There’s nothing worse than falling in love with a TV show, watching every episode, and feeling like you finally belong in its world, only to have it ripped away when a beloved cast member exits. It doesn’t matter if it’s “temporary” or permanent. The moment your favorite character disappears, so does a piece of the magic.
Unfortunately, Chicago PD fans are facing that very heartbreak as a major cast member has reportedly temporarily departed the hit NBC police drama. This cast member has been a part of the show since the very beginning, playing one of the officers of the Intelligence Unit of the 21st District. It's Patrick John Flueger, better known in Chicago PD as Officer Adam Ruzek.
Over the seasons, Ruzek has been at the center of some of the show’s most compelling storylines, from navigating high-stakes investigations and life-threatening situations on the streets of Chicago to balancing a complex personal life, including his relationship with Detective Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati). According to Deadline, the Chicago PD star is taking time off from playing Ruzek in the police procedural to handle a personal matter.
While the personal matter wasn't disclosed in detail, Deadline reports that its learned from sources that Flueger has been going through a challenging period personally, including an incident involving alcohol use on set. The news outlet also reports that the actor’s temporary departure was unexpected, leaving writers scrambling to rework scripts and adjust storylines to account for his absence.
Chicago PD season 13 is currently airing on NBC. The first three episodes have already come out, and Flueger appears in all of them. While it's unclear if he'll appear in tonight's episode, "Root Cause," a production still from the following episode has been released and it features him. After that, it's unknown how many more episodes he will appear in before taking his temporary leave. However, we do know that he'll return sometime later this season.
This isn't the first time a cast member from the One Chicago franchise has taken a temporary break. The franchise has a history of accommodating actors when personal matters arise. For example, Chicago Fire star Taylor Kinney took a leave of absence in January 2023 and returned to the series 10 months later. While fans of the procedural drama did feel his absence, the show still managed to keep viewers engaged. Given the incredible writers over at Chicago PD, we're sure they will find creative ways to keep storylines exciting even with Flueger being temporarily gone.
New episodes of Chicago PD season 13 air every Wednesday night on NBC.