Chicago PD season 9, episode 13 review: The best episode so far?

Chicago PD left fans and critics speechless with its latest episode, Still Water. The show, which returned from a month-long break, had a lot of expectations from viewers. Not only did it live up to the hype, it exceeded it. It was by far the most compelling episode of the season, perhaps even of the show.

Still Water dealt with Detective Hailey Upton, played by Tracy Spiridakos, witnessing a car crash and later getting involved in a deep web of secrets and revelations that shook her from the core. The episode was dark, fast-paced, and brilliantly written.

Read on for a detailed review of Chicago PD season 9, episode 13.

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Chicago PD Review: Nothing is as it seems

One of the most intriguing things about this episode is how natural the beginning was. The episode initially seemed to have nothing exceptional. Upton witnesses a car crash while she's on her jog and dives in to save the victims. The premise couldn't be more straightforward.

This is the beauty of the episode. It turned the story upside down within the first quarter of the show. This worked extremely well since the clever script, and the incredible acting from Spiridakos is as convincing as it gets. When the harrowing revelation came in, the team was as shocked as the viewers. This is proof of the excellent direction by Chad Saxton.

The second half of the story takes an entirely different route. In fact, it is hard to connect it with the beginning of the episode. However, this change of pace is not rushed and does not feel dissonant. It is calculated and very well written.

The entire episode had an anticipatory feel akin to proper detective films like Knives Out and The Fugitive. This is an excellent achievement, especially on the small screen. The pacing of the script gets all the credit here, the 42-minute episode feels like 10-minute long.

The final moments of the episode are special. After a long and wild chase, the perpetrator and Hailey wind up in an empty club, where a who-outsmarts-who chase takes place. This scene is very gripping and is enough to get the viewers to the very edge of their seats.

The conclusion following the crisis is also very natural. Looking at it retrospectively, this was a better episode than what is typically expected from network television. It was also the best episode of the One Chicago lineup after the break.

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The technical aspects of Still Water

Chicago PD outdid itself in terms of technicalities in Still Water. The entire episode was pure perfection. Technically, everything was apt.

The camera work was not very different from the previous episodes. It followed a pattern similar to that used in the older episodes. But the color grading stood out in this episode. Chicago PD generally aims to keep the colors neutral and less saturated. This was the case for most of the episode, but the night scenes seemed to rely more on the warmer tones, making the scenes look more appealing.

The real shoutout goes to Hailey Upton. Spiradakos was excellent, and her conviction, intensity, and drive were unmatched. This was, by a huge margin, her best performance in Chicago PD. Spiradakos matched the excellent script and gave her best to make this an incredible episode.

The sound design for this episode is another aspect that deserves special mention. A well composed score kept the plot together and helped build intensity. The soundscape facilitated the excellent pace of the episode.

Finally, the scriptwriting was the key behind this excellent episode. It was fast, it was clever, and it was very convincing. If the show continues producing such scripts, it is sure to reach new heights of network television.

Chicago PD will be back with a new episode on March 2, 2022.