Chicago P.D. Season 14 Episode 3 Review: Voight Uncovers a Murder and a Bigger Mystery in “Under the Surface”

Just when you think Chicago P.D. is giving us a straightforward murder investigation, the writers decide to throw another mystery into the mix. And I have to say, this episode had me feeling all kinds of emotions, especially once we learned more about Kendra Simmons.

Voight Gets a Tip That Changes Everything

We start with Voight dealing with Charlie Boyden, who's auditing Intelligence and asking questions about old case files. Charlie seems perfectly comfortable digging through everything, while Voight looks like he's about two questions away from throwing him out of the building. Naturally, he gets Trudy to look into Charlie's background.

Then we catch up with LaSean, Voight's former informant. Their conversation has a little humor, and it's nice seeing that familiar street-level exchange. But LaSean isn't there just to catch up. He tells Voight to check the water near Jefferson substation. Voight asks why, but all he gets is another instruction to check it.

A dive team is dispatched, and several bags containing the remains of a teenage girl are pulled from the water. As Burgess, Ruzek, and the team work the case, three mothers show up, hoping the victim isn't one of their missing daughters. These women have been searching for their children, and now they're standing there waiting to hear something no parent should ever have to hear.

The victim turns out to be 16-year-old Kendra Simmons. Voight realizes that Kendra's mother is one of the women who showed up to see if it was her child.

Kendra Simmons Was More Than Another Case

Hearing Suzette talk about her daughter was probably one of the hardest parts of the episode. Kendra volunteered at a women's shelter, loved interior design, and had dreams of going to college. She even made vision boards. She was a teenager excited about her future, and knowing how her life ended made those little details hurt even more.

The investigation leads to B-Rock, a 32-year-old drug dealer who had been secretly seeing Kendra. Messages exchanged before she went missing suggest she was trying to distance herself from him, which immediately raises questions.

Imani helps place a tracker on B-Rock's vehicle, but the operation doesn't exactly go as planned. The signal disappears, and when it comes back, it leads Intelligence to Tia, B-Rock's trusted driver. Now, Tia was something else and quite a character herself. She had information about Kendra's murder, but she wanted $30,000 before saying a word. At first, you want to tell her to just help these people! But then you realize she's terrified of B-Rock and knows what could happen if she talks.

When Voight can't access the money because Charlie's audit has frozen the funds, you know he's about to explode. And we already know how well Voight handles somebody getting in the way of his investigation. Charlie suggests using a private donor, but Voight points out that accepting money from donors comes with strings attached.

After an unsuccessful attempt to use Tia's sister Sonya's legal troubles to convince her, Voight agrees to Charlie's arrangement involving private donor Bill Sikowski. For Voight, getting B-Rock and bringing Suzette closer to answers is more important. Tia finally gives them information, but the basement she describes turns out to be the wrong place. The team doesn't think Tia lied, though. They suspect she may have described the right location but the wrong house. Tia also tells them that Kendra used to confide in her and talked about the nest a lot.

A conversation with Suzette helps them find the right location, but what really got me was hearing her blame herself. She wonders whether she should have asked more questions or paid closer attention to her daughter. That was painful because you could see how much she loved Kendra. She was trying to give her daughter room to grow, never imagining she'd lose her.

B-Rock Goes Down, But There Are No Winners

Intelligence eventually finds the evidence needed to move on B-Rock. When they go to arrest him, a chase follows. B-Rock is surrounded, but he pulls a gun, and Voight shoots him. The case is closed, but there's nothing happy about that ending. Kendra is still gone, and Suzette has to figure out how to live with that loss.

Tia gets her money and leaves Chicago, while Charlie surprises Voight by revealing that he's trying to secure additional resources for the missing persons unit. He also shares his experience growing up in Flint during the water crisis. I'll admit, Charlie caught my attention there. Maybe there's a little more to him than just another outsider trying to make Voight's life difficult.

That Ending Changes Everything

Just when you think the episode is winding down, things get interesting again. Voight learns that B-Rock's drug corner is already back up and running, and we're talking almost immediately after his death. Now, come on. Somebody knew something. Voight starts looking for answers, which brings us right back to LaSean, the man who gave him the tip in the first place. Except this time, there's no joking around or catching up. LaSean is dead inside his car, and that's where the episode leaves us. Suddenly, that tip about the water doesn't seem so simple anymore. Was LaSean trying to help Voight, or did somebody want B-Rock taken out of the picture?

I loved that the episode gave Kendra and Suzette's story the attention it deserved instead of treating her death like just another case. But that ending has me wondering whether Intelligence was solving a murder or unknowingly helping somebody else's plan fall into place.

Because if LaSean knew something he wasn't supposed to know, and B-Rock's corner was taken over that quickly, somebody has been making moves behind the scenes. And the question I'm left with is simple: Who was really calling the shots, and what happens when Voight figures it out?

What did you think?

• Loved it
• Hated it
• So/So