The Chicago franchise follows the lives of Chicago's hardest-working firefighters, medics, lawyers, and police officers. All of this spanning over four different seasons that intersect within one compact universe. The entire franchise delves into the lives of these important figures and demonstrates their struggles in of personal life, as well as workplace politics and workplace hazards.
Law and Order: SVU Assistant District Attorney, Peter Stone. And there is so much more to them than meets the eye.
A First Career in Baseball
Many people go on to have second and third careers. While Peter Stone goes on to become a prosecutor, his first career was actually in sports. He was a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. Unfortunately, a torn UCL forced him into early retirement.
After leaving sports, he decides to follow in his father's footsteps and pursue a career in law. In Chicago Justice, he is a prosecutor for the State's Attorney's office in Cook County.
Appears In Multiple TV Universes
As is the case with many characters in the Chicago franchise, Peter Stone is seen in multiple shows throughout the universe. He is introduced in Chicago P.D. in the backdoor pilot "Justice". He is the lawyer responsible for sending Voigt to prison.
He even makes an appearance in Law And Order: SVU. He first appears as the prosecutor in a euthanasia case involving Assistant District Attorney, Rafael Barba. After the latter resigns, Stone takes over. He eventually leaves the SVU Bureau due to his growing attachment to Olivia Benson.
Moonlights As A Boxer
Even before his struggles with addiction, Antonio Dawson did not have an easy upbringing. A frequent outlet for his anger and frustration growing up was boxing. And it is something that he continues practicing in the present day.
Not only is he a boxing enthusiast (like his actor, Jon Seda), while he is off duty, he runs a gym and is also a trainer.
Struggling To Stay Clean
Normally, seasoned veterans of law enforcement face various challenges that lead them to develop vices. But those vices are usually never pretty. In the case of Laura Nagel, she used to be a police officer before becoming an investigator.
Unfortunately, in an eerie mirroring of Antonio Dawson's path, due to an on-the-job injury, she developed an addiction to painkillers. She is struggling to stay sober, as well as regain custody of her child.
A Veteran Turned Attorney
As another example of having an interesting second career, Mark Jefferies served in the Vietnam War before eventually ing the State's Attorney's Office.
About his character's relationship with Stone, Carl Weather's states that it's "unique" because "Stone is appointed to his position while Jeffries is an elected official so their goals are often different". While this leads to some clashing between the two men, both of their morals are in the right place. Jeffries just needs to keep an eye on Stone!
Mental Illness In The Family
Peter Stone's family background is more than a little rocky. One of these sensitive points is his older sister, Pamela. She suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and, after their father's death, finds herself in a psychiatric facility. Stone has to deal with her growing memory loss and feels the pressures of looking after her.
She meets a brutal death during a shootout after being abducted by sex traffickers. Her death brings Stone into a downward spiral of promiscuity and alcohol.
Rocky Family History
The rest of Stone's family environment isn't any easier to handle. His father, Benjamin Stone, was a prosecutor who prioritized his career instead of his family (see Law and Order). As a result, he and Pamela were raised by their aunt for most of their childhoods.
In a way to honor his father's legacy (despite their strained relationship), Stone picks up the helm of a cold case that his father was working on in the episode "Dear Ben" and manages to bring the rapist in question to justice.
A Lawyer With A Kill Count
As a past police officer, Antonio Dawson has gotten his hands dirty on multiple occasions. He has enacted vigilante justice on Mateo and Jason Rizzo, the criminals who kidnapped his children on separate occasions.
He also killed serial arsonist, Trenton Lamont, the man responsible for the death of Chicago firefighter, Leslie Shay. Lamont was threatening to set an elevator shaft on fire with Dawson's sister, Gabriela, inside of it.
A Difficult Family Life
Similarly to Stone, Antonio Dawson's family life isn't smooth sailing, either. Despite the close relationship he shares with his sister, Gabriela, his marriage falls apart due to his dedication to his job. His wife, Laura, subsequently keeps his children from him after their difficult divorce, which resulted in nasty custody issues.
His next relationship involves Sylvie Brett, a close friend of his sister's. He has also a one-night stand with a visiting detective, Marcella Gomez. This ends after her involvement with a gang is revealed.
Achilles Heel Is Caring Too Much
Laura Nagal has the amazing trait of seeing things through the eyes of the victim, as well as lots of empathy due to her troubled past. Unfortunately, in the rule of law enforcement, this is not always an advantage.
In the final episode of the series, one of her valued informants is killed and she begins to get too invested. In the end, Stone bars her from the case and, despite the latter's best efforts, she is not able to see proper justice done for her informant.
