Finest Hour – Chicago PD Season 8.08 “Protect and Serve”

Logline: Ruzek and Atwater are tasked with making an arrest after a high-profile shooting; the situation becomes complicated when it is clear someone does not want them to make it back to the station.  Written by: Gwen Sigan and Ike Smith. Directed by Eriq La Salle. Airdate: 03/10/2021

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There is a sign of the times in the Chicago Police Department where reform and change are called for.  A CPD investigator was called into “interview” members of the Intelligence Unit of the 21^st District – a move “designed to help foresee future problems and to supplement early intervention strategies” which are “purely supportive and not punitive” in nature.  Members of the unit were asked a series of questions from how they wanted their coffee … a seemingly shrewd way to garner information and see if a racial slur might slip out or if they had heard someone in their family ever use a racial slur.

This two-minute scene was meticulously staged in a theatre-like setup, with both the actors and the director shooting it with great accuracy and precision.  This is yet the best teaser of all for the eighth season.

3 sides of the story:

A video surfaced when Field Training Officer (FTO) Wheelan Michael Rispoli  (The Sopranos) and his Trainee Police Officer (TPO) Andre Cooper (Cleveland Berto) pulled over a Jeff Duncan (Shawn Roundtree, Jr.) for “going 7 over the speed limit,”  which ended up with him being shot and killed.  The superintendent, “Sassy Sam” Miller (Nicole Ari Parker), makes a special request from Sergeant Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) if Intelligence can make the pick-up and transport. Miller updates the team on its current situation and orders Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger)  and Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins)  to arrest and transport patrolman Wheelan to central booking. 

Note: Superintended Miller in blues is very telling. Signifies alliance, standing strong with her district.

After apprehending Wheelan, Upton informed that a video of the officer-involved shooting has gone viral and was advised to proceed to the safe house instead of the central booking station due to anticipated protests in the station. 

The Ruzek and Atwater “Uber services” soon escalated as the duo finds themselves in an assassin’s line of sight, as they take cover from a barrage of bullets sprawling over them fighting for their lives as they tried their utmost to protect themselves and patrolman Wheelan from unknown assassins while they were holding up in a safe house.  Not knowing who could be trusted, the duo decided to go “off-book” with patrolman Whelan until Voight, and the rest of the unit determined the identities and the connections of who the shooters were.

While the three men tried to hide from another sniper, Wheelan kept proclaiming his innocence to Atwater and Ruzek and that his shooting of the black driver was righteous and justified.  Atwater pushed back while Ruzek played the pacifier and making Atwater turn on him, asking why he (Ruzek) had to play the nice white cop all of the time. 

The staff writers truly explored the many sides to race with Duncan and Wheelan, Atwater, and Ruzek.  Notably emphasizing that today’s reality is based on perceptions and fears (on both sides).

More than a bromance:

The 92 seconds of confrontation and exchanges between Hawkins and Flueger is probably the best of a Meisner technique scene yet for this season.  Over the past two seasons, Ruzek’s and Atwater’s friendship has been tested many times dealing with race issues. Hawkins and Flueger’s performances were raw, authentic, and flawless. As Meisner described, they were “two actors sitting across from each other, reflecting what was going on between them at the moment.” 

Truth and Consequences:

Atwater confronted Wheelan with a video taken from his trainee’s body cam, showing a different perspective of the shooting, catching the veteran officer off-guard, arguing that it was a different video, swearing that Duncan moved. Ruzek then confirms that Duncan never moved. Just when they thought they were clear to head back to the station, Voight informed them of a tracker in their vehicle, and yet there was another shooter on the loose. 

Sure enough, both Ruzek and Atwater found themselves again as targets. Out of bullets and cornered, they were given an ultimatum from a sniper – their lives for the life of patrolman Wheelan. 

In the end, Wheelan comes to terms with his action and admits that he feared Jeff Duncan and that he undeniably murdered a young man in cold blood pushes Atwater away and stood in the line of fire of the assassin. 

How Can You Stop Something You Can See Coming

“Appropriate loyalty, commendable level of empathy, appropriate tempered to protect and serve,” Voight told Ruzek and Atwater was Wheelan’s psychological evaluation results. He explained that Wheelan did not know he had [fear of the black man] him until the situation presented itself.

Atwater reflects that Wheelan believed that Duncan moved. He believed he saw something that was not there, posing the question to Ruzek, “What if you can see it coming?” 

The Finest Hour

Gwen Sigan and Ike Smith’s combined writings with Eriq La Salle at the helm produced another epic episode from the Wolf Entertainment Franchise.   “Protect and Serve” definitely sealed LaSalle as the auteur filmmaker, while Sigam and Smith stayed true to the form of today’s reality.  It took Patrick John Flueger and LaRoyce Hawkins only 92 seconds to earn them their “badges” as two of the best character performers to be on primetime television in this generation.

Over the years, Wolf Entertainment and its partner networks have never swayed away from taking up our society’s most sensitive topics and issues.  Credit needs to be extended to the courageous efforts of the writers, filmmakers, and actors who take on these challenges and have the courage to be real storytellers.