In Chicago P.D. Season 11, Episode 7’s “The Living Dead,” we were introduced to a new Special Victims Unit officer, Det. Jo Petrovic (Bojana Novakovic).
She was brought on to help the Intelligence Unit with a complex serial killer case and is instantly an asset, with the unique ability to understand the psychology behind particularly heinous crimes and perpetrators.
“Petrovic is extremely smart, but she has her own kind of secrets and demons that she’s dealing with,” Jason Beghe (Voight) told TV Insider. “And socially, she’s somewhere a little further along on the spectrum than most, but she has a strong sense of herself and she’s a very astute and useful a member of the team at this point to help us solve the problems, figuring out who this serial killer is. She’s a gifted profiler.”
Now, in Season 11, Episode 8’s “On Paper” we learn even more about Petrovic: She’s been an SVU cop for three years and has been married three different times. But Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) soon finds out that the detective is hiding something.
Petrovic’s secret on Chicago P.D.
When Upton brings Petrovic on as her partner for the latest investigation into the abduction of a baby girl, the veteran Intelligence Unit detective notices strange behavior from the newcomer. Petrovic claims she typically rides the desk instead of going out into the field, lies about the reason for not shooting a perp (despite having a clear shot), and is constantly popping cough drops.
An increasingly suspicious Upton eventually sneaks into Petrovic’s backpack and finds that her water bottle is filled with liquor. Petrovic is an alcoholic.
Upton decides to confront the SVU cop while driving to a suspect’s home.
“My dad used to do that, cough drops. He thought it hid the smell,” she says. “It didn’t, I could still tell… I spent 18 years of my life living with an alcoholic. I don’t care if you’re mad.”
Petrovic denies the observation. “I’m not an alcoholic,” she says. “I appreciate you profiling me, don’t think I haven’t profiled you, but if you’re thinking of reporting me, my name is on this case because your team put it there.”
Despite their confrontation, the two successfully solve the case together, and Upton passes on the opportunity to officially reveal Petrovic’s addiction to Voight. However, she does try one last time to reach out at the end of the episode.
“From what I’ve seen this doesn’t end well,” she says. “For you or for the other people in your life.”
Petrovic is clearly not ready to confront her alcoholism, equating it to Upton’s post-divorce running habit. “A couple of drinks to take the edge off? Punishing runs to trick your body into resting? It’s all the same,” she says.
Something tells us Det. Petrovic’s demons will eventually catch up to her, which means we’ll definitely be seeing more of her on Chicago P.D.
