Chicago PD Rant: Sophia’s Exit and the Bigger Issue, the Writing
First of all, I think everyone is entitled to their own opinion of Chicago PD. Especially on why people watch the show. It means different things to different people so I’m a little disappointed that ever since the first article announced Sophia’s exit there have been some implying others are bad fans for not wanting to continue watching. When something changes I’m allowed to change my opinion as well, and in my opinion things haven’t been changing for the better. This extends past Sophia’s departure. TV is supposed to be an escape from reality for a bit, at least that’s what PD was for me. And when it just starts constantly disappointing me or pissing me off, it might be time to stop.
Just to clarify, I didn’t start watching PD specifically because of Sophia even though I was a moderate fan of hers from before. At that point I just didn’t have time to commit to the show, but I did happen to catch the Linstead scrabble scene at the bar at the end of episode 2x02 one night. It instantly grabbed my attention. The chemistry was amazing. I eventually went back and watched the previous episodes and became an instant fan.
Onto the crux of the problem I have with this show. The writing. Chicago PD is a perfect example of bad writing happening to good characters. After the beginning of season 3 the writing just started slipping. There was a lack of continuity, and storylines were being unceremoniously dropped for everyone. I’m not saying there weren’t good episodes or good scenes in the mix, there were, but there were just inconsistencies all around. And why cut scenes that humanize the characters over scenes that involve a case no one is going to care about by the next episode? Also, the writing of the finale was frankly insulting. What a horrible way to write off a beloved character and make a number of characters feel essentially out of character in the process. Almost none of it made sense. I will never be able to forgive the writers for that particular mess.
Now Sophia was a female lead on a male dominated show so obviously she was going to be a focus of attention regardless, and I appreciate that. Remember the woman crush Wednesday promo? It’s important to have a female lead who is well-rounded and flawed; someone who is relatable to viewers. On top of that, Erin was the glue that connected a lot of the characters. But I agree with many others, at times they pushed Erin storylines over storylines for other characters when they could have divvied up screen time better, and I’m saying this as a huge Erin fan. That’s on the producers and the network. They chose to use Sophia and her character as a focal point for the show. It was easy marketing for them. She had the biggest name draw in their key demo. She got eyeballs on screens. So that dismissive comment from Dick Wolf about her leaving not having “any effect at all” really rubbed me the wrong way. With so much exposure of her they are going to have a hard time filling in that gaping hole, both in content and for promotion. Most people outside the fandom can’t even name another actor on the show.
Besides Sophia leaving, there is a new showrunner, Rick Eid, and new writers. So regardless of her leaving, it’s going to be a slightly different show. Olmstead left A LOT to be desired, but I don’t share the optimism of others with this new change. I just don’t have confidence in a showrunner who is now helming PD, not because they searched for a great replacement, but because he had a year left on his contract with Universal and was shuffled over from SVU after a subpar season (just ask their fans). Also look at his producing and writing credits. A majority of his work has been on procedurals. This does not bode well considering that the issue a lot of fans have with PD is that it has become too procedural and lacks the balance it once had in its earlier seasons. Why pitch it as “not your father’s procedural,” and then start turning it into precisely that? The formula of the show needs to be fixed or it will continue to lose key demo viewers.
As for Upton, nothing against Tracy, but I’m not a fan. The show had an opportunity to address their lack of diversity, and they blew it. In fact, PD has never had a WoC series regular. The other Chicago shows have WoC regulars. What gives? Also, they could have been bold in creating a new character, and instead Upton just feels like Erin lite. She bores me. In my opinion, she’s a poor replacement, and let’s face it that’s exactly what she is, a replacement. That still doesn’t mean they should be so blatant about it. They didn’t have to make her Jay’s partner for example, and I sure as hell hope they don’t link them romantically. All this leads to is direct comparison and scrutinization. As others mentioned, the very least they could have done is made Upton a member of the LGBTQ community, and I don’t mean simply as a means to keep her from being Jay’s love interest. Representation matters folks!
So sure I’ll probably watch the first episode of the new season, mostly for Jesse and because I’m a glutton for punishment, but beyond that, not sure how far I’ll be able to go. While I like the other characters, so much damage has already been done writing-wise. I’m not sure I can continue watching with part of the reason I stuck around, despite the disappointment, gone. Always here for fan fiction though ;)
If you made it this far, thank you! Thoughts? What issues do you have with show?
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