The sirens of Chicago P.D. often drown out the personal lives of its stars, but as January 2026 unfolds, all eyes are on Marina Squerciati. While her character, Detective Kim Burgess, is finally settling into a fragile peace following the monumental “Burzek” wedding in 2025, Marina’s real life has been a whirlwind of secret milestones and balancing acts that would make even the toughest officer at the 21st District take a breath. After surprising fans with the news of her second child in late 2024, Marina has entered 2026 with a new perspective on what it means to be a “working mom” in one of the most demanding franchises on television.
The most shocking moment for the fandom occurred during the transition from 2024 to 2025, when Marina revealed on Instagram that her brief absence from the show’s early episodes was not due to a scripted injury, but because she was secretly welcoming her second child with husband Eli Kay-Oliphant. In 2026, Marina has been more open about the reality of this transition, sharing candid moments of “elevator wig-slapping” and eating dinner on train platforms just to make it from the set to her daughter’s school events. This duality of being a gritty detective by day and a devoted mother by night has become Marina’s defining arc of the year, echoing the struggles of many professional women who “handle it with grace” while the world only sees the finished product.
In the current Season 13 episodes airing this January, Kim Burgess is facing a “crossroads” that mirrors Marina’s own life. Showrunner Gwen Sigan has confirmed that the 2026 storyline for Burgess and Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) is focused on the “snapshot” of their family life with Makayla. Following their wedding, the couple is now grappling with the big decisions of the future, including whether the dangerous streets of Chicago are still the right place to raise their daughter. This “slice of life” approach has allowed fans to see a more vulnerable, domestic side of Burgess, as she and Ruzek finally operate as a solid unit against external threats rather than internal drama.
Marina’s off-screen bond with Patrick John Flueger remains the backbone of the “Burzek” phenomenon in 2026. Their decade-long friendship has reached a point of “creative telepathy,” where the two actors often collaborate on scene adjustments to ensure the most authentic portrayal of a long-term partnership. Patrick, who recently returned to the set after his own personal hiatus, has been a constant support for Marina as she navigates the demands of a two-child household. This real-life support system is what allows the “Stellaride” and “Burzek” couples to feel so grounded and earned after years of “will-they-won’t-they” tension.
As 2026 continues, Marina Squerciati is proving that her greatest superpower isn’t her badge, but her resilience. Whether she is leading the Intelligence Unit through a high-stakes carjacking case or navigating the quiet chaos of a nursery at 3:00 AM, she remains the heart of the One Chicago family. Her journey this year is a testament to the fact that sometimes the most heroic stories happen when the cameras are turned off and the real work of family begins. With a “Marvel-level” crossover on the horizon for March 2026, fans can expect Marina to continue pushing the boundaries of what a TV detective can be.
Would you like me to find the “Official Teaser” for the March 4th Mega Crossover event to see Burgess in action, or should we track the “Locker Room Rituals” video where Patrick and Marina prank the newer cast members?
