Why is there no new episode of Chicago P.D. this week? Everything to know

NBC procedural drama, Chicago P.D., is taking a prolonged break from its regular weekly airing of shows, along with other NBC shows. The three-week hiatus is set to offer a break to the cast and crew as well as the viewers during the upcoming festive times. As longtime NBC fans already know, the network takes a long break for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year, every year. The series will resume airing on January 7, 2026. 

Currently, Chicago P.D. is in the middle of presenting its season 13. Before its festive break, the show aired its seventh episode of the season on November 12, 2025. The previous season, which aired between September 2024 and May 2025, saw the Intelligence Unit of CPD being dissolved. As such, season 13 premiered with Sergeant Voight trying to bring his team back together. The premiere episode also introduced a new member to the team, Officer Eva Imani. 

The rest of the team struggled to get on with their lives while fighting crimes. On one hand, Burgess and Ruzek needed to look into danger within their close-knit community. On the other hand, Torres failed to save a kidnapped family friend and questioned his faith. He was later taken hostage by an escaped convict who was wrongly accused. While unable to save the injured convict, Torres managed to nab the real culprit. The season took an interim break, leaving a cliffhanger plot to come back to in January 2026.

Chicago P.D.: Revisiting the fall finale episode

As mentioned before, prior to taking its year-end pause, Chicago P.D. aired its episode 7 and left a cliffhanger. Titled Impulse Control, the episode highlighted the new entrant, Officer Imani’s spontaneous passion towards her profession. This led her to danger as she was looking out for the safety of Julie, the granddaughter of Raymond, a suspect Voight and Imani were investigating.

The plot showed the team stumble onto a victim with a battered hand as was the modus operandi of deceased criminal, Gary. This led the team to Gary’s father, Raymond Bell. After talking to Bell’s former gardener, the team believed something was off about the Bell house but had no evidence and no option to point at the businessman.

Later when Raymond’s granddaughter, Julie, came to hospital injured from presumably falling off a tree, Imani was convinced that the excuse was a lie and Julie was in peril. As such, she gave her phone number to the girl to call her in any threat. When Officer Imani received a phone call late in the night, she heard nothing except breathing sounds on the other side.

Despite Voight’s disapproval, Imani impulsively arrived at the Bell’s house at night. She broke in only to find the house in a mess, Julie’s phone broken and heard a crash behind her just as the episode ended. While Imani believed that Julie was in danger, the episode suggested that the officer was in trouble as well.

Chicago P.D.: Specifics about return in January 2026

As already mentioned, Chicago P.D. will return from its festive break after the New Year celebration. The show will air its season 13 episode 8 on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at 10 pm EST. The episode will be available on Peacock the next day, January 8, 2026. Season 13 will likely continue with 14 more episodes to reach its slated 21 episodes target.

Chicago P.D. viewers may want to catch up on Imani’s situation after the hiatus. Season 13 episode 8 will likely find Imani in peril as she faces Raymond’s evil moves alone. The Intelligence Unit may realize that their officer is missing. As they gather information and resources to save Julie, they may look for their absent team member.

Meanwhile, Imani may discover hidden passages and secrets inside Bell’s house. Whether Voight’s team reaches Imani and saves Julie in time remains to be seen.

Tune in to NBC on January 7, 2026, to catch the return of Chicago P.D. Meanwhile, rewatch the previous episodes on Peacock.