lives are not in jeopardy in “What Puts You on That Ledge.” Strange, I know. They face off with a squatter who won’t leave an apartment. This guy is apparently in for the long squat. Roman makes it his personal mission to get the stubborn squatter out. Brian Geraghty is so good in this tough one minute, cute and sweet the next, role that I can feel Ruzek and Atwater shaking in their cop shoes. Who doesn’t want to see Roman with more screen time and maybe even a romance (go watch Ray Donovan)?

“Running for office, Captain Hairdo? Just lay out the facts,” Platt tells Roman who explains the squatter from hell situation.

Trudy doesn’t see any solution other than the slow by-the-book process. Burgess has her own ideas, first trying to lure the guy out with an offer of a better place, “for you and your wife.”

“We’re no longer together,” he says not taking the deal.

Burgess and Roman enlist Mouch’s help to harass the squatter with fire code inspections and rants about violations. He shows up to harass Platt first, talking Zumba with his girl.

She asks, “You trying to tell me I’m fat?”

Moving right along, Mouch accompanies his cop friends to the apartment where he spews some fire code mumbo jumbo. He spies a hole in the wall partially repaired and yanks away at the dry wall revealing a body in a bag! Yeah, I guess the wife and squatter really aren’t together anymore.

Natasha Forouzannia as Amber Banks, Sophia Bush as Erin Lindsay, Elias Koteas as Alvin Olinsky — (Photo by: Matt Dinerstein/NBC)

Linstead’s on Ice

This one opens with Voight giving Halstead and Lindsay the stink eye as they leave the break room. He knows and we know Linstead’s in trouble.

“I don’t like telling people twice,” Voight says. He also partners Olinsky with Erin. Jay’s been Voight-blocked.

By episode’s end, Halstead tells Erin, “Voight knows.”

“I know,” she answers reluctantly.

“I’m gonna go talk to him right now,” Jay says.

Whoa, big boy. “Jay, I wish it was that easy. You know it was different for me.”

And just like that, they give each other goo goo eyes while deciding to end whatever it was they just started. Jay says, “I understand” and Lindsay agrees that they’ll cool it but they say, “we’ll always have each other’s back.” So how long do you think this Linstead friendzone will last? Given how those Chicago writers don’t like the viewers to wait too long for anything, we’re guessing it will not be more than 3-4 episodes before Linstead is playing Scrabble, or Twister, or buying that timeshare in Wisconsin.

The Save

Antonio is led to a “rat” the bad guys need to take care of. Finally, we meet a beaten, chained up Rick who claims to be cop. They don’t believe him, and bossman commands Antonio to “do it.” Dawson pulls a gun but tells him, “I’ve got a better idea.” He wants to take him to another place, less of a distance to drag the body. Voight shows up in the nick of time and here’s our prerequisite shootout. Antonio stabs the bad guy to death in a brutal scene that leaves us wondering if Dawson did in fact go too deep.

Voight takes a bullet in the arm, but no worries; we think he eats them for breakfast. He says, “I don’t need a damn ambo, just drive me to Chicago Med.” We’re now going to mention Chicago Med as much as possible on PD and Fire because Chicago Med looks like it’ll be green lit for next season. Chicago Med’s pilot will be on Fire in about four episodes. That’s Chicago Med, got it?

Pictured: (l-r) Brendan McCarthy as Vince Parker, Phil Burke as Cooper, Jon Seda as Antonio Dawson — (Photo by: Matt Dinerstein/NBC)

Final Moments

In the final minutes of this one, we get an awkward, completely unnecessary scene teaming up girl Dawson with Erin Lindsay. The cop is in Molly’s asking Gabby, “Can you date someone that you work with?” Wait, when did these two become friends? It seems so contrived and just an excuse to have these women talk about dating people they work with. Ditch the insta-friendship and stick to your usual good storytelling, Chicago PD. That’s the strength of the show, what’s taken the ratings to new heights this season.

In the closing moments, we see Voight talking to Antonio at the ice skating rink. Dawson says, “You know what puts you on that ledge? It’s not to forget who’s who. They’re the reason I never went over.” He adds looking at his kids skating around. Whew! Dawson didn’t go too deep. He’s still the caring father we’ve grown to love. He’s still the good cop who’s white hat may have dirtied a little but remains mostly pale.

The perfection of PD has been somewhat lacking the past couple of episodes. This was another episode light on Erin Lindsay, and we can’t help but think that’s a big reason for the feeling a little flat tone. It wasn’t terrible; it just didn’t have the usual emotional impact or edge of your seat tension that typical Chicago PD sports. What did you think of “What Puts You on That Ledge?” Are you longing for more Lindsay plotlines? Will Linstead stay on Voight restriction? And most importantly, will Chicago ever thaw out? Let’s hope not. Those beanies definitely need to stay.

Random Notes

Jay recommends his buddy Mouse for IU’s open tech nerd position. Mouse is the new Jin. He knows his stuff even getting a smile from Hank. He’s quirky and cute, so we’re all in.

PD combines the serious and funny with ease. Tonight’s humor brought to us by Mouch and Platt. Long live Plouch!

Roman is a scene stealer. One Geraghty expression can out-act some of the other player’s stiff, wooden delivery of dialogue.

Burgess has the wide-eyed innocent look down. At least three versions of it … down.

Beanies are the fashion statement of Chicago shows. They are everywhere. Fire, PD … the doctors on Med will probably be sporting them in the OR. The actors all look so hot in the head gear, we’re good with the beanie invasion.

 Chicago PD airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on NBC.