Chicago PD season 9, episode 22 (finale) review: Did Anna Avalos die?

After a memorable season with plenty of twists, Chicago PD ended the story with the brilliant and emotional tale of Anna Avalos (Carmela Zumbado) built over several episodes in the past. Titled You and Me, the final episode of the ninth season, pulled all the strings to provide a perfect ending to the riveting saga of Javier Escano (José Zúñiga).

Picking up from where the previous episode ended, it took no time for the crime drama show to spring into action, with Escano misleading the police and making his escape, and Anna left fearing for her life with a now-at-large Escano. But what sets this episode apart is how quickly it managed to turn from an escaped-convict-drama to an emotional rollercoaster, with a sufficient amount of justification for both ends.

Read on for a detailed review of the latest episode of Chicago PD.

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Chicago PD season 9, episode 22: A tale with a turn?

The latest episode of Chicago PD picked up after the explosion, revealing that none of the team members were seriously hurt (thankfully!). However, it seemed to have pushed them in the right direction, as Hank Voight (played by Jason Beghe) resolved to take Escano down at the earliest. His concern for Anna also fueled a little of this tendency.

In what was one of Jason Beghe's best performances, his visible urgency in procuring the arrest warrant from the assistant defense attorney made it clear how much he cared about the case and Anna's safety. He had already promised Anna a safe passage into the witness protection program.

However, things did not go as viewers expected when Voight and his team burst into Escano's hideout in the bakery. This was the turn from where the episode went on to become exceptional. The team found a dying Escano on the floor, stabbed and mutilated, claiming that Anna did it.

This lifted the whole dynamic a notch as the real crisis changed, with Voight's resolve to bring Anna home safely. Much like a memorable event from earlier, Voight jumped back in action to cover up the crime. Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) and Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) were also involved in the secret, with Jay having some alternate ideas about how to proceed with the case.

Hailey, however, did not want to clear up another murder, which did feel a bit selfish on her part after what the three of them had gone through together. Voight had already made up his mind to rescue Anna despite what his rational self may have directed him to do. This manifestation of guilt was extremely well-portrayed, with Jason Beghe delivering each nuance with perfection.

As Voight managed to track Anna down, it landed them in a messy situation, which soon evolved into Anna in a traffic crash pointing a gun at Voight. An excellent Carmela Zumbado portrayed the exact amount of fear and desperation that could push a woman to the point where she was.

Despite Voight's honest attempts at talking her down, things did not go the right way, and Anna shot Voight, which prompted Jay and Hailey to take a shot at her.

The last scene saw Voight fighting back his tears as Anna had passed away on the operating table. The final emotional scene, with a minorly injured Voight crushed under guilt for Anna's death, was very well-written.

Very subtly, the episode also gave a glimpse at how things could have been if Anna had followed a different path, as the ending saw the drug bust happen and a dead Escano pinned for his crimes.

Chicago PD managed to carve out a fantastic finale that could shake viewers up without being over-the-top. Chicago PD ended the perfect season with an ideal episode with brilliant technical efficiency and a well-thought-out script.

The finale of Chicago PD is now streaming on Peacock TV.