Chicago P.D.

Well, I was there for a minute.

Since I left CSI in 2010, I had been trying to get on a Dick Wolf show. There were a few meetings, but I was never hired.

When CHICAGO P.D. premiered, I was interested, being a huge fan of its star Jason Beghe. During the time I sold real estate, Jason was looking for a house to rent and I showed him a few things before his plans changed. He was a fun client.

Once Tracy Spiradakos joined the cast in the last episodes of Season 4, I was even more interested in the show. I loved writing for her on REVOLUTION and we got along well on the few occasions we met. She’s a fantastic actor, innately fierce and natural. CHICAGO P.D. was elevated by her casting.

The request for a meeting with the CHICAGO P.D. showrunners came at a personally challenging time in my life and I almost turned it down. But I didn’t want to disappoint the executive who had been pitching for me. The meeting with Gwen Sigan and Gavin Harris went really well, but I didn’t expect anything to come from it – I’d had too many good meetings with Wolf World that didn’t result in offers. This one, though, did.

Things got off to a rocky start. This was just after a long writers’ and actors’ strike, and the industry was on shaky legs trying to bounce back to whatever normal would be now. I wasn’t given an office to write in for the first five weeks on the show. The budget was cut almost daily, and I missed having a regular writers room (most of the show is written independently, rather like home study). Even more disappointing, although I was a credited co-executive producer, no one was being sent to the set in Chicago due to (again) budget considerations, and I think the episodes suffered for the loss of an on-set writer/producer. You can only contribute so much via Zoom.

The episode I wrote, ominously titled “Escape” brought the character of Torres back to the show after a hiatus. I missed being able to work with Benjamin Levy Aguilar, the dynamic actor who plays him. I also missed working on set with Chad Saxton, who directed. Most disappointing of all, I never got to see Tracy or Jason.

In truth, I was not a good fit for the show and was somewhat relieved to be able to depart after eight episodes. I loved working with the writers: Scott Gold, Jeffrey M. Lee, Tiffany Bratcher, and Matthew Browne; and I think Gwen is a genius and Gavin is one of the best writers in television.

I’ll still be watching future seasons.