‘Chicago P.D.’: LaRoyce Hawkins Explains Why Atwater’s New Love Interest Might Work Out

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Officer Kevin Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins) needs an off switch. Maybe his new love interest, Val Soto (Natalee Linez), in Chicago P.D. Season 12 will be the one who helps him with that.

She debuts in Episode 3, airing October 9. In “Off Switch,” Atwater struggles to find balance as he teams up with a forensic psychologist on an armed robbery case. But how is Atwater doing balancing everything—his work, his family, and his tenants?

“It’s hard to say how good he is doing, but he’s definitely doing his best,” Hawkins tells TV Insider. “I can relate—hopefully most of us can—to juggling full plates and making sure none of ’em breaks. It is tough navigating a bunch of nuances at the same time respectfully.”

This episode will take us inside Atwater’s head and show us how much he is dealing with. “We see him deal with cases, but this time we get an idea of what else is on his mind while he’s also doing his best to save lives and solve cases and family. Atwater has families he’s responsible for in his building. He has family he’s responsible for with his little brother and his dad,” Hawkins explains. “Everybody needs something or wants something or is expecting something. And as big dog, you do our best to maintain it all and Atwater is in that position.” He hopes it’s a journey everyone can relate to and understand.

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As he’s dealing with all this, he meets Val, and it sounds like he may finally have luck with love, something he’s been lacking all series.

“It might work because Atwater needs skills that the rhythm in his relationship might teach him. Thank God she’s a psychiatrist and she has the patience and understanding above average,” says Hawkins. “She sees Atwater differently and she understands exactly why he feels so heavy and where that weight is coming from. Since she’s able to see that from a different perspective, Atwater is able to allow her in, which he doesn’t do oftentimes. I think I could be so guarded because I’m assuming that nobody will ever understand anyway. Sometimes we don’t say anything because we don’t expect for people to get it, and so we hold it in and we keep doing our best with what we got.”

The problem with that is it will eventually come out—and possibly in a less than positive, dark way. “I think that’s the point of being healthy. And the point of self-care is the awareness of when you need to relax, slow down, turn your brain off sometimes and just release,” Hawkins continues. “Atwater hasn’t really been given that opportunity, nor has anybody understood that approach. And so we meet a character that gives him that grace, and I think it’ll be good for him. Hopefully he learns a lot.”

What are you hoping to see with Atwater and his new love interest? Let us know in the comments section below.

Chicago P.D., Wednesdays, 10/9c, NBC