Dante Torres’ Struggles and Transformation in Season 13 of Chicago P.D.
The Intelligence Unit officers on Chicago P.D. have always faced intense challenges, but for Dante Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar), Season 13 has been particularly difficult. After witnessing the brutal murder of a former informant and going undercover in the same juvenile detention center where he was once held as a child, Torres has been battling severe depression. His trauma has led to a crisis of faith and a dramatic toll on his mental health.
In Chicago P.D.’s Season 13, Episode 2 titled “Open Wounds,” directed by Jesse Lee Soffer, viewers saw just how much Torres is struggling. He’s unable to sleep, eat, or connect with his family, which has left both his colleagues and fans deeply concerned about his well-being.
A New Look for a Troubled Character
When fans first met Torres, he had a clean-cut appearance with closely cropped hair. However, this season, his look has changed dramatically—overgrown hair, a beard, and pronounced bags under his eyes. This transformation wasn’t accidental; it was a deliberate choice by the showrunners to reflect his internal struggles.
Showrunner Gwen Sigan explained the decision to Muara Digital Team at the end of Season 12. She mentioned that the new look was a physical manifestation of what Torres was going through. “He’s such an odd little duck. That character always wears the same thing and has good-looking shoes that he probably scrubs every night. And to see him physically look a little bit different is jarring.”
Dante Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar) appears on Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 21 “Open Casket”.
Photo: Elizabeth Sisson/Muara Digital Team
The Events of Season 13, Episode 2
While tracking down the perpetrators behind a series of flash abductions, Torres was attacked and suffered a gash on his arm. After being stitched up, he learned that his neighbor was one of many victims in the area. When he discovered someone had survived a similar abduction, Torres visited the victim’s emergency contact to gather more information.
That’s when he met Jimena Sanz (Yadira Guevara-Prip), the owner of a tattoo parlor who had little faith in local authorities after they failed to arrest her cousin’s attacker. Jimena helped Torres locate the warehouse where the abductors were hiding, but the team arrived too late—Torres’ neighbor had already been murdered.
As the case became personal for Torres, he began tampering with his stitches. Meanwhile, he successfully tracked down the ringleader but nearly shot him before Kevin Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins) intervened. After the arrest, Atwater noticed that Torres’ sutures had been torn and encouraged him to get it checked.
Dante Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar) appears in Chicago P.D. Season 13 Episode 2.
Photo: Elizabeth Sisson/Muara Digital Team
A Personal Connection
Sensing that Torres was struggling, Atwater told him that while he understood it was a tough case, he needed to stop beating himself up over events from last year. Torres responded half-heartedly, saying, “I just gotta find a way to deal with it all. But I’ll find it.”
Later, Torres ran into Jimena at a bar. After a lighthearted conversation, she noticed his open wound and asked why he was messing with it. Torres confessed that he used to pray when things felt too much, but now he didn’t feel anything. Jimena guessed that the pain was his release, and Torres agreed.
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An Unexpected Distraction
Jimena then made a suggestion to lighten Torres’ mood. She pulled him to the back of the bar and asked if he trusted her. After he nodded, she drove her finger into his open wound before kissing him passionately. Torres was stunned but distracted as the two moved to the bathroom for a romantic encounter.
Officer Kevin Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins) and Dante Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar) appear in Chicago P.D. Season 13 Episode 2.
Photo: Elizabeth Sisson/Muara Digital Team
Is this the release Torres needs? Fans will have to keep watching Chicago P.D. on Wednesdays at 10/9c on Muara Digital Team and the next day on Peacock to find out.
