What happened to Kim Burgess on ‘Chicago P.D.’?

Chicago P.D. season 12 premiered on Sept. 25th, 2024 and hopes were high after the upsetting season 11 finale that saw the exit of Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) and the capture of Hank Voight (Jason Berghe). The first episode of the new season was as great as everyone wanted it to be… but also brought up new questions about another fan-fave character: Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati).

Since day one of this entry in the One Chicago franchise, Kim has been a kind soul. She’s loyal to her coworkers and has an epic romance with fiance Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger). But while there’s a lot going on with Voight and the others at the beginning of Chicago P.D. season 12, let’s talk about Kim!

Where is Kim Burgess on Chicago P.D.?

While Kim doesn’t appear in Chicago P.D. season 12, episode one, “Ten Ninety-Nine,” she isn’t leaving the show! That would be way too cruel considering that Upton is gone and the team is getting used to their new normal after Voight’s kidnapping. No one wants to say farewell to Kim… not now and not ever.

Adam is the one who shares where Kim has been: at a conference called NAWLEE (which stands for National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives) that took her away from Chicago. While it’s unclear when Kim will be back on the NBC drama, she probably won’t be away for more than a few episodes. Adam said, “She’s disturbed by her case though, thinking about coming home early.” While it’s too bad that she’s having a rough time, at least the show didn’t put Kim in danger.

Although fans might not have thought Kim would exit Chicago P.D. without a proper goodbye, it’s hard not to be wracked with anxiety when watching every scene of the procedural! But since Kim and Adam are now engaged, it would have been odd if Kim had just disappeared without a trace. Since she’s spending time at a conference, she’s as devoted to her career as ever, which is great to see. Chicago P.D. may have characters whose lives feel out of control at times, but they always come back to their jobs, which they are determined to do as well as possible.

When talking about Kim’s arc in season 11, Squerciati told Entertainment Weekly that she hoped her character would “continue this climb to power.” She added, “She owns her power, owns her womanhood, and I think she’s ready to take a leading role truly, she gets it.” Kim will likely do just that in Chicago P.D. season 12. And while she and her one true love are getting married, the actress told EW that there probably won’t be a storyline focused on Kim and Adam’s lead-up to the big day. As she said, “It doesn’t seem like the tone of CPD.”

While that’s too bad because that could make for some fun moments, fans will be happy if Kim comes back to Chicago P.D. soon. If viewers have learned anything about Kim, it’s that she’s ambitious, confident, and determined. There’s no doubt that her season 12 arc will be as impressive as she is!