Chicago PD\u2019s revolving door cast is unavoidable.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
As we head into Chicago PD Season 12<\/a>, the cast is stronger than ever, but we have a minor issue: who will be a detective and Voight\u2019s newest right-hand?<\/p>\n If one had to place a bet on who should rise to that occasion, there\u2019s a strong case for why Kevin Atwater is the man for the job.<\/p>\n Related: Chicago PD Season 12 Cast & Character Guide<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n While we\u2019re still trying to determine whether Bojana Novakovic\u2019s Josephine Petrovic will return to the series in a more prominent role, there are mixed feelings about what that would mean.<\/p>\n What Petrovic contributes as a profiler and someone with her extensive background in working sex crimes is fascinating in its own way.<\/p>\n And when written well, it could lead to some compelling arcs for a season.<\/p>\n 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\u2019t make it feel as if she\u2019s up for the challenge.<\/p>\n In many ways, the idea that she\u2019s the other side of the coin to Hailey Upton, with installments like \u201cOn Paper<\/a>\u201d going out of their way to draw some parallels and show their connection, invites too much comparison.<\/p>\n If there\u2019s one thing we learned with the Erin to Hailey shift, it\u2019s that very little good comes from when a new character invites too much comparison because of certain plots.<\/p>\n Comparison is the thief of joy and all that good stuff.<\/p>\n Sadly, on Upton\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, if the series opted to shift to Petrovic, putting the troubled blond on the team as the sole detective and possibly Voight\u2019s newest righthand woman, it would feel like more of the same.<\/p>\n Related: 13 Characters Who Are Perpetually in Crisis Mode<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n It also wouldn\u2019t go over well if we didn\u2019t get to see a character we\u2019ve come to love step into a role after we\u2019ve seen their ascent and growth.<\/p>\n There is nothing we love more than seeing that someone has \u201cearned\u201d something.<\/p>\n We\u2019re over ten years into this series, and it feels like we\u2019re part of the journey with the characters, for good, bad, and ugly.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n We saw Atwater and Burgess partnered together and just making their mark as patrol officers.<\/p>\n We didn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not to say that Ruzek hasn\u2019t earned his stripes or his spot and been a fantastic Intelligence officer, as he has.<\/p>\n Related: Found Season 2 Teaser Promises High Stakes in Wake of Sir\u2019s Escape<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n But it\u2019s more gratifying to see Atwater and Burgess\u2019 ascent.<\/p>\n It would be even better for Kevin if his tempered ambition led him further in his career and up the ranks.<\/p>\n While Atwater is ambitious, it never comes across as if he\u2019s in this job for the titles and ladder climbing.<\/p>\n Ranking never seems at the forefront of his mind.<\/p>\n Isn\u2019t 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?<\/p>\n Atwater is on the job for the right reasons, and when you have someone like that, it\u2019s infinitely more important to reward them because great character backed by the power and influence of titles is how real change can happen.<\/p>\n Atwater is the calmest, most level-headed, most compassionate, and most tapped-in member of the Intelligence Unit.<\/p>\n You can never accuse the man of being out of touch with what\u2019s happening in Chicago\u2019s streets.<\/p>\n But Atwater has always possessed a quiet strength that sets him apart from his peers. He also has a cool and laid-back demeanor.<\/p>\n Related: Is ABC Dooming Will Trent and The Rookie Fans with Extra Long Hiatuses<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n That said, he\u2019s a man of strong conviction and morals that remain solid in what\u2019s right and wrong.<\/p>\n He\u2019s arguably the most righteous of Intelligence Unit members, past and present, and he\u2019s the most consistent about his morals.<\/p>\n Atwater has even managed to find a way to stay true to himself as the real \u201cboy scout\u201d member of the team (sorry, Halstead) while still working well under Voight and alongside hotheads like his brother Ruzek.<\/p>\n We have yet to witness Voight having a second in command with that quality.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Atwater would complement Voight well. <\/p>\n They\u2019d be a true yin-yang type of pairing<\/a>.<\/p>\n Atwater can serve as the moral center and \u201cvoice of reason\u201d who ensures Intelligence doesn\u2019t follow Voight over a cliff.<\/p>\n With a promotion to detective, the likelihood of Atwater also being Voight\u2019s new right hand is much stronger.<\/p>\n Related: The Most Charismatic Leading Men on TV<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n We know that Chicago PD Season 11 was a shortened season<\/a> that focused on setting up and executing Hailey\u2019s Departure from Intelligence and the series.<\/p>\n But it also gave a typically underutilized Atwater some strong installments geared toward him as a cop and a person.<\/p>\n In \u201cSplit Second<\/a>,\u201d Atwater evaluated his actions and reactions during an armed robbery that cost someone their life.<\/p>\n The episode \u201cThe Water Line <\/a>serves as Atwater\u2019s \u201credemption,\u201d and Trudy reminds him of who he is, how far he\u2019s come, and why he\u2019s a fantastic cop and person.<\/p>\n Atwater even took up more of a leadership role throughout the season, and we particularly see that strongly with his dynamic with Torres.<\/p>\n If you think we\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n Hailey, who the season would naturally focus on because of her departure, was on Voight\u2019s right as we viewers see the picture. <\/p>\n The season spent so much time drawing out that father\/daughter dynamic and what they meant to one another partners, so it made sense.<\/p>\n Related: Why Are Streaming Services So Bad at Promoting Their Shows?<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n And of all the other characters, Atwater was on Voight\u2019s other side.<\/p>\n It\u2019s almost as if he\u2019s waiting in the wings and should be next in line, right?<\/p>\n They have made much of Atwater\u2019s storyline explore what it\u2019s like for him as a Black man who also happens to be a police officer when the two seem to be in direct conflict.<\/p>\n He has a tough road to navigate, which has deeply impacted his career on many occasions.<\/p>\n For the record, we\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n Chicago PD notoriously forgets its own continuity, so this time, we will do the same.<\/p>\n Atwater has dealt with people in his neighborhood treating him as if he\u2019s a traitor <\/a>because of his job, racism, and betrayal from his own supposed brothers in Blue, and the job affecting his romantic and familial relationships.<\/p>\n But much of Atwater\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n He tends to stand between them with a genuine desire to make a difference, and that\u2019s why it feels natural for his journey and all that they\u2019ve set up with his character for him to continue climbing the ranks and get some level of authority.<\/p>\n For Atwater and cops like him, a promotion to a higher rank means much more than what appears on paper.<\/p>\n Related: Why Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam is All Fizzle and No Substance <\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also just an incredible and well-earned accomplishment for Atwater and something that he\u2019s consistently worked himself up to through hard work and some of his most notable traits. <\/p>\n It breaks up the monotony of the same types of police officers climbing the ranks.<\/p>\n It\u2019s particularly gratifying to know that a man whose advice to up-and-coming officers is to \u201clead with sympathy\u201d could be more prominent as one of the new faces of policing.<\/p>\n Intelligence can\u2019t go wrong with Ruzek, Burgess, or Atwater; they all have proven themselves repeatedly.<\/p>\n We\u2019re all in on Detective Kevin Atwater; it\u2019s time.<\/p>\n Over to you, Chicago PD Fanatics. <\/p>\n Do you think Atwater should get a promotion? Why is he perfect for the role? Let\u2019s hear it below!<\/p>\n You can stream Chicago PD on Peacock<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Atwater](\"https:\/\/cdn.tvfanatic.com\/uploads\/2023\/01\/atwater-profile-chicago-pd-s10e11.jpg\")
Petrovic is Too New, Polarizing, and Troubled<\/h2>\n
![\"Josephine](\"https:\/\/cdn.tvfanatic.com\/uploads\/2024\/03\/josephine-petrovich-tall-chicago-pd-s11e8.jpg\")
![\"Bringing](\"https:\/\/cdn.tvfanatic.com\/uploads\/2024\/03\/bringing-in-petrovich-tall-chicago-pd-s11e8.jpg\")
Atwater\u2019s Trajectory from Rookie Patrol to Intelligence Detective is Gratifying<\/h2>\n
![\"Finding](\"https:\/\/cdn.tvfanatic.com\/uploads\/2024\/02\/finding-motives-tall-chicago-pd-s11e3.jpg\")
![\"Weapons](\"https:\/\/cdn.tvfanatic.com\/uploads\/2024\/02\/weapons-case-tall-chicago-pd-s11e4.jpg\")
Atwater Isn\u2019t Actively Pursuing Detective or Laser-Focused on Rank-Climbing<\/h2>\n
![\"Back](\"https:\/\/cdn.tvfanatic.com\/uploads\/2023\/02\/back-covered-tall-chicago-pd-s10e14.jpg\")
Voight and Atwater Would Have a Truly Unique But Necessary Dynamic<\/h2>\n
![\"Listening](\"https:\/\/cdn.tvfanatic.com\/uploads\/2022\/09\/listening-intently-to-voight-chicago-pd-s10e1.jpg\")
![\"Atwater](\"https:\/\/cdn.tvfanatic.com\/uploads\/2022\/01\/atwater-undercover-chicago-pd-s9e11.jpg\")
![\"An](\"https:\/\/cdn.tvfanatic.com\/uploads\/2021\/10\/an-arresting-officer-chicago-pd-s9e4.jpg\")
![\"Plattwater](\"https:\/\/cdn.tvfanatic.com\/uploads\/2024\/05\/plattwater-chicago-pd.jpg\")
![\"Chicago](\"https:\/\/cdn.tvfanatic.com\/uploads\/2024\/01\/chicago-pd-season-11-key-art.jpg\")
A Cop of Color Climbing the Ranks, Straddling Two Worlds, and Making a Difference is a Refreshing Change of Pace<\/h2>\n
![\"Detective](\"https:\/\/cdn.tvfanatic.com\/uploads\/2022\/11\/detective-bound-tall-chicago-pd-s10e6.jpg\")
![\"Atwater](\"https:\/\/cdn.tvfanatic.com\/uploads\/2021\/09\/atwater-profile-tall-chicago-pd-s9e2.jpg\")
![\"Down](\"https:\/\/cdn.tvfanatic.com\/uploads\/2024\/02\/down-the-barrel-tall-chicago-pd-s11e5.jpg\")