Contains spoilers for “Chicago P.D.” Season 13, Episode 4 — “Root Cause”
Eva Imani (Ari Mandi) is the latest new kid on the block in “Chicago P.D.,” and during Episode 4 of Season 13, “Root Cause,” audiences finally learn a little bit more about her past and personal life. She and Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) are working together to try to find a suspect in a string of robberies when intel leads them to an Narcotics Anonymous meeting. Imani goes in under an assumed name and is so convincing in her portrayal of a desperate addict that Hank has to ask her how she got her experience.
“Is that a very subtle way of asking if I have a drug problem? No, I don’t. I’ve just been to a lot of N.A. meetings,” she explains. Hank presses her as to why and she admits that she spent a lot of time searching for her sister at them — the last time Eva saw her was when she was eight. While she doesn’t elaborate further, she later reveals a little bit more of her history. She demonstrates that she knows how to speak Farsi very well, proving a claim she made earlier about being bilingual.
Later, she catches sight of a wanted poster and looks haunted. Could she have spied her sister’s face there, or another relative? Audiences will have to wait to get an answer — just like they did to learn more about Hank’s childhood, a long-dangling plot thread which is finally about to come to fruition after 13 seasons.
Will fans finally get to know more about Hank’s backstory?
Eva isn’t the only character whose past receives a partial exhumation thanks to unforeseen circumstances. Early in the episode, Hank receives a manila envelope and asks Trudy (Amy Morton) to figure out where it came from. Later, the contents of the mailer are revealed — a picture of a young Hank lying battered in a hospital bed.
“Chicago P.D.” has avoided telling viewers too much about where Hank came from and what his family was like. Audiences know he idolized his policeman father, which is why he entered the academy — and that his dad died in the line of duty. In spite of the fact that Hank is the “Chicago P.D.” character who arguably breaks the most rules, he’s always had a tender side and a soft spot for wounded people. Specifically, he cares about the welfare of abused children.
He has tried to shelter and protect a number of them from violence and the end result hasn’t always been pleasant. Hank went the distance to protect his own son, Justin (Josh Segarra), from getting hurt in spite of their strained relationship. When Justin’s brutal murder eventually occurs in Season 3, it shakes Hank badly. But it looks like “Chicago P.D.” is finally going to fill in some information gaps and reveal what happened to Hank after his dad died — and why he’s so private about his past.
If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.