Chicago P.D.’s Kevin Atwater finally has a new love interest in Valeria “Val” Soto — but actor LaRoyce Hawkins is playing coy about the TV couple’s future.
Warning: Spoilers below for Chicago P.D. season 12, episode 3.
During the Wednesday, October 9, episode of P.D., Atwater (Hawkins) had instant chemistry with Val (Natalee Linez) after meeting at a bar, but he didn’t get her number. Luckily, Val, who is a forensic psychologist, got called to help on an Intelligence Unit case and they were reunited.
“I don’t think it’s fate, initially. I think it does kind of fluster him at first, and then he’s even more distracted,” Hawkins, 36, exclusively told Us Weekly of the character’s reunion, adding, “It turns into an unexpected essential situation.”
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Atwater is under a lot of pressure during the episode with his building tenants showing up at work and their only eyewitness constantly changing her story. After the eyewitness ends up beaten in her home, Atwater goes off on Val, blaming her for letting the woman leave the station.
However, once they get the bad guys — and the woman is on the mend — he realizes that Val was not to blame. “I was way out of line,” Atwater told Val during the final scene, showing up at her house to apologize.
“I forgave you as it was happening,” Val revealed, before calling him out for always being so distracted and constantly focused on other people’s happiness. “Do you have an off switch?” she asked, to which he responded, “No. I haven’t really figured that part out.”
Before Atwater could finish his sentence, Val leaned in and kissed him. “I have a proposition. How about for the next hour you come inside, turn off your brain, turn off your damn phone and have fun with me?” she said. Atwater was taken aback, but agrees to Val’s conditions, kissing her as the two tumbled inside her apartment.
“Atwater feels safe to explore what letting go feels like,” Hawkins told Us of his character’s choice to lean into a romance with Val. “[He] feels safe to give himself grace.”
Moving forward, Hawkins said that Atwater needs to find harmony in his life to successfully be the “invisible bridge that he wants to be for his unit.” He teased that Val will stick around and help him facilitate that lifestyle change.
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Atwater has to be able to “compartmentalize where [he] places [his] feelings,” and his “thoughts” and energy,” the actor explained. “That’s why I’m grateful for Val’s character, because I think she teaches Atwater how to do that.”
Hawkins played coy about how long Val will be on the show, noting that Atwater is “always surprised” when good things happen to him.
“She comes with a certain set of skills, love skills, like patience and understanding that Atwater [is] never able to let his guard down around anybody because one, he doesn’t believe that anybody is going to get it,” Hawkins explained. “But she gets it. She’s front row and center when she watches Atwater’s phone going off, people showing up at the [police station].”
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He noted that Val will “provide some relief” to Atwater as he continues to juggle his work, family and duties as a building super.
Hawkins further hinted that Atwater and Val are more than a one-night stand — but that doesn’t mean his BFFs Adam Ruzek (Patrick Flueger) and Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) will be joining them on double dates.
“Atwater’s gonna take his time,” he teased, noting that Atwater has been “the honorary third wheel for that relationship for a very long time” when it comes to Ruzek and Burgess, who got engaged for a third time during season 11.
Hawkins added, “I think that woman has to be The One before he introduces her to a union that he respects so highly. … I don’t think that’s Atwater’s style either, but we’ll see.”
Chicago P.D. airs on NBC Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET.
