Chicago PD: Why Danny Woods Is Considered the Most Hated Villain on the Show

Fans of the Chicago P.D. police drama can rejoice, as the series returns to screens on September 22 with its ninth season. There are many questions left unanswered after the end of the last episode, which aired on the NBC network in late May, so the series will have to tie up all of those loose ends.

Over the years, fans have enjoyed fascinating crossovers with other franchises, such as Chicago Med and Chicago Fire. Drama characters such as Sergeant Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) and his team have also occasionally appeared on screen in crossover storylines with iconic Law & Order SVU, such as Capt. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay).

Since it premiered on January 8, 2014, Chicago P.D. has added countless villains to its plot. Some of them are more twisted than others, but since this is a crime drama, these types of characters often appear and develop their stories, which in most cases reflect real life.

The Chicago Police Department's Intelligence Unit is led by Sergeant Hank Voight, a tough officer who is not afraid to break the rules in order to catch criminals. Thanks to his unorthodox methods, the Intelligence Unit has successfully captured many villains, including Carl Grissom and Robert Haywood. However, there's one who is described as the most hated of them all.

Fans of NBC's Chicago P.D. should remember Denny Woods, who first appeared in the fourth season of the show as Voight's former partner. He had all sorts of crimes on his hands, and should have been brought to justice. But why is he the most hated of them all?

According to a respected website, OneChicagoCenter, there is a long history as why it's being hated by fans of the series. Most notably, because of what happened to Alvin Olinsky (Elias Koteas) at the end of season 5 – he was painfully stabbed to death.

The show didn't only help him avoid any fallout, but it also promoted him to Lieutenant, where he spoke about police reform. He then went on a one-man crusade against his former partner, Voight.

Woods deserved to be hated not only for what he did to Olinsky and Adam Ruzek, but for the ways in which his story fell short. His potential as a reformed officer was wasted; instead, it became about an obsession with his ex-partner.

With the amazing talent of Mykelti Williamson, the show could have done so much more. The show has cast great actors as Voight’s former partners in him and Mark Dacascos, but in Woods’ case, the character got increasingly over the top and left a ton of wreckage in his wake.