Chicago PD’s revolving door cast is unavoidable.
When you have a series that has been on the air for over a decade, the least surprising aspect is that some of our favorite characters will come and go.
As we head into Chicago PD Season 12, the cast is stronger than ever, but we have a minor issue: who will be a detective and Voight’s newest right-hand?
If one had to place a bet on who should rise to that occasion, there’s a strong case for why Kevin Atwater is the man for the job.
Related: Chicago PD Season 12 Cast & Character Guide
Petrovic is Too New, Polarizing, and Troubled
While we’re still trying to determine whether Bojana Novakovic’s Josephine Petrovic will return to the series in a more prominent role, there are mixed feelings about what that would mean.
What Petrovic contributes as a profiler and someone with her extensive background in working sex crimes is fascinating in its own way.
And when written well, it could lead to some compelling arcs for a season.
But it already feels like we got too much of her during the previous season, and her exhausting background with troubled relationships and alcohol abuse doesn’t make it feel as if she’s up for the challenge.
In many ways, the idea that she’s the other side of the coin to Hailey Upton, with installments like “On Paper” going out of their way to draw some parallels and show their connection, invites too much comparison.
If there’s one thing we learned with the Erin to Hailey shift, it’s that very little good comes from when a new character invites too much comparison because of certain plots.
Comparison is the thief of joy and all that good stuff.
Sadly, on Upton’s way out, the series spent roughly two and a half seasons hammering us over the head with her emotional issues and battles and her declining mental health as the job kept chewing her up and spitting her out.
Unfortunately, if the series opted to shift to Petrovic, putting the troubled blond on the team as the sole detective and possibly Voight’s newest righthand woman, it would feel like more of the same.
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It also wouldn’t go over well if we didn’t get to see a character we’ve come to love step into a role after we’ve seen their ascent and growth.
Atwater’s Trajectory from Rookie Patrol to Intelligence Detective is Gratifying
There is nothing we love more than seeing that someone has “earned” something.
We’re over ten years into this series, and it feels like we’re part of the journey with the characters, for good, bad, and ugly.
One of the best things about a show with this type of longevity and characters who have been there since the beginning is that we get to see their evolution throughout the series.
We saw Atwater and Burgess partnered together and just making their mark as patrol officers.
We didn’t get to see this with Ruzek, for example, as he was plucked out of the Academy and walked into a position on this elite team.
It’s not to say that Ruzek hasn’t earned his stripes or his spot and been a fantastic Intelligence officer, as he has.
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But it’s more gratifying to see Atwater and Burgess’ ascent.
It would be even better for Kevin if his tempered ambition led him further in his career and up the ranks.
Atwater Isn’t Actively Pursuing Detective or Laser-Focused on Rank-Climbing
While Atwater is ambitious, it never comes across as if he’s in this job for the titles and ladder climbing.
Ranking never seems at the forefront of his mind.
Isn’t it more fun to give a higher position to someone who displays all the skills and talent of that position without the entitlement of needing that recognition or a pat on the back?
Atwater is on the job for the right reasons, and when you have someone like that, it’s infinitely more important to reward them because great character backed by the power and influence of titles is how real change can happen.
Voight and Atwater Would Have a Truly Unique But Necessary Dynamic
Atwater is the calmest, most level-headed, most compassionate, and most tapped-in member of the Intelligence Unit.
You can never accuse the man of being out of touch with what’s happening in Chicago’s streets.
But Atwater has always possessed a quiet strength that sets him apart from his peers. He also has a cool and laid-back demeanor.
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That said, he’s a man of strong conviction and morals that remain solid in what’s right and wrong.
He’s arguably the most righteous of Intelligence Unit members, past and present, and he’s the most consistent about his morals.
Atwater has even managed to find a way to stay true to himself as the real “boy scout” member of the team (sorry, Halstead) while still working well under Voight and alongside hotheads like his brother Ruzek.
We have yet to witness Voight having a second in command with that quality.
Most of them are either some rendition of him or someone who loses themselves to the point of coming across as hypocritical while working alongside him.
Atwater would complement Voight well.
They’d be a true yin-yang type of pairing.
Atwater can serve as the moral center and “voice of reason” who ensures Intelligence doesn’t follow Voight over a cliff.
With a promotion to detective, the likelihood of Atwater also being Voight’s new right hand is much stronger.
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We know that Chicago PD Season 11 was a shortened season that focused on setting up and executing Hailey’s Departure from Intelligence and the series.
But it also gave a typically underutilized Atwater some strong installments geared toward him as a cop and a person.
In “Split Second,” Atwater evaluated his actions and reactions during an armed robbery that cost someone their life.
The episode “The Water Line serves as Atwater’s “redemption,” and Trudy reminds him of who he is, how far he’s come, and why he’s a fantastic cop and person.
Atwater even took up more of a leadership role throughout the season, and we particularly see that strongly with his dynamic with Torres.
If you think we’re reading too much into it, remember that the key art for Chicago PD Season 11 featured only three Intelligence members; Voight was rightfully at the center.
Hailey, who the season would naturally focus on because of her departure, was on Voight’s right as we viewers see the picture.
The season spent so much time drawing out that father/daughter dynamic and what they meant to one another partners, so it made sense.
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And of all the other characters, Atwater was on Voight’s other side.
It’s almost as if he’s waiting in the wings and should be next in line, right?
A Cop of Color Climbing the Ranks, Straddling Two Worlds, and Making a Difference is a Refreshing Change of Pace
They have made much of Atwater’s storyline explore what it’s like for him as a Black man who also happens to be a police officer when the two seem to be in direct conflict.
He has a tough road to navigate, which has deeply impacted his career on many occasions.
For the record, we’re going to vigorously ignore the discussion that he could never climb the ranks again because of the issues he faced when he went up against the police force.
Chicago PD notoriously forgets its own continuity, so this time, we will do the same.
Atwater has dealt with people in his neighborhood treating him as if he’s a traitor because of his job, racism, and betrayal from his own supposed brothers in Blue, and the job affecting his romantic and familial relationships.
But much of Atwater’s motivation is to look after and inspire his community, dismantle the toxicity and other things found within the job, and bridge the gap between communities and the police.
He tends to stand between them with a genuine desire to make a difference, and that’s why it feels natural for his journey and all that they’ve set up with his character for him to continue climbing the ranks and get some level of authority.
For Atwater and cops like him, a promotion to a higher rank means much more than what appears on paper.
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It’s far more significant and has far-reaching effects, and given how socially conscious Chicago PD tries to be; this aligns with what they would continuously want to explore.
It’s also just an incredible and well-earned accomplishment for Atwater and something that he’s consistently worked himself up to through hard work and some of his most notable traits.
It breaks up the monotony of the same types of police officers climbing the ranks.
It’s particularly gratifying to know that a man whose advice to up-and-coming officers is to “lead with sympathy” could be more prominent as one of the new faces of policing.
Intelligence can’t go wrong with Ruzek, Burgess, or Atwater; they all have proven themselves repeatedly.
We’re all in on Detective Kevin Atwater; it’s time.
Over to you, Chicago PD Fanatics.
Do you think Atwater should get a promotion? Why is he perfect for the role? Let’s hear it below!
You can stream Chicago PD on Peacock.
