Change is coming once again to the One Chicago franchise, and this latest cast exit stings more than any we’ve experienced in recent years. Words cannot express how disappointed and heartbroken the One Chicago fandom at large, including yours truly, has been since word broke that LaRoyce Hawkins would be exiting Chicago PD after 13 seasons as a series regular.
For years, Kevin Atwater has been the heart of the show and the show’s most reliable and honorable character. In a show that is full of characters who are always operating in shades of gray, Atwater was our true north. He was a constant reminder that integrity, compassion, and doing the right thing still mattered, even when it came at a personal cost.
But what made Atwater truly special went far beyond his place within the Intelligence Unit. He became one of television’s strongest examples of a Black leading character who was never reduced to a stereotype or defined by one-dimensional storytelling. Hawkins brought authenticity and humanity to every scene, allowing Chicago PD to tell stories about race, policing, family, community, and identity that it might never have been able to tell otherwise.
It’s hard enough to think that we’re about to lose such an amazing character, but what makes it even harder to stomach is the fact that the show is looking to replace him with a character that is nothing like Atwater.
NBC is said to be casting for a Black cop who is an agent of chaos, and fans are not at all happy about the decision.
“Why do they choose the same archetypes for these characters? I don’t want CHAOS. I want CONSISTENCY!” wrote one frustrated fan on X reacting to the decision.
“Kevin Atwater was never interchangeable. And he deserves better,” TV Fanatic echoed. “LaRoyce Hawkins’ exit isn’t just about losing a fan favorite. It’s another reminder that keeps chasing “chaos” instead of investing in the characters fans already love.”
Social media posts and the comment sections of countless platforms that have covered news of Hawkins’ exit are filled with similar remarks, and we could not agree more. This show does not need more chaos; it needs stability.
It was one thing when Voight was the only member of the team coloring outside the lines and bending the rules. However, as the seasons have gone by, the show has gradually corrupted those around Voight or brought in new characters with a chaotic streak of their own.
Atwater is one of the few in Voight’s orbit that has remained true to himself through all these seasons, always committing to holding himself to a higher standard and doing the right thing. To think the show is now going to cast him aside just to replace him with a new character who is literally being described as an agent of chaos is more than a little disappointing.
Chicago PD doesn’t need more chaos, and we’re starting to grow tired of watching characters who are supposed to uphold justice taking the law into their own hands to close cases.
