The procedural drama is bringing back an unlikely guest to help Atwater.
Chicago PD is finally giving fans a Kevin Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins). It’s been a bit since we’ve gotten a chance to catch up with the veteran officer, and “Split Second” will not only give him center stage, but force him to reconsider his position with the department.
LaRoyce Hawkins talked about the pivotal episode during a recent interview with TV Insider, and he revealed, among other things, that it will feature a guest appearance from an important season 10 character: Lew Atwater (Erik LaRay Harvey).
Kevin Atwater’s dad Lew will return
That’s right, Atwater’s dad is back in the mix after a very contentious pair of appearances in the previous season. The last time Kevin and Lew interacted was in the episode “The Bleed Valve”, and things between them were tense, to say the least.
The synopsis for “Split Second” reads as follows: “Atwater turns to an unlikely source of support when a string of jewellery store robberies shakes his confidence.”
The “unlikely source” is almost certainly his dad Lew, given that LaRoyce Hawkins detailed a crisis of confidence for the character:
“I think he’s most challenged just by really trying to get out of his own way… [This] episode, he struggles with that.”
Hawkins noted that the episode will include some meaningful exchanges with the likes of Hank Voight (Jason Beghe), Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger), and Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati), but that the burgeoning friendship with his dad will prove to be the key of the entire story.
The two men are still working on their relationship
This makes sense, given the last time Atwater was ceded the spotlight, he was effectively working through the same professional and personal struggles. It’ll be nice to see how far he’s come in the year since, and how he will be able to overcome his aforementioned crisis.
The actor clarified that the Atwater men are not 100% in their friendship yet, but that they are much further along than they were in season 10:
“You can tell that there’s still room for more growth, but they’re definitely better than they were the last time we saw ’em.”
Hey, progress is progress! We just hope that nothing had happens to Lew when he gets drawn into helping his son out with a case.
