Spoilers ahead for Episode 19 of Chicago P.D. Season 10, called “The Bleed Valve.”
Chicago P.D. returned to NBC with the first of four straight episodes before the final credits roll on Season 10, and “The Bleed Valve” put Kevin Atwater through the professional and emotional wringer. A shooting at his building in Burnside resulted in the death of a young boy, with another young boy claiming responsibility to try and cover for his pretty despicable father. All the while, Atwater had to lean on his own father for help with the case. Actor LaRoyce Hawkins opened up to CinemaBlend about Atwater’s worlds colliding in this episode, including why he’s actually optimistic about the future and what inspires him!
Atwater’s reunion with his dad earlier in Season 10 forced him to face some hard truths about Lew (and can be revisited with a Peacock subscription) but also ended with offering him a place to stay in his Burnside building. That paid off in more than one way in “The Bleed Valve,” as Lew had information that was essential to closing the case… even if he couldn’t entirely see why Kevin had to do things a certain way. The episode ended with father and son on better terms than we’d seen them before, and LaRoyce Hawkins shared his thoughts on whether their progress will stick moving forward:
I'm optimistic that it will, but if history is any guide, there's definitely going to be circumstances that try, and try that stress. We can only hope that the seed that was planted here was strong enough to take them to the next moment, because there will be another moment, and it's only gonna take them to another level. I think they have a long way to go when it comes to their relationship, and them finding the most ideal level of trust [and] faith in each other. This gets us a little bit closer, and hopefully the next moment gets us even further than that.
Considering that reasons for optimism can be few and far between as Chicago P.D. approaches season finales that are often traumatic (and clues about the Season 10 finale are dire), it’s nice to know that Hawkins is feeling good about Atwater and Lew’s relationship moving forward! Atwater certainly deserves to catch a break, and being able to trust his father after being abandoned would be an encouraging step forward. It may depend on Lew continuing to earn that trust!
Atwater certainly had to put in the work to earn the trust of young Oscar, who was convinced that he needed to lie to keep his father out of prison. Ultimately, Atwater had to break his heart to convince him to tell the truth, which the Intelligence Unit needed to put his father behind bars. It wasn’t easy for the officer to make Oscar see his father's true colors, but it was the lesser evil. Given that interacting with kids brings out a different side of Atwater, the actor shared his experience playing that aspect of the character, saying:
That part always inspires me. I'm always surprised by how talented the young artists are when they come in... [The] young man who plays Oscar taught me so much [and] reenergized the whole set, not even just me, with his energy, and with his early thirst just to learn, and to be involved, and to use his imagination. It was great working with that young gift. I could tell he thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a moment when he was done shooting, where I think he got a little emotional, because he didn't want to stop.
Oscar may not have had a lot to enjoy as part of the case of “The Bleed Valve,” but apparently the young actor “thoroughly enjoyed” his time on the One Chicago cop drama! According to LaRoyce Hawkins, working with kids “inspires” him, and that wasn’t the only perk of having the young star on set. Hawkins continued:
Being around that energy, I think is great for the whole cast and crew, because we've been doing this for so long and sometimes we need those young reminders to get us back in the pocket of just pure passion and innocent imagination. Tapping into that, and trying to find a way to connect to that, is some of my favorite work. And hopefully, it translates in how Atwater and Oscar were able to be able to bond and to trust. You know what I'm saying? So that ultimately, Atwater can save him from a life or a role that he doesn't want to go down.
Anything that can energize a show and a cast ten seasons in has to be a good thing! Similarly, Hawkins shared that the great relief of the Season 11 renewal was “good for morale” after ten seasons, so there are certainly perks to Chicago P.D. treading new ground after more than a decade. Chicago Fire and Chicago Med were also recently renewed, giving the One Chicago stars something to celebrate across the board.
The characters may not have a lot to celebrate in the last few episodes of the season, however, if the promo for the new episode of P.D. that airs on May 10 is any indication. Take a look:
Keep tuning in to NBC on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET for new episodes of Chicago P.D. ahead of the One Chicago finales on May 24. Chicago Fire is bringing back Jesse Spencer to end Season 11, although Taylor Kinney sadly will not be back for it. As for Chicago Med… well, between Hannah’s tragic backstory reveal and all the issues with Jack Dayton and OR 2.0, it seems safe to say that the medical drama is building to an intense finale as well.
