Final week’s Chicago PD put an emphasis on empathy, and Kevin Atwater proved but once more he’s among the finest on the subject of having a very good coronary heart and figuring out what to do with it.
However having a very good coronary heart, being a very good particular person, it’s not as minimize and dry accurately once you’re a cop in Chicago, and definitely not on this present. And nearly as good of an episode as this one was for viewers, it virtually felt like an pointless one in some methods. One we’ve seen earlier than the place Kevin is put in the midst of the nice cop, unhealthy cop narrative as a result of he’s the one Black cop within the unit. We all know Kevin is an efficient man. He at all times has been. He does the proper factor, even when it places himself in danger as a result of his title and integrity are simply as necessary to him because the job itself. And on this hour, all of that’s questioned. Once more.
The workforce has his again although like they at all times do as a result of they know who he’s, however the theme of this episode is a heavy one. It’s a story we regularly see in actual life that has been dropped at our screens many occasions now. These are the tales that ought to be advised, however most of the time, it’s Kevin who’s on the heart of those episodes, compelled to characterize the horribly flawed judicial system and its blatant racism. We all know why, however Kevin is a personality who’s a lot greater than that and it feels…not okay. Not proper. Particularly when you have got a present like PD with a personality like Voight on the helm. At one level Voight tells Kevin he didn’t do something flawed, that everybody on the workforce is aware of that, and Kevin is fast to remind him that simply because they know the reality, it doesn’t imply others will see it too – or possibly it’s that others gained’t enable themselves to.
Empathy. It’s a very good phrase. One in every of many who come to thoughts once you consider Kevin Atwater. He leads together with his coronary heart, from a spot of understanding and true morality, and that’s what makes him a very good cop. From his motivational speech in the beginning of the episode to how he continues to mentor Torres, and his plea to Ruzek to cease the pursuit of their suspect…the way in which he’s adamant to do the proper factor and never lie even to avoid wasting himself, when his personal Sergeant and the brand new chief are suggesting he do exactly that.
Kevin doesn’t function that approach. He by no means has and by no means will, and each side of this episode solidifies what we’ve at all times identified to be true: he is an efficient man, a very good cop, and he’ll at all times do the proper factor.
Perhaps this episode is one we did want in any case, even with its acquainted storyline. It was a reiteration of the reality, of what we already know, and what we all know is simply how good these characters are, how good they are often. We all know what they’ve been by means of and the issues they’ve accomplished, however that’s what makes them human. It makes them relatable, and it’s why we root for them week after week when their morality is continually questioned, when issues aren’t at all times black and white, and when issues go from unhealthy to worse.
We’re solely six episodes into this season, however every of these six have been so emotionally gripping and sophisticated. Recycled storylines and familiarity apart, they’ve nonetheless managed to maintain us on the sting of our seats for your entire hour, and that’s the form of storytelling the characters and we, the viewers, deserve.
Chicago PD airs on Wednesdays on NBC.
