43 minSeason 1 • Episode 13
LatestFBI Special Agent Cuyler returns to see Superintendent Colvin; Jarek deals with family issues that have haunted him for years; and the case against Alderman Gibbons comes to a conclusion.
The series follows officers of the Chicago Police Department as they fight crime on the streets and try to expose political corruption within the city.
Acting
Delroy Lindo's Alderman Gibbons—charming, terrifying, unforgettable.
Writing
Shawn Ryan channeling The Shield's rage into city politics.
Production
Chicago shot like a living, breathing pressure cooker.
Creator
Shawn Ryan
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shawn Ryan created this after The Shield ended, specifically to explore how institutional corruption operates at city hall level versus street level. Fox canceled it after 13 episodes despite decent ratings—rumored because it made Chicago politicians look *too* accurately terrible.
This was Jennifer Beals's return to TV drama after The L Word, and she fought for Teresa Colvin to avoid cop show clichés—no romantic subplot, no 'tough woman needs softening' arc. The show's cancellation killed that experiment. Light spoiler: her final confrontation with Gibbons in episode 13 was written as a season finale, not series finale, which explains the brutal unresolved tension.
US
