How ‘Chicago P.D.’ Wrote off Kiana Following Toya Turner Exit

Chicago P.D.’s season premiere has explained Officer Kiana Cook’s whereabouts.

It was announced in June that Toya Turner would be departing the NBC procedural after just one season.

Her exit came as a surprise, not only because she came aboard at the beginning of Season 12, but also because there was no indication at the end of the season that Kiana had any plans to leave Intelligence. However, the Unit getting disbanded seamlessly left an easy door for writers to plot her exit. In Wednesday’s Season 13 premiere, “Consequences,” a month had passed since the events of the finale, and Intelligence is still broken up, with many members of the team working across different departments in the CPD.

Voight (Jason Beghe) reveals to Commander Devlin (Joel Murray) that Kiana “took a permanent spot in the 17^th” and he doesn’t want to lose any more members. The disbanding came after an investigation into the unit following the death of Shawn Hatosy’s Deputy Chief Reid. Despite the charges and investigations getting dropped, Devlin refused to put the team back together until Voight played hardball at the end of the episode. But it was too late to get Kiana back, so Voight recruited ATF officer Eva Imani (Arienne Mandi) after running into her while they were working the same case.

When her exit was announced, Turner took to Instagram to share a sweet and lengthy message with her followers. “My time on Chicago P.D. has come to a close,” she wrote. “This show challenged me, sharpened me, and revealed what I’m made of. I’ve evolved through this experience, both as an artist and in my craft, and I’m walking away with depth, clarity, and momentum for whatever comes next.”

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A post shared by Toya Turner (@iamtoyat)

She went on to thank the cast, crew, ChiHards, and “everyone who believes in me.” She was “excited for the opportunities ahead” and looking forward to the next chapter. With Kiana still working in Chicago, there’s always the possibility that she could make a brief return, but for now, consider this her send-off.

Meanwhile, fans will be able to see how new recruit Eva does in new episodes of Chicago P.D., airing on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, streaming the next day on Peacock. All 12 seasons, plus the Season 13 premiere, are also available on the NBCUniversal streamer.