The days are counting down until Chicago P.D. returns for the eleventh season, and the premiere will presumably pay off on the cliffhanger of Ruzek's fate from the Season 10 finale. Unfortunately for fans hoping for good news about him, we may be waiting until the first episode back for any solid details, but some first look images of Tracy Spiridakos as Hailey Upton and LaRoyce Hawkins as Kevin Atwater tease what's on the way... and remind me of one thing that I need to happen in the new year.
But first things first!
What's Up With Upton?
While Tracy Spiridakos is set to depart Chicago P.D. in Season 11, she'll still be around and in the spotlight for the premiere in the 2024 TV schedule. Unfortunately for Upton, the image above shows some cuts on her face that suggest something goes sideways for her at some point in the first episode back in the new year. She has looked considerably worse, though, so at least she's not as banged up as she was after that Season 6 episode that she spent locked in a basement with Burgess! Based on the description for the premiere (via TVLine), it's going to be a big episode for Upton:
Tasked with shadowing a crisis prevention team, Upton finds her approach to policing at odds with the team’s mental health clinician. The case brings out Upton’s personal struggles, Voight stands by her.
Voight has been a somewhat surprising ally for Upton since Halstead left Chicago, including when he reminded her that she needs to love herself in the episode that had me flashing back to Law & Order: SVU. For better or worse, he'll evidently have her back to start Season 11. I just hope it's in a more productive way than when she was having panic attacks over their shared secret in Season 9! It's hard to say much about her story just based on pictures, but something is going to scrape her up. At least she's not in the Chicago River again?
What's Next For Atwater?
It's even harder to guess what's on the way in the Season 11 premiere – called "Unpacking" – for Atwater than for Upton. He's not mentioned in the episode description, but he is featured in first look images, including the one above. He'll be outside with his gun drawn, radio out, and badge showing, so at least we can assume that he's not undercover. He also doesn't look injured at all, so either he's not in the same situation that scuffs up Upton or that situation hasn't happened yet at this photo's point in the episode.
It remains to be seen if Atwater will get much of the spotlight in the premiere, given that he's not mentioned in the episode description. Then again, neither are Ruzek or Burgess, and it seems safe to say that there are some reveals in store for their characters after how Season 10 ended.
What Needs To Change
As soon as I saw the image above promoting Season 11, I realized what truly needs to finally happen in the new year: Kevin Atwater needs to make detective. If you zoom in on the image as I did, you'll note that his badge is still that of a CPD officer. Even though it's not really clear enough to read any words on it, the badge is a different color than Upton's as a detective. And I'm ready for Officer Kevin Atwater to become Detective Kevin Atwater!
Ever since Halstead left the Windy City, Upton has been the only detective in the Intelligence Unit, and she's on her way out as well. It just doesn't seem right to imagine Intelligence without any detectives, and even cast members have been on board with Atwater being the officer who gets the promotion first. LaRoyce Hawkins previously told CinemaBlend what he thought Atwater still needed to do before making detective, and then suggested that his character was "getting close" in the spring.
Accounting for a likely time jump and Upton on her way out, I think it's definitely time for Atwater to get an updated badge and promotion within the Intelligence Unit. Find out what's next for Atwater, what's up with Upton, and how Ruzek is (hopefully) holding up with the Season 11 premiere of Chicago P.D. on Wednesday, January 17 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, following Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. and Chicago Med at 8 p.m. You can also revisit earlier episodes sooner via a Peacock Premium subscription.
