Chicago PD season 8 character preview: Kevin Atwater

What will happen

It’s pretty much a given that Atwater will be paired with whomever the new character is that fills Rojas’ spot on the Intelligence roster. Much like Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) was teamed up with Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) after the exit of Erin Lindsay (Sophia Bush), the straight-up one-to-one swap is the easiest option for the show.

Of course, that means Atwater will again have to work with someone who doesn’t know the ropes, and is probably going to be less experienced as a police officer overall. Fans will have to watch and see what is going to make that dynamic different from what Kevin just went through with Rojas.

There’s some deserved skepticism about Atwater’s story arc. Chicago PD has talked about being timely before, and has even attempted a prior reform storyline, but that didn’t actually materialize as anything timely. Based on the show’s past history it wouldn’t be a shock if Kevin’s cliffhanger is tied up by the end of the season 8 premiere and the writers move on to other characters and plots.

Hopefully, though, they’ll buck the trend because if ever there was something exciting that the series can do something totally different with, this is it. This should be the season where Kevin Atwater takes center stage.

For the latest Chicago PD season 8 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago PD category at One Chicago Center.