Shocking news has come from Chicago P.D. Star Patrick John Flueger has taken a leave of absence, causing the show to rework upcoming episode scripts.
The good news is that this absence is reportedly temporary, with the plan for Flueger to return to the show later this season. But how long will he be out? That remains a mystery.
Deadline reports that Flueger is dealing with a personal matter. It was an unexpected revelation, and the Chicago P.D. showrunners are trying to adapt to the situation.
Flueger plays Officer Adam Ruzek. For years, Ruzek has been a vital member of the Intelligence team.
According to Deadline, “the time off comes as Flueger has been going through a difficult period personally, with an instance of alcohol use on set.”
On the show, Ruzek is married to Detective Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati). They have a daughter, Makayla, whom they adopted a few seasons back. The couple finally got married during the Chicago P.D. Season 12 finale.
Many storylines have also revolved around Ruzek’s dad. He is played by Jack Coleman, with Disco Bob now residing in a Chicago nursing home.
Ruzek to be absent from upcoming Chicago P.D. episodes
Some upcoming Chicago P.D. episodes have already been filmed. That includes Chicago P.D. Season 13, Episode 4, which debuts on Wednesday, October 22. The fifth episode of the season has also been filmed.
Since Flueger plays a main character, the absence will definitely impact many upcoming storylines. But Ruzek is a character who can be written out of episodes in a very plausible way.
We expect some quick explanations to reveal that Ruzek is tending to his dad, or that he has gone undercover to work on a case. Both storylines are plausible for the show and leave Ruzek’s story open-ended. That will make it easier for the character to be reintegrated later on this season.
But the downside is that we won’t see Ruzek for a while. Intelligence has already been working shorthanded on many cases, so this will only compound the issue.
An opportunity has also been presented for new episodes to explore the new character. Arienne Mandi plays Eva Imani, the newest Intelligence member. Now we will see if she can help hold down episodes with the rest of the cast.
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