Premiering in January of 2014, the first episode of the police procedural “Chicago P.D.” kicked off its entry into the “One Chicago” universe

with an electrifying series debut. Featuring Jason Beghe’s Hank Voight, Jon Seda’s Antonio Dawson and Amy Morton’s Trudy Platt crossing

over to the new show from their previous roles on “Chicago Fire,” the 21st District’s elite intel squad found themselves plunged into a

 

 

harrowing new case right from the series open. Hot on the bloody trail of a drug cartel hit man whose M.O. is decapitating his victims, the initial “Stepping Stone” episode definitely launched the series in an exhilarating way.

 

 

As a police action-drama — with emphasis on the action — the show’s opener packed in plenty of wild chase scenes, gunplay, and life-threatening confrontations. Added to that were the introductions of numerous unfamiliar characters and relationships that any new series would need to provide to a first time audience.

 

 

In other words, with all this going on, viewers can be excused if there were some things they never noticed in the first episode of “Chicago P.D.” until now.

One key element of the series’ debut that might have slipped fans’ notice is the identity of the show’s director, and his connections to other iconic TV hits. In addition to directing the premiere episode of “Chicago P.D.,” Michael Slovis also served as cinematographer on such

 

 

landmark series as “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Breaking Bad,” and “Better Call Saul.” In 2006, his efforts on “CSI” would earn him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a One Hour Series. Later, he would move into the director’s chair to helm episodes of blockbuster franchises including “Game of Thrones” and “Breaking Bad.”

As any serious “Chicago P.D.” fan knows, the immersive realism achieved by the show’s directors has become one of its trademarks. Matching the kinetic pacing of the series, the dynamic visual style of the show reinforces the scripted narrative without getting in the way of the story. Discussing his approach to this kind of seamless visual storytelling, Slovis told The Hollywood Reporter, “I’m all about the most efficient and non-intrusive way of telling the story… I want the graphic language to be pretty, but I also don’t want it to be what’s noticed. I want it to be integrated into the story. I really try, when I go to different places, to make myself fit in and not impose anything… but put my own little spin on it.”

One thing Chi-hard fans are well-aware of in the expansive Chicago-verse is the phenomenon of crossover storylines, with all three shows sharing plotlines and characters to great dramatic effect numerous times. How often does this sort of cross-pollination of plots and stars occur? A Reddit user did the math and compiled a list of no less than 17 times the three shows have swapped personnel, also including a link up with another beloved series: “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” In a discussion of the episode on TV Line, commenter Angie made a point of mentioning how crossovers added to her appreciation of the various shows’ interconnections. “I enjoyed the crossover of Chicago fire players. Since they all live and work in Chicago not ever seeing them cross paths would be highly unlikely. It also provides continuity to any story line on either show.”