When Chicago P.D. returns for its 14th season in October, it will be saying goodbye to one of Intelligence’s officers and an original cast member.
LaRoyce Hawkins is leaving a few episodes into the season (an exact episode hasn’t been announced). While there is an ongoing storyline with Officer Kevin Atwater that could be used to write him out, nothing has been said onscreen to suggest an exit, meaning there are a few ways this could go — and not all involve fellow officer Tasha Fox (Karen Obilom), who surprised him with pregnancy news last season.
Below, we take a look at how Chicago P.D. could explain Hawkins’ exit — and yes, it gets dark.
Atwater leaves Chicago to be with Tasha and their baby
Tasha left Chicago for Miami before she returned to surprise Atwater with her news. The simplest (and happiest) way to write out Atwater would be to have him move there (or anywhere else) with her to raise their baby together. Why not give him a bit of joy after the really unlucky time he’s had with love over the years?
Atwater is forced out of Intelligence
What if it’s not Atwater’s choice to leave Chicago? What if something happens in the first couple of episodes of Season 14 that forces him out of the unit (and CPD)? It’s hard to imagine that being the case, given who Atwater is, but the brass has had issues with Intelligence in the past, and Atwater could end up caught up in something that may not be his fault entirely (or at all).
Atwater leaves the CPD after something tragic happens to Tasha
We can’t forget that this is a procedural drama that has gotten dark in the past. What if something happens to Tasha — but let’s not get too tragic and say that their baby survives — and Atwater leaves the CPD to be a single father and ensure their child has at least one parent?
Atwater dies
Not every character written out has survived their last episode, and this is a dangerous job. Imagine the fallout and mourning for Intelligence if Atwater is killed on the job. His death would affect everyone in the unit. This does seem to be less likely than some of the others — and it would be a shame if the door isn’t open for Hawkins to guest star in the future. After all, look how successful Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos‘ returns for last season’s three-show crossover were.
