In a season that already delivered shocking twists, Chicago P.D. writers once considered an ending so brutal, they backed down at the last second: the death of Kim Burgess.
During early Season 8 planning, showrunners outlined a storyline where Burgess would be fatally shot during a rescue mission gone wrong. The death was meant to fracture Intelligence and push Ruzek into a moral collapse.
Marina Squerciati was reportedly onboard. She felt it would be a bold exit and cement Burgess’s legacy. But test reactions to the idea were extreme—too extreme.
Producers feared the backlash would be immense. Losing a core female character, especially one so beloved, risked alienating viewers. The plan was scrapped, replaced by the kidnapping and trauma storyline that aired instead.
Still, the shadow of what could have been lingers—and fans are left wondering how the show might have changed if Burgess never came back.
