Another one bites the Chicago dust. Police officer Kiana Cook has left Chicago PDs intelligence unit, and the season 13 premiere revealed how. Season 12 ended with the unit disbanded, and the first episode picked up four weeks later, with Sergeant Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) back on patrol in District 11. During one of the opening conversations with Internal Affairs Division Commander Devlin, he reveals where the rest of his team has landed, including sharing what had happened to Kiana, played by Toya Turner.
Toya joined the NBC series in 2024, making her debut in season 12 as Kiana, a character who built a quick rapport with Officer Dante Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguiler) and had a detailed backstory that included an estranged relationship with her mother, a society woman in Chicago. But fans will not learn anything further about Kiana, as Voight said: "My officer Kiana Cook, she just took a permanent spot on 17th, and I don't want to lose any more members."
Officer Kevin Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins) had been put back on patrol, while viewers saw Officer Dante Torres struggling at home without his day-to-day routine, and Detective Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) and her husband, Officer Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger), also at home – and making the most of their time alone as newlyweds. The episode saw the team come together off the books to help Voight track down a gunman who killed an elderly woman Voight had been helping.
"I'm grateful for the time I had bringing Kiana to life. Thank you to everyone who welcomed me so warmly," said Toya in a statement after the news broke that she would be leaving the series after one season. Season 13's premiere instead introduced a new character to the Intelligence Unit – Eva Imani, a former soldier and military contractor who thrives in dangerous situations, and is described as a fearless outsider who keeps her cards close to the vest.
Eva was introduced as an Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) agent, who is working a case. However, by the end of the episode, she had been given an "early end to my detail," and Voight offers her a role in the Intelligence Unit, which she accepts. The episode ended with the unit returning to PD and meeting Eva. She is played by Arienne Mandi, whom fans will recognize from Netflix'sThe Night Agent.
The rest of season 13 will see the Intelligence Unit continue to deal with the fallout of Deputy Chief Reid's death at the end of season 12. Fans will also be pleased to hear that former fan favorite Jesse Lee Soffer will be returning to the world of One Chicago, directing a forthcoming episode.
"I was honored to get to spend some time directing with my PD fam," Jesse shared on Instagram."More pics to come later don't wanna give away too much of the episode!" he wrote in his caption, adding: "Very grateful," with a red heart emoji.
This will be the third episode Jesse has directed; he made his directorial debut in season 10 when he was still appearing on the show as Jay Halstead, and then again in season 11.