Abhiroop Das
Co-created by Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead, NBC’s ‘Chicago P.D.’ dives deep into the criminal justice system of the Windy City through the eyes of its elite Intelligence Unit, spearheaded by Seargant Hank Voight. Together with his band of trusted teammates, the protagonist balances his action-packed life with the emotional turns that follow. Season twelve ends with the team on the verge of collapse, as its unpredictable nature leads to both internal and external fissures. As such, Voight returns to the forefront in an attempt to reignite the department’s trust in his unit. This season of the police procedural drama series picks up that thread and pushes it, along with the team, to its limit. In such an intense cat-and-mouse chase with lawbreakers, Voight finds surprise help in the form of Eva Imani, who brings their investigative prowess up another notch. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Eva Imani Helps Hank Voight Save His Intelligence Unit
Eva Imani is introduced to the narrative as a police officer working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, utilizing her skill set as an undercover agent. Her target, a smuggler named E-Heart, comes into direct contact with Voight’s team, striking an unlikely alliance between the police officers. Imani immediately dominates the screen, charting out the next course of action to apprehend the mastermind behind this entire illegal operation. To that end, her experience with the inner workings of these criminal rings comes in handy, and she eventually baits out the leader, Raptor, leading to his arrest. Following this success, Imani is approached by Voight to join the team, and she agrees, ushering in a new era for the Chicago Police Intelligence Unit.
From the moment of her introduction, Imani sets herself apart from the rest of the members in Voight’s team, as well as the police force at large, due to her unwavering sense of self. This also means that she is not one to take orders just on the basis of hierarchical superiority and prefers a dynamic built on mutual respect. With Voight not only matching her detective instincts but also one-upping them at points, Imani begins to reconsider her initial, blunt exchange with the protagonist. This turn of events is best represented when E-Heart nearly takes her life, only for Voight to step into the scene in the last minute and finish the assailant off with one clean hit. Given that Imani is not prepared for a gunfight at that moment, she is put at an immediate disadvantage. However, in the later sequences, the ATF officer flexes her physical prowess as well, bringing the case to a close.
Alongside working toe to toe with the Voight, Imani also plays a crucial role in the reinstatement of the Intelligence Unit, by releasing information on the malicious practices of Commander Mark Devlin, who has secretly been selling guns and ammunition while labelling them as missing. With this information, the protagonist strong-arms the return of his unit, and it makes Imani’s inclusion all the more fitting. The former ATF agent joins a long list of members, both past and present, who have established themselves as a current that runs independent of the general spirit at the police department. As such, Imani’s free thinking and fierce nature are not only a perfect fit, but also an enriching factor in the structural integrity of the group.
Arienne Mandi Brings Eva Imani’s Complex Personality to Life
Actor Arienne Mandi essays Eva Imani to life with a creative flair of her own. Her take on the character is largely informed by her understanding of the officer’s background and mindset, both of which emerge to the surface over the course of the story. In an interview with NBC Insider, Mandi explained, “[Eva] comes from a military background. She’s used to working alone. Kind of travels around to different military companies (…) In general, she’s used to working alone and isn’t the type to be in a team environment, usually.” This detail works on two levels, as it not only sheds light on her working process but also sets up how that might clash with Voight’s perspective on police work. However, the overlap in their no-nonsense approach also signals a healthy partnership going forward, with each member of the team benefiting from this change of pace.
Arienne Mandi has also spoken about the similarities between her character and Voight, citing how that might lead to newer territories being charted within the narrative. She stated, “They have a lot of similarities, the two of them. Like, reluctantly, you know, Imani’s not quick to realize it (…) Everything in her wants to push this person away, because they’re in the same space. And like I said, she’s not used to working with others, but they move in similar ways. And their goal is obviously the same.” These elements only amplify Imani’s position as the missing piece in the story so far. The actor is no stranger to the screen, with many popular titles under her belt, such as ‘The L Word: Generation Q,’ ‘In the Vault,’ and ‘The Night Agent,’ where she plays Dani Nunez, Valentina Valez, and Noor Tahiri, respectively. Additionally, Mandi also appears as Catalina Diaz in ‘NCIS: Los Angeles,’ which speaks to her experience with crime thriller narratives.
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