Tempers Will Flare With 'Chicago P.D.'s' Reunion Between Atwater And His Father
May 3 2023, Updated 8:37 p.m. ET
Fan-favorite Kevin Atwater (played by LaRoyce Hawkins) will be reuniting with his father on the next episode of Chicago P.D. LaRoyce Hawkins teases that Atwater will be "popping off."
They left things on a tense note in the January 11 episode "Long Lost" and will come together under terrible circumstances. A shooting will force the intelligence cop to work with his father once more, all the while confronting what went down between them.
Find out more about the reunion and the history between them below.
Why are Atwater and his father estranged?
Promotional still of Lew and Atwater for Chicago P.D.
In the episode "Long Lost," Lew revealed to his son that because he struggled to make ends meet, he partook in various illegal jobs. He was paid to be the lookout for a string of robberies and got caught. Because he refused to rat out his cohorts and instead took the fall, he ended up being sent to prison.
A clip from the episode "Long Lost" from Chicago P.D.
Ashamed and disappointed in himself, Lew refused to allow Atwater to visit him because if his son saw him at rock bottom, it would break his heart.
Upon hearing the revelations, Atwater's resentment towards his father only increased. Growing up, he had to step up and take care of his siblings, forced to take on too much responsibility at a young age.
Does LaRoyce Hawkins think there's hope for reconciliation?
LaRoyce Hawkins in a promotional still for Chicago P.D.
Actors tend to know their character's motivations pretty well, and LaRoyce Hawkins is no exception.
In an interview with TVLine, Hawkins explained that a lot more healing needs to happen before the pair can be back on track.
“It’s obvious that Atwater is still not ready to lean in with full trust for his father." LaRoyce explained, "Atwater is still trying to figure it out because it’s hard for him to let that go right now.”
He continued, "Atwater is presented with a handful of opportunities this whole episode. But you know, it’s always my goal not to run the same play too many times. Since we saw Atwater pop off last episode, I think we might see a little bit more stability in how he responds this time.”
Do viewers want Lew and Atwater to reconcile?
LaRoyce Hawkins as Kevin Atwater in a promotional still of Chicago P.D.
Fans are dying for Atwater to finally catch a break and get the much-needed father-son relationship that he deserves.
He notably has the most complicated plotlines of the series, which takes a toll on his personal relationships (he was one of the only characters that didn't have an on-screen love interest for a while.)
Chicago P.D. airs Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. on NBC.