A lot has changed in 12 seasons. Chicago PD has seen a lot of faces come and go, and the ones that have stuck around have become all the stronger for it. Something we didn't think about too much in seasons prior, however, was the rank of most IU members.
Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) is a lieutenant, which makes sense given his seniority and the fact that he runs the IU. Then Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) got promoted to detective, making her the only IU member who is not merely an officer. Which make us sit back, reconsider, and realize that there are some other PD members who are primed for a promotion in the near future.
Kevin Atwater is due a detective promotion
Our top pick? Kevin Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins). The officer has been around for the entire show, and like Burgess, he has proven that can do whatever is necessary to get the job done. Atwater has never been someone who has been difficult to work with, the actor who plays him, Hawkins, rightfully noted that his evolution over the course of the show has been understated in comparison to the other PD characters.
"I'm proud of the evolution of Atwater," the actor told the Hollywood Reporter. "I say that to say that I’m proud of myself, for being able to lock-in at this level. Every season we do our best — and when I say 'we', I mean me and Atwater — to get better, to not just improve, but ask, how do we make more impact?"
Atwater has made questionable decisions in the field over the course of the show. We recently saw him attempt to cover up the involvement of a close friend in a local shooting in the episode "Street Jesus." But it's worth noting that the character ultimately came around and put the good of the case and the IU first.
LaRoyce Hawkins has pushed for his character's promotion
Besides, if we were to hold IU members accountable for cutting corners and taking less than legal routes to solve a case, then all of them should be stripped of their rank. Kim Burgess has earned her stripes, as has Voight, but it feels like Atwater is the next logical choice.
He's not only proven to have longevity and skill, but he has served as a sort of mentor to the younger crop of IU members, Kiana Cook (Toya Turner) and Dante Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar). Hawkins also told TV Insider that his character "would love to be a detective and serve at a higher level," so we say, make it happen!