After a huge change in his life, it may finally be time for Atwater to leaveChicago PD and for good reason. But yes, he would be missed.
Caution: This article contains SPOILERS for Chicago PD season 13 episode 11 “On the Way”
Since the start of Chicago PD, Kevin Atwater has been a key part of the unit. He’s risen from patrol officer to a respected member of the Intelligence Unit, a tough cop always willing to risk himself to help others. He’s also faced issues of racism with the public and even fellow cops, and refused to back down.
In “On the Way,” Atwater was on a personal quest for justice when a friend was killed by some gang members. The pair had been talking about their futures as Atwater missed his former flame, Tasha Fox (Karen Obilom), a Chicago cop who’d moved to Miami. The Chicago PD was cutting back on hours and pay with the Intelligence Unit mostly safe as they were needed, but Atwater was feeling the effects of not getting more shifts.
Tasha had a surprise on Chicago PD
The episode ended with Atwater surprised by Tasha dropping by. He then got a bigger surprise when she revealed she was pregnant, not expecting him to be part of the child’s life, but Atwater just grinned as the story ended.
Speaking to TV Insider, LaRoyce Hawkins shared his excitement about this turn and what it means to Kevin.
“There’s a nature to being a father on crime shows where you hope everything works out. You know, I’m optimistic about everything working out. And you know, it’s hard to say. It’s not that up to me, but it’s just like fatherhood. It’s like, you don’t know what you’re gonna get.”
It’s a big turn for the character and it also means this is the best way to write him off!
Why Atwater should leave Chicago PD
Losing Atwater may be jarring to viewers as he’s one of a handful of characters who have been around since Chicago PD premiered. However, 13 seasons is a long time for an actor to remain in one role, and Hawkins may feel a need to move on. This would be a big change yet it makes sense for the character.
The reality is the show has done as much as it could with Atwater. We’ve seen him rise from a street cop to a top officer, and his struggles have been wonderful to watch. We’ve seen his issues with his brother and a couple of arcs of him feeling the public pressure of being a cop and facing the issues of the police force, including open bigotry. There really isn’t much more that could be done with him storywise without retreading old ground.
It also fits the storyline with Atwater already feeling the pinch of rising costs in Chicago and no doubt hearing of a few cops who retired to Florida and are enjoying themselves. Atwater was already open to leaving Chicago, and now that he’s going to be a father, he’ll likely realize it’s much better to be out of Intelligence and in a safer position in Miami.
The fact that Tasha lives in the city is key, as she wants to raise the kid herself. Atwater knows what it’s like to have an absentee father and doesn’t want to repeat that mistake with his own child. Combine that with the likelihood of better pay and a better climate, and his leaving Chicago for Miami fits perfectly.
It would be hard to see him go and need to replace him on the squad. But Chicago PD has endured a few such major casting changes over the seasons, so they could survive this one as well. What’s more important is that Atwater deserves a happy ending after all he’s been through, so the time is right for him to move from Chicago into a new life as a dad and a nice reward for such a great character.
