Chicago P.D.’s fall finale left fans with a lot of questions about newbie Eva Imani — starting with whether they should be worried about her safety after she entered a suspected murderer’s house alone.
Showrunner Gwen Sigan exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of season 13’s winter premiere on Wednesday, January 7, that fans should in fact worry about Imani (Arienne Mandi), noting that “it was not the smartest choice” for the young Intelligence Unit member.
“It was very instinctual and impulsive,” Sigan said of Imani breaking into Raymond Bell’s (Barry Del Sherman) home during the November 2025 fall finale. “We’re gonna see the results of that, and also Voight’s reaction to that, which was fun.”
During the fall cliffhanger, Sergeant Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) and his team turned over every stone to try and prove that Raymond was a killer after finding a pattern around his alleged hunting group and learning that people went “missing” on his property over and over.
Imani, for her part, connected with Raymond’s granddaughter, Julie (Julianna Layne), during the investigation, amid worries that her grandfather could be harming her or grooming her to be a killer as well.
Imani then got a call from Julie that caused her to worry and sneak into Raymond’s house without telling her team. The episode ended with Imani searching the property as a loud noise came from downstairs.
“We pick up immediately,” Sigan told Us of the show’s return. “So we’re right back in that house with Imani and the decisions that she’s made to put her there.”
The showrunner confirmed that Raymond’s case will “conclude” by the end of the episode.
“We learn a lot about Raymond Bell and his past, and we also learn a lot about Imani’s past and Voight’s too,” Sigan explained. “It’s an interesting, adrenaline episode, but then there’s a lot of emotion in it, hopefully as well.”
Sigan noted that fans will discover why Imani was “really triggered” by the case and “uniquely” drawn to it.
“It was the idea of the young girl, Julie, and the state that Julie was in, and the fact that her life was at risk,” she told Us, adding that Imani at the very least “believed” Julie was in danger before entering the house without backup.
Sigan teased that Voight won’t be “happy” with Imani’s choices, despite doing “very similar things” himself to solve a case.
The showrunner revealed that Imani joining the team during season 13 was “always designed” to be a “mirror” for Voight and show the sign of him he has worked hard to change — the impulsive side.
“He’s not the most self-reflective, but at a certain point, you know what works for you and what doesn’t work for you, and you know the cost of who you are,” Sigan said of Voight. “And we saw last season that he believes the costs are that he can’t be with anyone. He needs to be alone.”
That similar perspective on what Voight deserves after all he’s done on the job is now being “reflected” in Imani, causing a fun juxtaposition for fans and the show writers alike.
“The second part of the season is seeing that relationship grow between them, and realizing when Voight sees himself in her, does he like what he’s seeing?” Sigan teased.
In addition to wrapping up Raymond’s case, Sigan told Us that the show’s winter comeback will develop the blackmail story involving Commander Mark Devlin (Joel Murray).
“A lot of these truths come out, a lot of what Devlin’s after and what his motivation is,” Sigan said, adding that the “reality” behind the childhood photos of Voight being beaten seemingly by his own father that have been exposed will be explained.
Sigan pointed out that Chicago P.D. doesn’t often talk about Voight as a kid but his past “comes to a head” in a “really interesting” way.
She added that Devlin is “going after Voight in such an emotional way” that will show a “different version” of Voight and how he deals with the matter.
Season 13 of Chicago P.D. returns to NBC Wednesday, January 7, at 10 p.m. ET.
