After Chicago P.D. Put Toya Turner Through A ‘Really, Really Tough’ First Episode, The Winter Premiere Was The Kiana Cook Showcase I’ve Been Waiting For

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In the TV lineup for 2025, Chicago P.D. makes its comeback to delve into the consequences of Chief Reid’s cryptic warning to Voight in the fall finale. With a lot on the Intelligence Unit’s plate before the upcoming One Chicago crossover, it promises an exciting start. In the debut episode for 2025 titled “Friends and Family,” now streaming with a Peacock subscription, Officer Kiana Cook reappears in the limelight, oblivious to Reid’s interference.

I’ve been eagerly anticipating P.D. introducing Toya Turner as the latest series regular, and her performance in the winter premiere brought to mind how she previously described her debut episode. She demonstrated back in Season 12 why Cook would be a valuable asset to the team; the episode “Friends and Family” provided more insight into her background, and I’m excited for further developments.

Initially, let’s revisit the comments made by the former New Amsterdam cast member about the premiere episode featuring her One Chicago character.

Why Toya Turner’s First Big Episode Was So Tough

In the initial episode of Season 12 for Chicago P.D., Toya Turner’s character made her debut, but it was Kiana Cook who primarily supported Ruzek following the loss of his friend during this period. It wasn’t until the fifth episode titled “Water and Honey,” which aired some weeks later, that viewers got to see more of Cook’s performance. This particular episode offered a closer view of Cook and co-star Benjamin Levi Aguilar, who spent a considerable amount of time soaking wet while filming an especially wet scene.

On a somewhat gloomy day in Chicago, often referred to as the Windy City, that significant event took place! Earlier during Season 12, I had a chat with Toya Turner about Cook’s relationship with Officer Torres of Aguilar, and she even shared some delightful anecdotes about her experience joining the cast. She also reminisced about shooting many scenes for her first major episode, which were soaked through due to rain, including a thrilling underwater fight sequence. Turner revealed:

The experience was incredibly challenging. It was truly difficult to the max. Generally, I’m game for anything, but let me tell you – one of my toenails snapped off! Since it had been soaking in a boot of water. [laughs] It was tough, yet enjoyable. And when I reflect on all the encouragement I received, particularly from Ben, we were growing closer during those moments. So that definitely made things less difficult, but it was still challenging.

Filming “Water and Honey” was a challenging ordeal for the fresh face on Chicago P.D., but it paved the way for Cook to join the Intelligence Unit, which had me yearning to see more of this character. Luckily for Toya Turner, she’s managed to steer clear of lengthy water immersions since that episode! She added humorously: “I’ve been keeping my feet dry ever since!

That evening was tough, it was freezing. I recall the first night vividly… We began at 7 p.m., the sprinklers activated, and we felt a chill. You can imagine my sentiment, right? As the hours ticked by from 1-2 a.m., we found ourselves saying, ‘Well now, it’s getting chilly!’ [laughs]. We were just huddled together under an emergency foil blanket. It was challenging, but the view was stunning, making every bit of discomfort worthwhile.

It seems as though Cook and Torres could’ve benefited from the assistance of paramedics from Chicago Fire or doctors from Chicago Med by the end of that episode! Turner also praised director Chad Saxton, stating it was like watching a mini movie. To summarize, Chicago P.D. made quite an impact when reintroducing Kiana Cook in the fall; her storyline finally unfolded and provided some clarity during the winter premiere.

The Latest On Kiana Cook

As a dedicated cinema enthusiast, I can’t help but notice that when a character takes center stage on “Chicago P.D.”, it usually signals a challenging episode ahead for them. And true to form, the start of 2025 found Officer Hailey Upton (Cook) in the thick of things. A harrowing car crash not only set the tone for the episode but also put her in direct contact with a mortally wounded man who revealed his family – his wife and children – had been abducted. This tragic incident sparked a deeply personal mission for Upton to rescue them, one that even led to the appearance of Cook’s parents on screen.

Initially, her father was present even before the chaos started, as they showed a scene at their family store which made it clear that the business wasn’t doing particularly well. Subsequently, when the Intelligence Unit required $200,000 for an urgent ransom that the police department couldn’t supply immediately, Cook mentioned she could provide the remaining amount from her own savings or cash.

This situation resulted in the appearance of Cook’s affluent mother, residing in a distinct part of Chicago compared to Cook’s father. The scenario unfolded to show that they hadn’t met for several years, adding an element of unease as Cook unexpectedly appeared with a demand for $200,000.

As a devoted admirer, I find myself in awe at how casually my mom would wave away such a substantial amount, without even flinching. She set the condition that I alter my hairstyle and grace an event for the Museum of Contemporary Art, to which I agreed initially… However, as the episode unfolded, I reconsidered and decided to back out by its end.

She couldn’t explain the contrasting backgrounds of her parents to Ruzek initially, as she was the result of a one-night stand between them. Her affluent relatives didn’t acknowledge her existence until certain aspirations drove them to try mending relationships.

Here, I have tried to make the sentence more conversational and easy to read by using simpler language and rearranging the structure slightly for better clarity.

As a movie reviewer, let me share my thoughts: The winter premiere delivered an enthralling clash between Voight and Reid, leaving us yearning for more. Showrunner Gwen Sigan promises additional face-offs, but we’re not certain about delving deeper into Cook’s past just yet. Nevertheless, the season isn’t even halfway through, so I remain optimistic that we’ll uncover more layers of this captivating narrative as Season 12 unfolds. The anticipation is palpable!

Don’t miss out on NBC every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET as Season 12 of Chicago P.D. airs, following it with Season 13 of Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. ET and Season 10 of Chicago Med at 8 p.m. ET. If you’d like to rewatch the winter finale or Toya Turner’s gripping debut episode, “Water and Honey”, they are currently available for streaming on Peacock.

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2025-01-13 16:08