Third time's the charm! After two proposals, a heartbreaking miscarriage, numerous hookups and an adopted daughter, Chicago PD's Kim Burgess and Adam Ruzek are engaged to be married – and it happened "exactly" how they both needed, says Marina Squerciati.
Season 11 episode three followed Burgess (played by Marina) as she worked an extra shift at the 13th District and got caught in the middle of a drive-by attack on refugees. The team then worked together to track down the shooter and uncover the true motive behind the attack, with Ruzek – who is back on the team after a nine-month recovery – backing his partner the entire time.
In the final moments, as they both sat in their pajamas ready for bed, Kim is honest about what she needs from their relationship, and Adam acknowledges he can give her that, before pulling out an engagement ring and proposing.
It's been a long time coming for fans of the pair – known affectionately as Burzek – and for Marina and Patrick J. Flueger, who have played these two characters for over 11 years. But that didn't mean they had any warning that the end of the script would feature a proposal.
"Sometimes we get [a warning]: 'You need to go to the gym, you have a sex scene,'" Marina tells HELLO! before joking that, in this case, she was glad there was no warning.
"I read the script and if Scott Gold, who wrote this magnificent script, had told me, 'You're just in pajamas and it's really casual,' I would have said: 'Oh Burgess deserves better,' but it is exactly what they both need.
"They've been through so much Sturm und Drang that this is perfect and beautiful and they both say exactly what they mean. Kim says, 'This is what I need,' and he's like, 'I can give it to you,' and then it happens. It was perfect and beautiful and so calm – but I think she'll definitely want a big wedding after that proposal!"
As for how this proposal, and Kim's continued decision to own her power will impact the rest of the season, Marina revealed an insight into how she has portrayed the character that fans may or may not have noticed: "Sometimes when Kim disagrees with Hank Voight (Jason Beghe), in a previous season I would break eye contact, but now Kim is saying, 'Take it or leave it,this is my opinion.'
"Whether the fans notice that or not, I don't know, but what I think is great about PD is that the cast is still working on those little things to show that we're not phoning it in after 11 years."
"The writers continue to challenge me and I'm still doing things that make me smile and make me work and make me question if I did a good job," she continued. "If I knew I was hitting home runs all the time, maybe I'd become complacent but I agonize all the time; Paddy and I worry, 'Do we do this? Or do we do this?' We still care and we still love it."
When asked if we will see the pair telling their close friends and family, Marina sidestepped by acknowledging the show isn't all about Kim, with episode four "a great Torres episode and Benjamin [Levy Aguilar] hit it out of the park, which is great, and then we're turning to Voight and his rage is coming back, and I think fans will be excited to see old Voight".
With Tracy Spiridakos, who plays Hailey Upton, leaving at the end of the season, Marina added that this is the opportunity to explore "Voight and Burgess' special relationship".
"I don't want her to be the moral center like Jay Halstead was – I don't think that's her position – but I do think that she can offer something to Voight and I'd like to see what that is. I'd rather have Tracy [Spiridakos] on the show, happily, but I think that Burgess is the one to fill the space Hailey will leave," Marina added.
As for whether Tracy's final season will finally give fans the Hailey and Kim scenes they've been asking for? "It doesn't look like it's happening [this season,] but Tracy and Marina have a great friendship," quips Marina.