Chicago PD questions likely to be unanswered in season 7

3. What about Atwater and Rojas?

Early on in the season, there was the suggestion that Kevin Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins) and his new partner Vanessa Rojas (Lisseth Chavez) could become a couple. Not only has that not come to pass, but their individual storylines are also kind of a mess.

The show finally revisited Atwater’s family issues for the first time since the fifth season in the episode “Mercy.” Kevin’s brother Jordan returned to Chicago and got involved with yet another case that Intelligence was working, and ended the episode having gone missing. It’s not clear if that was just meant to be left open-ended or would be revisited later this season.

It’s not the first time we’ve seen Atwater make a rash decision to help out someone he cares for. Last season in “Black and Blue” he got rid of a gun to protect his then-girlfriend Laila (Milauna Jemai Jackson). Jordan insisted that he did not shoot Trey, but if he winds up being in trouble for that or something else, Atwater would drop everything to help him.

As his partner, Rojas would probably get pulled into that, and she’s got her own issues with her past that she’s been dealing with. While the audience learned a lot about Rojas in “Lines” she has yet to really open up to Atwater, and we know she’s looking for someone to lean on after losing her ex-boyfriend out of her life.

That could be the impetus that finally leads them to growing closer, or maybe not. Rick Eid didn’t say they would get together; only that it could happen. And with Upstead already on the partner-romance track, maybe they won’t. But both of them deserve to close the books on their pasts and move forward, and odds aren’t good that either one will have that opportunity.

For the latest Chicago PD season 7 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago PD category at One Chicago Center.