It’s not a secret that deep into Chicago PD Season 12, we’ve been impatiently waiting for more Kevin Atwater content.
The formatting, which consists of rotating character-centric hours, has improved during Chicago PD Season 12, but if there is one critique, it’s that Atwater is getting the shortest end of the stick.
We haven’t spent much time with him at the forefront of anything since Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 3, which feels like a lifetime ago.
Chicago PD Season 12 Finally Circles Back to an Underused Kevin
Fortunately, the short break will serve us and Atwater well as we return with a story arc that focuses on Kevin and involves a case that hits close to home for him.
The last time we spent with Kevin, he found a new love interest in a psychologist, Val, who worked closely with the team during an investigation that had them butting heads.
However, it also sparked a deeper connection between the pair, and they hooked up.
Val offered some respite for Atwater, who chronically tries to do so much for others and rarely takes proper care of himself. She served as a safe space for him to lay his weary head at the end of the day.
It was promising for Kevin, but the downside was we didn’t hear or learn anything else about it.
Could Val Have a Prominent Role in Another Kevin-Centric?
There’s a strong chance that the hour will revisit some of that, and we’ll at least see the return of Val. Maybe we’ll learn more about how things have gone with him and if their relationship progressed to something serious.
Inquiring minds would also love to know if he’s shared Val and their relationship with anyone, especially Burgess, who is consistently Atwater’s dearest friend.
But this hour has a serious tone, and the case will rattle Atwater to his core.
The installment is titled “Street Jesus,” which makes one wonder who that person is and how it’ll factor into the possible murder investigation the team will investigate.
Could Atwater be the “Street Jesus” in question?
We know that he’s often focused on helping his community, and he’s done that in various ways over the years. Atwater mentors a great deal.
He also owns a building in the neighborhood and serves as a devoted landlord.
But we also know that has been stressful for him sometimes, as he has to juggle his job and ensure that a hundred individuals live happily and safely.
The synopsis now teases that he is working on a community center project. Atwater may be trying to open up a facility that serves people in the neighborhood.
It sounds like he’s bitten off more than he can chew, but we’ll have to see more to confirm that.
Kevin’s Mysterious Involvement in a Case Affects Intelligence
However, it sounds like Atwater will encounter friction and issues with possible gangs as he’s trying to get this community center off the ground.
The synopsis teases that there’s a street war going on, and Atwater and his project may be at the center of it, which doesn’t bode well.
How deeply is Kevin’s involvement in all of this?
The team will catch a homicide, and there’s a shooter on the loose who they can’t figure out. It sounds like the death is possibly a vigilante move to aid the community.
Will the hour imply that Atwater could be behind it for the greater good of those around him?
“Street Jesus” May Challenge Atwater’s Role as Intelligence’s Moral Center
If so, I don’t know how to feel about that. Of everyone in the Intelligence Unit, Atwater has always been morally sound, consistent, and the “cleanest.”
It would be an unusual move if they suddenly pushed him into murky waters and moral ambiguity twelve seasons into the series.
The promo isn’t reassuring on that front, as it teases that Atwater harbors secrets and that they’ll have consequences.
Whatever is going on with Atwater, he’s keeping his mouth shut and not confiding in his closest friends.
Ruzwater’s Bromance is FINALLy Back, and We Couldn’t Be Happier
The hour will mark Ruzwater’s return. Goodness knows that bromance is one of the best dynamics within Chicago PD.
Unfortunately, we haven’t seen much of it at the forefront in a long time. No matter what happens with Atwater, we know Ruzek will have his back; he always does.
The two are like brothers, so I’m chomping at the bits and bouncing in excitement over the prospect of this installment delivering a lot of these two.
On top of that, we’ll see some Burgess and Atwater, too. They’re the OG partnership of the series, and we know how much Burgess loves her best friend.
The images for the episode depict Burgess with Atwater at the scene of a crime, and she appears to be offering him some comfort.
Why Would Atwater Keep a Secret From Voight? It Never Ends Well!
Burgess and Ruzek are in Atwater’s corner, urging him to confide in them and open up, it’s bound to lead to some emotional moments.
But one has to wonder why Atwater is so closed off if he hasn’t been leaning on either of them if he’s in need. If he’d ever admit any deep, dark secrets, he’d only reveal them to one of them.
However, they both seem clueless about what’s happening.
The worst part is in the promo, Atwater’s secret is potentially damaging to his livelihood and career. We hear Ruzek giving him an ultimatum, urging him to come clean and tell Voight the truth, or he’d have to do it for him.
What the heck is Atwater hiding? It seems to be eating him up inside.
Chicago PD Season 12 Finally Delivers Another Kevin-Centric, and It’s Going to Be Good
Keeping secrets from Voight never bodes well for anyone, so it’s a fool’s mission to attempt this, especially when Intelligence has many experiences where they’ve seen how it plays out.
They also still have Reid out there, holding onto information that could ruin them and Voight under his thumb. It’s the worst time to keep secrets and not fill Voight in on what’s happening.
Intelligence can’t afford him on their backs and possessing more information to use against them.
Watch Chicago PD Online
What is Atwater hiding?
Are you excited about a Kevin-centric after all this time? What are you looking forward to the most?
Sound off below!
.jpg "Does Chocolate Go Bad? How to Store It, Freeze it, and Ship It")
