Chicago PD season 11 premiered on Wednesday – and fans finally discovered Adam Ruzek's fate after a devastating season ten finale saw him shot in the chest. Six months on from that fateful moment Ruzek, (Patrick John Flueger) thankfully, was alive and still trying to get fit enough to pass the tests required to get back on the team.
Viewers see him running around his neighborhood being timed by Kevin Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins), but it's clear he's not yet where he needs to be, and showrunner Gwen Sigan has told HELLO! that episode two will finally dive into where Ruzek is physically – and mentally.
"Episode two is a Ruzek episode; we really highlight him and show his journey and what it's been like for him for the last six months – and it's been a hard road," said Gwen.
"It's been six months of physical rehab, and it takes a lot physically but also mentally to get you back to where you were before. Adam is someone that relies so much on this job – it's part of his self-worth, part of keeping him sane – and he needs the adrenaline and the impact of this job.
"If he didn't have this job who would Ruzek be? It is always the most fun question to ask because he'd probably be on the other side of this world [as a criminal]. Now, he's in this weird space because he has not passed his tests, so we will get to see that journey with him."
Episode two and three will also offer insight into Adam's relationship with Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati), with Gwen confirming these two are still "committed to each other" after rekindling their romance with a kiss in season ten.
"[In episode two] we also get to see Burgess, and what they look like together now that they are a family unit and are committed to each other," Gwen shared.
"For Burgess, she needs to figure out, 'how do you help someone when they're spinning out, support them in the way that they need?' Episode three is also a Burzek [a portmanteau of Burgess and Ruzek] episode so we're heavy Burzek for the next two episodes, and it's lovely because they're so good together; they have the best chemistry.
"Kim and Adam have grown so much as a couple, and we get to see that in these six months they finally found this rhythm – and it's not perfect. It is a hard thing to go through when your partner is going through rehab and has physically not been well, but we get to see that now they have the tools that they didn't when they were younger."