Fans are still waiting to hear from LaRoyce Hawkins following news of his forthcoming exit from Chicago PD, but one of his longtime co-stars has broken her silence about his departure from the show.
In a heartfelt Instagram tribute, Marina Squerciati honored her longtime co-star with a touching message celebrating their years together. “One of the best men I know,” Squerciati wrote, keeping her initial message short and sweet, which was honestly fitting given how fresh the news of Hawkins’ exit still is.
The post was accompanied by a series of behind-the-scenes photos from over the years. Among the photos was a shot of the pair from the season 12 finale, which saw Burgess and Ruzek finally get married with Atwater serving as best man; a photo of the duo on-location in the back of a van shooting what was likely a stakeout scene; and a pair of photos snapped from the set of the Intelligence bullpen.
It seems only fitting that it was Marina Squerciati who became the first longtime Chicago PD star to honor Hawkins.
Burgess and Atwater’s friendship has long been an integral part of the show’s DNA, going all the way back to the very beginning. Given how far both have come, it’s easy to forget that Burgess and Atwater both began their journeys on the show together as beat cops working as partners throughout the first two seasons.
The pair went through some of their hardest days together, forming a strong connection that evolved into so much more than just patrol partners. The friendship between Burgess and Atwater has long been a highlight of the show, with Burgess and Atwater always showing up for each other no matter what life has thrown at them. They’ve seen each other through personal hardships and setbacks on the job, their faith and support in one another never wavering.
Their friendship has been a core part of the show, and it’s one of the elements we’re going to miss dearly once Hawkins’ final episode has aired.
We can’t help but feel robbed of so many potential storylines between the two with Atwater about to become a father. It would have been so fun to see Atwater lean on Burgess for support and for her and Ruzek to be there when Atwater’s child arrives. We’d also love to have been able to see Burgess get to know Tasha more and form a friendship of their own.
With Atwater being written out of the series, we’ll never get those scenes, which is a true shame and major miss on the part of the writers.
All we can hope for is that Burgess and Atwater will get to share some amazing final scenes together this fall across Hawkins’ final episodes.
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