Chicago PD season 9: Is Marina Squerciati leaving Chicago PD?

Heading into the Chicago PD season 8 finale, all eyes were on Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) and understandably so.

In the penultimate episode of the season, “The Right Thing,” Deputy Superintendent Samantha Miller’s (recurring guest star Nicole Ari Parker) son found himself caught up in the Intelligence Unit’s latest case which quickly spiraled out of control. While working undercover, Miller’s son was killed by traffickers sending the team into overdrive on a hunt to bring down those responsible for his death.

As the team tracked a lead in the final moments of the episode, Burgress made the mistake of heading to one location on the team’s list on her own, which was the first hint that something bad was about to happen. Shortly after arriving at the location, Kim was attacked, thus setting up a major cliffhanger heading into the finale.

** Warning: The following post contains spoilers from the Chicago PD season 8 finale **

Is Kim Burgess leave Chicago PD?

Picking up right where the previous episode left off, the Chicago PD season 8 finale’s opening moments saw Burgess in grave danger as her attacker brutally assaulted her. Just when it looked as though she was about to get the upper hand on her attacker, his partner showed up and things escalated quickly.

Not only did Walton shoot his accomplice, but he also shot Burgess twice in the stomach area giving fans immediate reason to panic as it looked as though we had just witnessed the murder of Burgress only minutes into the episode.

However, when we next cut to the garage where she had been shot, we discovered Burgess had survived the attack but her life was in serious danger. Ever the fighter, Kim mustered up enough strength to create a makeshift tourniquet and managed to crawl out of the garage, break into one of the cars on the lot and turn on the emergency lights before passing out in the driver’s seat.

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While it was looking as though the Intelligence Unit might not get to her in time, Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) and Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins) happened to notice the emergency lights Kim managed to switch on and made it to her in time. Although she was in bad shape, she still had a pulse.

She was quickly taken to Med and rushed into surgery for treatment. As the episode closed, no official update regarding Burgess’s health was given but it looks like she should pull through unless the writers throw a major curveball our way in the season 9 premiere this fall.

Given Burgess seems to have survived her attack, it appears she’ll be back in action next season as we don’t imagine the writers would watch Burgess survive the ordeal only to die while in surgery. What will be interesting to see is how she recovers from the attack and what’s next for Burgess in season 9.

Is Marina Squerciati leaving Chicago PD?

Given that Burgess’s fate is still up in the air, it’s uncertain whether she’ll pull through meaning the character’s future remains in limbo. While things continue to look grim for Burgess with our first glimpse of the character in season 9 suggesting she’ll begin the season still fighting for her life — check out the emotional new promo below — our gut tells us Marina Squerciati isn’t going anywhere.

Leading up to the season 9 premiere, there have been no reports from NBC or Squerciati suggesting she will be leaving Chicago PD. While Burgess’s fate being left up in the air could have been utilized as a possible exit storyline by the writer, there have been no hints from Squerciati herself that this season will be her last.

While the timing of Burgess’s recovery remains unclear, we expect her recovery will play a major role in her season 9 arc — and we’re not just talking about her physical recovery. After going through a traumatic experience such as the one Burgess went through, we imagine there will be a lot to unpack in season 9 and it’s going to be interesting to see how her attack colors her look on life.

For the latest Chicago PD season 8 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago PD category at One Chicago Center.