Fans fearing that Chicago P.D. mainstay Kevin Atwater might meet with a violent death in concert with LaRoyce Hawkins' exit from the series were likely relieved by previews that aired just after the season 14 premiere. Those tiny scraps of footage show Atwater happy with his infant son and girlfriend—and they strongly hint that he will decide to quit the intelligence unit to care for his young family, much to the approval of Hank Voight.
"Kids grow up when you’re not looking,” Voight can be heard to say, and Hawkins then remarks upon his longevity with the team. Voight tells him he deserves a life outside of the precinct—and his son deserves better, too. Since Atwater and Voight both know what a rough field intelligence work is—and have witnessed their own near and dear ones die violently during investigations—it's not
shocking that Voight supports Atwater's decision to get out while the getting is good. All of this seems to be setting up Atwater’s departure for life in Florida, where he’ll be living with his son and his girlfriend, Tasha.
The season 14 premiere helped establish that Atwater and Officer Tasha Fox had sparked up a romance after reuniting at the tail end of season 13. Fox moved down to Miami in spite of their fling, which resulted in a pregnancy, but she moved back to Chicago, and during episode 1, Tasha went into labor. A stunned Atwater received word that Fox was about to give birth mid-investigation and headed out to meet her at the hospital.
It's a very kind way to get rid of Atwater, versus simply killing the character off. Like Hailey Upton and Jay Halstead, this leaves the door open for him to return down the line in a guest starring capacity, should Hawkins ever be inclined to do so. It also allows for offscreen updates that will keep viewers abreast of how Tasha and Kevin’s relationship continues to grow. This is better than killing a character off. and it's better than incapacitating him permanently.
When one considers how many One Chicago shows have had to adjust their plotlines for actor departures, what they've done with Atwater is the best possible solution all around—and allows fans to mourn the loss of a Chicago PD original with a smile on their faces, knowing his life will be much better elsewhere.
Don't miss Hawkins' final episode of Chicago PD tonight at 10/9c on NBC,
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