Chicago P.DThe fall finale left fans with many questions about newcomer Eva Imani, starting with whether they should worry about her safety after she walks into a suspected killer’s home alone.
Showrunner Gwen Sigan explained exclusively Us Weekly ahead of the season 13 winter premiere on Wednesday, January 7, fans should be worried about Imani (Arienne Mandi), noting that it “wasn’t the smartest choice” for the young member of the Intelligence Unit.
“It was very instinctive and impulsive,” Sigan said of Imani’s breakup with Raymond Bell (Barry Del Sherman) house during the Late autumn November 2025. “We’ll see the results of that, and also Voight’s reaction to that, which was fun.”
During the fall cliffhanger, Sergeant Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) and his team turned over every stone to try to prove that Raymond was a murderer after finding a pattern around his supposed group of hunters and learning that people were “disappearing” on his property over and over again.
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Imani, meanwhile, connected with Raymond’s granddaughter, Julie (Julianna Layne), during the investigation, amid concerns that her grandfather was harming her or grooming her to be a murderer as well.
Then Imani got a call from Julie which made her worried and she sneaked into Raymond’s house without telling his team. The episode ended with Imani searching the property as a loud noise came from downstairs.
“We pick up immediately,” Sigan said we of the return of the show. “So we’re back in that house with Imani and the decisions he’s made to put her there.”
The showrunner confirmed that Raymond’s case will “conclude” at the end of the episode.
Jason Beghe, Arienne Mandi.
Lori Allen/NBC“We learn a lot about Raymond Bell and his past, and we also learn a lot about Imani’s past and also about Voight’s,” Sigan explained. “It’s an interesting, adrenaline-pumping episode, but then there’s a lot of excitement, hopefully, too.”
Sigan noted that fans will find out why Imani was “really turned on” by the case and “uniquely” drawn to it.
“It was the idea of the young woman, Julie, and the state that Julie was in, and the fact that her life was in danger,” he said. weand added that Imani at least “believed” Julie was in danger before entering the house unsupported.
Sigan said Voight won’t be “happy” with Imani’s choices, despite doing “very similar things” himself to solve a case.
The showrunner revealed that Imani joins the team during season 13 he was “always designed” to be a “mirror” for Voight and show the sign of him that he has worked hard to change: the impulsive side.
“He’s not the most self-reflective, but at a certain point, you know what works for you and what doesn’t work for you, and you know the cost of who you are,” Sigan said of Voight. “And we saw last season that he thinks the costs are that he can’t be with anybody. He has to be alone.”
That similar perspective on what Voight deserves after all he’s done on the job is now being “reflected” on Imani, making for a fun juxtaposition for fans and the show’s writers alike.
“The second part of the season is watching the relationship grow between them and realizing that when Voight sees himself in her, does he like what he’s seeing?” Sigan scoffed.
In addition to ending Raymond’s case, Sigan said we that the program’s winter return will be develop the blackmail story involving Commander Mark Devlin (Joel Murray).
“A lot of these truths come out, a lot of what Devlin is after and what his motivation is,” Sigan said, adding that the “reality” behind the childhood photos of Voight apparently being beaten by his own father that have been exposed will be explained.
Sigan pointed it out Chicago P.D doesn’t often talk about Voight as a kid, but his past “comes to mind” in a “really interesting” way.
He added that Devlin is “pursuing Voight in such an emotional way” that it will show a “different version” of Voight and how he deals with the matter.
Season 13 of Chicago P.D returns to NBC on Wednesday, January 7 at 10:00 PM ET.