Chicago P.D.’s Jason Beghe Has Some Thoughts on Patrick John Flueger’s Performance in Wednesday’s ‘Very Special Episode’ (Exclusive)

This article contains spoilers from the Wednesday, Feb. 26 episode of Chicago P.D.

This week’s episode of Chicago P.D., “Marie,” featured the powerful conclusion to a story that began in last month following a little girl called “Zoe.”

In the January episode, Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) met little Zoe (Annabelle Toomey) when performing a wellness check and discovering two murder victims in adjacent rooms. Eventually, he learned that Zoe’s father-figure was a serial killer, Thomas Cronin, who preyed on single moms. At the end of the episode, though, Cronin remained in the wind.

In the Feb. 26 episode, Zoe was kidnapped from the home where she was staying, sending the Intelligence Unit, led by Sargeant Voight (Jason Beghe), to find both of them before it was too late. Thankfully, they did, and at the end of the episode, Zoe was reunited with a long-lost family member and learned that her given name was Marie.

“This little girl and these two episodes are just fantastic,” Beghe tells PEOPLE. “‘Marie,’ to me is one of the most lovely. It’s a very, very, very special episode.”

As Beghe, 64, talks about the installment, it’s clear his thoughts are singular: “Paddy is just so good,” he says of Flueger. “And there’s something about it, I feel like he found his comfort zone and his voice this season which is just it’s so gratifying for me because I love him so much.”

“He’s always been great, but there’s just something special this season,” he adds.

Beghe’s pride in his castmates is infectious.

“Being on a TV show, it’s like living a year in a day,” he says. “I’ve been with these people and I’m pretty sure they love me. I know that I love them, and I don’t use that word loosely. I mean, it’s a whole other family. And just like your friends and your children and yourself, you see these moments when people evolve, go to the next level, whatever it is, change. It’s natural and normal, but it’s still beautiful and inspiring.”

Beghe and the rest of the cast are currently busy filming the 19th episode of the season, which will have 22 episodes. And in the home stretch, it sounds like Voight’s contentious relationship with Deputy Chief Reid (Shawn Hatosy) will come to a head.

“Shawn and I have been having a terrific time and, really, you ain’t seen nothing yet,” Beghe teases. “Gwen [Sigan], our showrunner, is kind of amazing. We’ve got a couple [scenes] coming up that are in the can that you see where this thing is going. And I think probably the last two [episodes] of the season are gonna be fairly intense.”

Another thing that’s intense? The waiting game. Beghe, like many fans, is hopeful to keep the Chicago P.D. family together for a 13th season, which NBC has yet to announce.

“I know for me and I think for a lot of us, one of the reasons why we’re still on the air is that we’re really grateful and we really care, and we we want to do a good job,” he explains. “We understand that it’s not really about us. It’s about you, the fans. This is your show. It’s for you. … The bottom line is there’s no point in telling a story unless there’s somebody listening. So it’s really about you, we’re telling you the story, and it’s an honor.”

“We appreciate it that somebody wants us to tell another story next week,” he concludes. “That’s not something to take lightly or for granted.”

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Chicago P.D. airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC, after Chicago Med and Chicago Fire.