One thing has become unequivocally true about Chicago PD episodes.
When it comes to those centrics, Kevin Atwater installments never miss.
Fortunately for us, it’s his time to shine, and Chicago PD Season 11 Episode 11 is bound to deliver.
We haven’t had an Atwater-centric since Chicago PD Season 11 Episode 5, which had Kev looking into a series of armed robberies and having a judgment call he’s sure he won’t repeat.
Since that installment, we’ve seen Atwater fall a bit into the background as other characters got some focus, but he’s also had enough presence to exude leadership skills, setting him up perfectly for an upswing in his career.
In its way, the season has definitely been setting Atwater up for more. Upon Hailey’s departure, it won’t be a surprise to see him take the mantle as a second-in-command.
And the way he’s handled cases has been that of a level-headed and seasoned individual who has stepped into his own as a cop, knows what he stands for, and carries that with him.
It’s easy to remember some of the plot points circulating this season because of how often we bounce from one thing to the next.
And how little we’ve seen of most of the stories in the first place.
We’re beating a dead horse and talking about how the formatting of the series isn’t appealing to the viewers, nor does it serve the plot well. You only need to check out the comment section of our Chicago PD Season 11 Episode 10 review to see some of the frustrations.
But alas, in our rotation, we’re circulating back around to Atwater in what will be his last character-focused episode of this truncated season.
And we’re keeping our fingers crossed that it will be good.
Although we’re tossing out there what has become the pattern with Atwater-centrics and even some of the overall installments of the series, it may be a bit redundant.
What do we mean exactly?
From the promos, we see that a confidential informant approaches Atwater with a tip, and we already know very little good comes when they show a CI.
Even the guy will end up dead, or we’ll wish he was because he’ll cause trouble for Atwater.
It also appears that Atwater may be in danger, which is familiar territory for him or any of the characters in the series.
But if we’re revisiting another kidnapping or held hostage plot for the guy, well, a girl may have to pour herself a drink.
The synopsis teases that Atwater’s CI will contact him with some information about armed robberies while our guy is distracted by an old case.
Our hope is that the case Atwater is head cracking over is that serial killer one that keeps getting placed on the back burner and dragging all season.
If so, he’ll have to redirect his attention to this pressing robbery case. And there’s nothing wrong with that, except it appears Atwater’s sheisty CI may have set him up.
The Intelligence Unit can’t pass up the opportunity to make a massive break in a case. If this CI’s information is legitimate, it could mean cracking down on these violent robberies for good.
We’ve seen some of the worst that can come from said robberies and how the bodies could pile up as a result.
With that in mind, Atwater takes what his CI has to say at face value.
Unfortunately, it could be a full-blown trap, and we witness in the promo that Atwater gets into a scuffle with someone shortly after he’s brought to a meeting spot.
Multiple men are hanging around, and it doesn’t look too good for Atwater, but he isn’t going down with a fight.
The scuffle looks intense, with the two men practically coming nose-to-nose, and we sure as heck know Atwater is scrappy.
Hell, Ruzek can attest to that. He may stand a chance in this situation, but we’ll have to see.
Speaking of Ruzek, sadly, we don’t see him anywhere in the promotional stills. He’s not in the promo video either, so there’s zero indication that he’ll be in the episode.
It’s a pity, as the Ruzwater bromance is effortlessly one of the greatest dynamics in the series. And it has been sorely missed, as has Ruzek, who hasn’t had much going for him since the Burzek engagement.
However, we do see Atwater and Trudy in a few stills together, and that’s exciting.
We’ve frequently lamented how criminally underused Trudy Platt has been over the years, and they’ve at least spent a couple of installments giving her more than a line or two.
The irony is that she and Atwater, royalty for getting a line spared per installment, are sharing the screen, but I’m all for it. They’re the best!
And for those who didn’t like the feel of a Voight-Less team during “Buried Pieces,” we can rest assured that he’s back at it during this installment.
While he won’t be as prominent as Atwater, he’s at least back, which means we may get another update on the serial killer case.
It also appears that Voight is partnering with Hailey again—business as usual.
The season is almost over, including this installment. Only three episodes remain, and everything went by so quickly.
We have little time to waste to tackle some storylines, so one has to wonder what direction this one will go, especially in setting up Atwater’s trajectory.
But unlike Hailey, Kevin’s centric installments are less controversial and universally adored, so we’re in for a real treat with this one.
LaRoyce Hawkins continues to be one of the crown jewels of this series, so he won’t let us down with his performance.
Over to you, Chicago PD Fanatics. What are you hoping to see with this installment? How do you feel about the season overall? Let’s hear it below.
An all-new Chicago PD airs Wednesday on NBC on 10/9c. You can stream the following day on Peacock.
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Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You’ll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
