One Chicago fans are growing accustomed to their favorite actors missing episodes at random due to budget cuts, but one thing that is lacking in some instances is an actual addressing of missing characters. This was the case in Chicago PD’s latest episode which randomly sidelined LaRoyce Hawkins’ character, Kevin Atwater, without any actual explanation.
Rather than giving us a quick explanation as to where Atwater was in season 13’s fourth episode, the show simply ignored Atwater’s absence with no reference to the character at all. He simply didn’t appear and no one on the team blinked an eye or made a point of addressing his absence with a “Oh, Atwater is off shift today” or, “Where’s Atwater? Oh, he had something at Vinessa’s school.”
Given Atwater is one of the show’s original characters, it’s disappointing to see the show fail him and his fans by simply acting as if no one would notice he wasn’t around. That was far from the case as many fans expressed confusion and concern during the episode’s broadcast, questioning where he was.
Chicago PD season 13 episode 5 will be a big Atwater episode
Thankfully, after sidelining Atwater without any explanation, the show is about to make it up to both the character and his many fans with an Atwater-centric episode!
The fifth episode of the season, “Miami,” will see Atwater reunited with an old friend from his days at the police academy played by actress Karen Obilom. This reunion will come as the City of Chicago is rocked by a bombing downtown, with the former academy friends teaming up to protect and serve.
It’s unclear exactly how large a role Obilom’s Officer Fox will play in the episode’s investigation, but it’s clear we’re going to see Atwater and Fox teaming up on the job. The promo for the episode finds the pair together as an explosion strikes, racing into the chaos to help those in the area as the promo fades to black.
It’s going to be exciting to see Atwater take center stage in the episode, and we also have to wonder whether there could be more than just friendship between him and Fox. Could this new character become a new love interest for Atwater? It would certainly be a storyline we’d love to see explored.
As a cop, Fox will have an understanding of that side of Atwater’s life that many of his former love interests have lacked. This could make for an interesting dynamic in putting Atwater with someone who knows how challenging working in the CPD is could, hopefully, lead to Atwater being lucky in love, something fans have long hoped to see for the character.