"She's on Her Way Back": Kevin Atwater's Love Interest Will Return in 'Chicago P.D.'

As far as dedication goes, very few on the roster of Chicago P.D. can compare to LaRoyce Hawkins. The actor remains one of the few original cast members still on the show. Having played his character, Kevin Atwater, for 12 seasons so far, it is fair to say that there is very little the officer has not experienced. Challenges of injustice by law enforcement, due to the color of his skin, despite being an officer himself. The decimation of crime in some communities within Chicago, and of course, love. While his colleagues, Adam Ruzek (Patrick Flueger) and Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati), continue to enjoy the benefits of a strong relationship. Atwater's love life had never quite kicked off on Chicago P.D.

Earlier in the season, the police procedural drama did seek to spice up that area of the officer's life with the introduction of forensics psychologist Valerie Soto, played by Natalee Linez, as a serious love interest. It has been a long time in coming and audiences are surely interested in how the Val and Atwater dynamic will play out going forward. Speaking in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hawkins confirms that Atwater's love interest will be returning, with the psychologist helping the officer open up about quietly tucked away emotions.

Hawkins' comments on the Atwater and Val relationship reads:

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Soto is on her way back! She’s on her way back, and I like what we learned through her character. Atwater, for a long time, has been very good at holding onto things, and I think he has needed help in letting go. You gotta let go of some stuff in order to grow into whatever the next level is. That’s what we learned through her character. I’m grateful for it. As a performer, I thoroughly enjoy working with Natalee Linez, and we can look forward to seeing her again."

Val Will Help Atwater Develop a Healthy Work-Life Balance

It is essential that while we go through life, we have someone with whom we can safely and peacefully unwind. While they might have had their issues, Burgess and Ruzek have it in their ongoing Burzek romance. For many seasons, Sergeant Voight (Jason Beghe) lacked one as well, but the introduction of ASA Chapman (Sara Bues), might very well change that. This was the idea behind Val's introduction into Atwater's life, according to showrunner Gwen Sigan, bringing on the forensics psychologist as someone who can "see him" and understand who he is. Ultimately, Val will help Atwater develop a work-life balance, a skill he severely lacks at the moment. "They had such a great chemistry," Sigan said about the pair previously. "He needs some light in his life, and he deserves that, and he deserves to find a balance in a way that he hasn’t been able to yet. And I think she, in that episode, was a good representation of there are other ways to do this job."

Tune in to NBC on Wednesdays for new episodes of Chicago P.D. Stream past episodes on Peacock to catch up before new episodes air.