Atwater needs to get a promotion in Chicago PD Season 11

Intelligence is back. The Chicago PD Season 11 premiere was heavily focused on Upton and bringing us up to speed on the Season 10 finale cliffhanger.

Now it’s time to put the focus on other characters. One who hasn’t had the screentime he deserves is Atwater. I hate to see how underused he is unless it comes to a racially-charged storyline. It’s time to give him something more, and maybe a promotion will help  with that.

With Halstead gone, Upton is the only detective left in the unit. That needs to change, espceailly with Upton leaving this season. Fans have begged to see Atwater get a promotion, and Chicago PD Season 11 should be the season to see it happen.

Atwater’s promotion would be a sign of support in Chicago PD Season 11

Voight putting Atwater forward for a promotion would be a huge step in supporting him. Atwater has had to face “consequences” for crossing the blue line in recent seasons. While the cops have stepped back, it’s clear that there are still some ill-wishes here and there against Atwater.

While Voight did stand up for Atwater, it wasn’t easy for him. He had to push back his own views of policing. He also needed to help Atwater make a smart decision for his own life and career as well as for the good of others. Of course, we know Atwater did the right think crossing the blue line, but it wasn’t easy for Voight to stand beside him at first despite knowing deep down that it was the right thing.

Putting him forward for a promotion shows that he still offers Atwater support. It shows that he isn’t going to discredit or challenge him for decisions in previous seasons. We get to see that Voight continues to evolve and learn from mistakes of the past, and that’s needed for a polarizing character like Voight if we’re supposed to respect him being in charge.

On top of that, Atwater is a great cop. He has the backs of his team, and he routinely puts the people of Chicago first. He wants to see the city thrive, and he will do what he can, even if it means putting his own career on the line. It’s time for him to be rewarded for all that with a promotion.

Chicago PD Season 11 airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC. Catch up on Peacock.