Chicago PD fans might want to begin bracing themselves for a big death, as all signs are starting to point to the fact that one character’s time could be limited. We’re referring to Ruzek’s father Disco Bob, whose health seems to be quickly getting worse.
It was revealed in season 12 that Ruzek’s dad had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Initially, Ruzek and Burgess took Bob into their home, but as Bob’s health continued to decline, Ruzek had to make the difficult decision to put his father into an assisted living facility. In season 12, episode 14, Ruzek let his dad know he had found a new place for him to live, and he helped him get settled into the new assisted living facility shortly after.
Fast-forward to season 13, the writers have used Ruzek’s father to help explain the absence of Patrick John Flueger on-screen amid his leave of absence. Upon finally addressing Ruzek’s absence in the winter premiere, Burgess notified Voight that Ruzek was dealing with a family emergency and had to be with his father at the assisted living facility.
Cut to episode 9 and we learned via Atwater that Disco Bob was not doing well and that Ruzek was taking personal time to be with his father.
While we don’t know the extent of Bob’s current status, the storyline is one that mirrors Bert Goodwin’s storyline on Chicago Med. Like Bob, Bert was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and the characters followed similar trajectories after their diagnosis. Much like Bob, Bert was moved into an assisted living facility when it became clear that he needed additional care with his disease progressing. Bert too was involved in an emergency situation, one that he would not recover from with Bert passing away in the ninth episode of Chicago Med season 11.
Given the similarities we’re seeing between Bert and Bob’s storylines, it sadly seems that Chicago PD is building towards the death of Bob and we could get word very soon that Ruzek’s father has passed. Given the emotional weight this storyline would carry, we hope if the writers do choose to write Bob’s death into the show it occurs after Flueger has returned to the show and does not occur off-screen.
Ruzek hasn’t had the healthiest relationship with his dad, but he loves his dad deeply and the decision to put him in an assisted living facility was one that hit Ruzek hard. The actual loss of his father should impact the character just as severely, and lead to an emotional storyline for Ruzek – one that would surely be a standout moment for Flueger. Fans deserve the chance to grieve the loss with Ruzek and see Burgess support him through the grieving process.
It’s a storyline we’re not ready for quite yet, but it’s clear we’re building towards this moment. Fans should certainly begin bracing themselves as it could very well lead to one of the show’s most emotional episodes yet.
