Spoilers ahead for Episode 5 of Chicago P.D. Season 11 on NBC, called "Split Second."
The latest episode of Chicago P.D. in the 2024 TV schedule shone a spotlight on Kevin Atwater as he struggled to investigate a case while also doubting a decision made in the heat of the moment that cost an innocent man's life. LaRoyce Hawkins, who previously opened up about the great advice he received for playing Atwater in Season 11, spoke with CinemaBlend about where his character is on his journey to (hopefully) becoming detective among the other Intelligence officers.
While Atwater was crossing so many more lines than usual in "Split Second" that consummate line-crosser Ruzek tried to talk to him about it, he also put everything he had into catching the jewelry store smash-and-grab robbers who had caused so much death and destruction. This involved a climactic rescue of a woman who lost the man she loved when Atwater wasn't able to save him. Voight finally reminded Atwater that there's no right choice to make in a situation with multiple victims and no backup, and told him that he "did good" and should "let it be done now."
Although it was a good message, it wasn't enough to let Atwater sleep at night, and he finally returned to the scene of the original crime to figure out a way that he could have indeed saved every victim on scene. While there's no way he could have realistically found the way at the time of the emergency, that doesn't mean he won't take it hard! All in all, this was a rough week for Kev, but he put the work in the close the case and save as many lives as possible.
And given that I've been hoping for Chicago P.D. to promote Atwater to detective status since 2021, seeing him navigate all the hurdles in "Split Second" meant I had to ask the actor about it. Toward the end of Season 10, LaRoyce Hawkins had said that he thought "Atwater's getting close" to making detective, so how far along that journey is he at this point in Season 11? In sharing his two cents, the actor also had high praise for his fellow P.D. stars. He said:
It feels like we're on the way. It's hard to say how close we are, but we're definitely on the way, I have to believe. But I watch other people on this team do their best as well, and I'm picking up everything they're putting down. Burgess is one of the hardest workers I've ever had the pleasure of being able to work with, Paddy [John Flueger] [as] Ruzek, in my humble opinion, is one of the most gifted storytellers on TV right now. The acquisition of Ocean, we've learned a lot from him as a young talent.
That detective badge isn't in Atwater's reach just yet, but "on the way" beats not moving forward at all! He's also one of four officers in the Intelligence Unit, along with Patrick John Flueger's Ruzek, Marina Squerciati's Burgess, and Benjamin Levy Aguilar's Torres, a.k.a. "Ocean." Flueger and Squerciati have also been on Chicago P.D. as long as LaRoyce Hawkins without their characters making detective. (Torres may not get that promotion any time soon if his recent bold move backfires!)
LaRoyce Hawkins went on to praise the actors playing characters in the Intelligence Unit who are already ranked above officer, saying:
We already know how Voight is coming every time. He's been probably the most consistently compelling character on television, since he's created the role. Oh yeah, and you know I only want to talk about Tracy [Spiridakos] [as] Upton. Tracy Upton challenges us all to do our best, because she can really do no wrong. I think we're all extremely capable and there wouldn't be any wrong answers as far as who's next to take a different role or more responsibility. I think we'll all be happy for each other either way. I think as long as we get to keep storytelling with each other, we'll be good.
Whether this means that somebody is up for the promotion in Season 11 or not, it's nice to see LaRoyce Hawkins as a fan of his coworkers' work on the show. Plus, this is Tracy Spiridakos' final season as Detective Hailey Upton. I'm still hoping for Atwater to be the next cop to get the upgrade from officer, and it should be interesting to see if Voight becomes more of a mentor figure for him moving forwards. Upton leans heavily enough on Voight that she chose him for a confidant in the Season 11 premiere; "Split Second" showed Atwater opening up to his dad.
See what's next for the Intelligence Unit – including whether one of the officers is promoted before the last remaining detective departs – with new episodes of Chicago P.D. on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, following Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. and Chicago Med at 8 p.m. You can also revisit earlier episodes of the series streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription.
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