It's been six months since fans last saw , and his fate has been up in the air ever since.
In , Ruzek's undercover investigation went terribly wrong when he was shot by Callum, the young grandson of the white supremacist at the center of . Desperate to make sure she and her son were safe, Richard's daughter, Samantha, took Callum and left Ruzek alone to bleed out. Before he lost consciousness, the cop managed to reach his phone and call for help. and Burgess find him, and in his final scene of the season he's rushed to Gaffney and into emergency surgery.
There's been no update on whether or not Ruzek survived or succumbed to his injuries.
But thanks to the latest Season 11 premiere, we finally have our answer.
Fans will be overjoyed to know that, yes, Ruzek survived! We learn this great news in the early minutes of the Season 11 premiere, "Unpacking", which takes place six months after the events of "A Better Place".
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Following a series of flashbacks showing scenes from when he was shot, we see Ruzek finish out a run that's being timed by . Ruzek is disappointed with his results, revealing he just finished rehab for his injury, but failed to pass a recent Power Test that would have cleared him to return to work.
Burgess then appears, offering encouraging words before heading to the office with Atwater.
Through glimpses of Voight's day, we see him attempt to put off , who wants replacements named for Ruzek and . Of course, the ever-loyal Voight is doing everything he can to avoid this and keep his team together.
"Ruzek was rehabbing and trying to get his body back in shape," showrunner Gwen Sigan tells us. "Trying to get his head back in shape. Trying to get ready to get back on the job, and it's taken a while since he was shot.
"
She continues, "Hank's been trying to hold the unit together. I mean, the man's been trying to defend Torres' spot and defend Ruzek's spot and just, you know, keep the unit going. Keep making cases."
Sigan also reveals to NBC Insider that despite us not seeing much of him in the premiere, Season 11, Episode 2's "Retread" will be a "Ruzek-dominated" episode.
"He's still off the job in Episode 2, but we see what that's doing to him and what it's been like for six months to not be back on the job," she says. "And we get to see him trying to pass the test.
.. and then, we'll kind of be moving into different territory after that."
Of course, we can't talk Ruzek without mentioning Burzek.
After seasons heavily leaning into , Burgess and Ruzek Thankfully, they are still a couple, and Burgess has remained by Ruzek's side throughout his recovery.
"They've been in that same space that we left them in, which is they're very committed to each other," Sigan tells us. "[They're] very committed to this new life together and being romantically involved, and also being a family and being parents together.
Being all the things. So, that has been going strong. And in the six months, I think Burgess really was supporting him quite a bit."
We'll also be treated to even more Burzek content in Season 11, Episode 3's "Safe Harbor," which will be Burgess-focused.
"This season, we really wanted to focus on these two people have made this choice that they're in it for the long haul," Sigan says. "They're grown-ups. They know what that means. They know that it's like any relationship. It's not going to be easy all the time.
It will be work, but that they are so committed to each other."
She continues, "So, we get to see in these first three episodes what it's been like for them to be in that space, and what it looks like when the person you love is going through something, and you're there to support them and to figure out what they actually need from you and how you can do that. And so, it's a different thing for them to get to see them in that way and just be each other's rocks, really."
