In early drafts of Chicago P.D. Season 7, Detective Kim Burgess was meant to die during the harrowing kidnapping storyline. Her brutal assault, rescue, and recovery arc were originally written as her final moments.
Why? Ratings pressure. Producers reportedly believed a shocking character death would spike viewership and “reset the tone” of the show.
Marina Squerciati, who plays Burgess, had already filmed goodbye interviews. Crew members said the atmosphere was funereal. “We were all bracing for it,” said one writer.
But just days before filming the death scene, the network intervened. Early fan screenings of the buildup episodes had one consistent note: “If Burgess dies, I’m done.”
NBC panicked. Writers scrambled to rewrite the episode. Instead of dying, Burgess was left clinging to life—barely—paving the way for one of the most emotional arcs in the show’s history.
The aftermath allowed the show to explore trauma, PTSD, and survival. Marina said it was her most challenging arc to date. “I didn’t want it to be clean or pretty,” she said. “I wanted her to hurt, and fight, and keep going.”
In the end, a character was saved not by a writer—but by her audience. And the show was better for it.
