The ever-popular police procedural Chicago P.D. is yet another successful continuation of the One Chicago franchise, and has now been confirmed to return for season 12. Developed for TV by legendary producer Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead, Chicago P.D. follows the officers of the department's Intelligence Unit as they use their unique talents to crack some of the biggest cases in the city. Like most of Wolf's numerous TV procedurals, Chicago P.D. shines because it finds the perfect balance between exciting weekly stories, and ongoing narratives about the characters' personal lives.

Chicago P.D. launched in 2014 as the first spinoff of the hit series Chicago Fire, and its immediate success was proof that the One Chicago universe was just as viable as Dick Wolf's other universe shows. Season 11 of Chicago P.D. was delayed, along with the rest of its contemporaries, by the 2023 Hollywood strikes, but missing its original release slot has not diminished its overall popularity. This continued success made season 12 no surprise.

Chicago P.D. Season 12 Critical Reception

Critics Love Voight But Hate The Lack Of Other Characters

Chicago P.D. season 12's critical reception is divided as there are just as many highs in the season as there are lows. One of the positives from critics is the season-long thread of corruption on the force and an old-school villain in conjunction with that. It allows the series to get Voight back to basics, which is welcomed by a lot of critics, including ScreenRant. We also have to note, however, a little disappointment in the handling of the Chicago P.D. season 12 finale.

The season builds to a wedding between Ruzek and Burgess, but the characters are ultimately shorted this season. They make for the longest-running couple in the series, but their wedding in the final episode is almost an afterthought to cap off a season that is much more centered on Voight.

Decider, however, did make a good point for critics at the start of the season. With the show on for over a decade, and featuring many of the same characters that the audience has been able to get to know, season 12 had to shift in some ways, and it does that through Voight's PTSD after the events of season 11 and through the mortality of the characters. The season confronts the characters with the idea of what happens after the job, and Decider calls that "refreshing":

It’s refreshing to see [the series] consider the endgame in the lives of its characters, some of whom we’ve known for just that long.

Chicago P.D. also shows no signs of slowing down. Even at 12 seasons into the show's run, the series only saw about a 10% drop in its live audience compared to the previous season (via TV Series Finale), which is not bad audience retention considering more and more people are catching the series on streaming after the fact. The series is still averaging over 4.5 million live viewers per episode.

Where To Watch Chicago P.D. Season 12

Chicago P.D. Season 12 Is Available To Stream

Though Chicago P.D. season 12 aired on NBC during the television season, new episodes were added to Peacock after appearing on television. With the season now complete, the entire season is available to stream on Peacock. Peacock is also the home for the rest of the One Chicago universe, making it easy to stream all of the crossover episodes as well.

Chicago P.D. Season 12 Release Date

Season 12 Aired As Part Of The 2024-2025 TV Season

After a strike-affected season 11, Chicago P.D. and the rest of the One Chicago family of shows got back to their normal schedule. NBC scheduled all three of the One Chicago programs to air on Wednesdays during the 2024-2025 season. Chicago P.D. season 12 began airing on Wednesday, September 25, 2024. The season finale aired on May 21, 2025.

Chicago P.D. Season 12 Cast

The Main Cast Returned For Season 12

The cast of shows like Chicago P.D. doesn't fluctuate too much from season to season, and that means the 12th season featured many familiar faces from season 11. Season 11 saw a lot of turmoil and change within the show's cast, and season 12 was calmer and mostly comprised of returning stars. Jason Beghe reprises his long-running role as Sgt. Hank Voight, a role he has played since the beginning.

The departure of Hailey Upton (played by Tracy Spiridakos) is a major blow to the season, but season 12 added a new beat cop in the form of Toya Turner's Officer Kiana Cook. Furthermore, Shawn Hatosy ed the cast as Deputy Chief Charlie Reid for season 12.

Beghe was not the only returning star, and the main cast includes:

Chicago P.D. Season 12 Story

What Cases Will The Team Tackle Next?

• Episode 11 of the season is a crossover episode with Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 11 and Chicago Med Season 10, Episode 11.

While Chicago P.D. works on a more episodic format due to its case-of-the-week format, there are some storylines that created longer arcs for season 12 of the series. One of those is Voight dealing with the fallout from being kidnapped by a serial killer in the previous season. He spends the first part of the series overworked and running at full steam as a way to avoid the memories. His particular brand of justice leads to him making a risky and fatal plan to get rid of the traitor to the force who is revealed during the season.

This season also deals with the departure of Upton by bringing in a replacement for her who meets their own end. That leads to a beat cop slowly being integrated into the main Intelligence storylines and eventually becoming a member of the team throughout season 12 as well.

How The Chicago P.D. Season 12 Finale Sets Up Season 13

The Season 12 Finale Ties Up Loose Ends That Will Have Lasting Repercussions

The Chicago P.D. season 12 finale sees Voight take drastic action to get rid of the season's big villain. He has him murdered. That's one decision that will have lasting repercussions for the future of the show. Voight can only cover up his involvement in a murder for so long. It's been made abundantly clear to the audience that Voight will do anything he has to do to protect his Intelligence team, even if that means having someone else killed. Just how that will affect the team moving forward remains to be seen.

That death also means that there is a leadership position open within Chicago's police department. That will have to be filled in the season, but with the last person someone the officers could not trust, the team might not react so well to whomever fills the vacant seat. Of course, that also means that the next season of the show will need a new big bad for the team alongside their cases-of-the-week.

The finale of season 12 also sees Burgess and Ruzek get married, though the ceremony itself does not get much screen time. Their relationship has helped to provide heart in the show for the better part of a decade, and with them now husband and wife, that will likely continue. This new step in their relationship should add another dimension to their personal lives in season 13 of Chicago P.D.