It’s time to talk about Eva Imani.
By now, we are nearing the end of Chicago PD Season 13. It’s taken some time, but many people have mostly adjusted to the newest addition to the team.
But now there’s a matter of whether she’s someone who should last beyond this season.
(Lori Allen/NBC)
It feels like Chicago PD has had a difficult time figuring out who should settle into Intelligence permanently after losing Hailey at the end of Chicago PD Season 11.
We had two compelling characters in Chicago PD Season 12 who provided variety on the team.
The opener gave us the tragically murdered Martel. While she was interesting in the single episode in which she appeared, her death served more as shock value than anything else.
Then we had Kiana Cook, who stuck around long enough to develop and have a stronger character presence, but for reasons unknown, it apparently wasn’t what the series was looking for.
Despite the strong sense of camaraderie with Kiana and many other characters, the series shuffled her off because it apparently wanted to move on to something new.
So we got Eva Imani.
(Lori Allen/NBC)
She’s fiery, tough as nails, and a straight shooter. In many ways, some of her traits have mirrored those of Hailey Upton and Erin Lindsay. And suddenly, “something new” is merely “something familiar.”
And that overlap has been met with mixed responses from viewers.
For most of the season, Imani has been tied almost exclusively to Voight, serving as his partner and more of an equal than a subordinate, unlike other team members.
She’s served as a narrative device to expand on Voight’s character development this season.
Through her, we see Voight’s evolution.
(Lori Allen/NBC)
She pushes him, questions him, and even pulls pieces of his past out of him in ways others can’t. And in return, he tempers her impulsiveness, almost like he’s course-correcting a younger version of himself.
In theory, it’s compelling… for Voight.
But it also means Imani exists almost exclusively within Voight’s orbit.
Imani hasn’t exactly forged meaningful connections with other members of Intelligence so much as run her own path, or one parallel to Voight’s.
She has an interesting enough background. Searching for her missing sister is a defining arc for her character, and that’s great.
But it also feels finite, like it’s something the season intends to conclude. If that happens, well, that just screams “exit,” doesn’t it?
(Lori Allen/NBC)
And when you consider how tethered to Voight she is, what else is there to cling to?
That’s the gist of Imani as a character and what we’ve had to work with all season.
For some, it’s been enough to connect with her, and they appreciate the energy she may bring to the team. But for the rest of us, she remains inaccessible as a character and feels like a mocktail of CPD’s Greatest Hits from yesteryear.
One of the most glaring issues with Imani has been how little she interacts with the rest of the team. It’s something they’ve started to improve upon on the back half of the season, but it feels too late to matter.
Imani’s introduction left the impression that she’s not much of a team player, like a junkyard dog no one could get a handle on. But she found a way to work with this unit.
( Lori Allen/NBC)
Sure, she could continue vibing with Intelligence’s “merry band of misfits” on a more permanent basis, but the show hasn’t done much with her to make her feel essential, invaluable, or unique enough to matter.
If, or shall we just say “when” she inevitably leaves, Intelligence won’t miss her, and many viewers probably won’t either. And that’s disappointing.
She gives off the vibe that she’s here for a good time, but not a long one. And because Chicago and Intelligence feel like a pit stop in her journey, it’s been hard to become attached to or invest in her.
It feels like an expiration date is hanging over her head.
Chances are, Imani will likely resolve this case with her missing sister and disappear after the finale. Maybe they’ll give her a proper goodbye, or maybe she’ll be someone who disappears between seasons.
( Elizabeth Sisson/NBC)
But it definitely feels like we just had a temporary body to fill a void in what may be a revolving door of “replacements.”
I don’t know what to make of that or how we should feel about it.
But I do wonder, do you think Imani should be a permanent fixture on the Intelligence unit? Do you want her to be? Let’s discuss below!
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