Chicago PD is going to be down a cop when Season 13 premieres, and it’s not who you might expect!
Chicago PD wrapped up season 12 with a lot of changes. Burgess and Ruzek finally got married after the Intelligence Unit barely survived the machinations of corrupt Chief Reid when the man was shot dead by the son of a criminal whose murder Reid had arranged. That saved Torres from going to jail for sleeping with a CI earlier in the season.
However, during the wedding, Chapman confronted Voight on how he’d arranged Reid’s murder just to save the Unit. That put Voight’s career in jeopardy if this came out. Likewise, Torres faced his own problems, as he might still face the consequences of his actions.
But in a surprise announcement, it’s neither cop who’s leaving Chicago PD. Instead, Deadline has reported that Toya Turner, who only joined the show in season 12 as Kiana Cook, will not be returning for Season 13. It’s an unexpected move that will affect the show.
Why is Toya Turner leaving Chicago PD?
Cook appeared in Chicago PD season 12, episode 2 as a patrol officer who aided Ruzek in hunting a cop killer in a high-speed chase. She returned a few episodes later to help Torres investigate a serial killer. That impressed Voight enough to recommend Cook to join the Intelligence Unit.
Cook’s backstory was interesting as it turned out she was the product of a one-night stand between a humble neighborhood shop owner and an heiress. That meant she had access to a lot of money but didn’t want to be in high society and preferred being a street cop.
The actress confirmed the news on an Instagram post that thanked the producers and the fans for the opportunity.
The sudden exit of Turner is more surprising, given she only joined the show last year. This equals Lisseth Chavez, who only appeared in season 8 as Vanessa Rojas. Chavez left the show with the character not even mentioned (hopefully, Cook at least gets a mention of an exit).
It sounds like Turner may be the victim of the lower budgets expected for all three One Chicago shows that came with their renewals. Deadline does note the series is already planning a new female character, “an officer on the ATF Task Force with a military background who is described as a “loose cannon.”
Chicago PD didn’t do enough with Cook
While it would be a shame to lose any member of the Chicago PD cast, cutting Cook loose is a bad move. We’d barely scratched the surface of what the character was like, from her past to what drove her to be a cop. She didn’t get enough time to develop friendships on the job or really bond with the other members of the squad.
The idea of Cook turning her back on a wealthy lifestyle to be a cop was an intriguing dynamic that sparked the character. She could have done more with Atwater, considering their different backgrounds, and her tension with Torres on cases also had promise.
That the show is already planning to add a new female character makes this worse, as Cook had what it took to be a standout in the cast. It’s possible this wasn’t entirely the producers’ call and Turner made the decision herself to leave (she also left Warrior Nun after the first season of the Netflix fantasy series) and so they have to scramble for a replacement.
It still saddens fans that before they could get invested in Cook, she’s gone, leaving another gap in the Intelligence Unit and Chicago PD season 13 having to shift things up yet again.
Chicago PD season 13 airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC.
Stay tuned to Precinct TV for news and updates.