‘Chicago P.D.’ Season 9: LaRoyce Hawkins Weighs in on Whether Atwater Will See Celeste Again
Chicago P.D. Season 9 introduced a new love interest for Kevin Atwater. Unfortunately for him, things ended pretty quickly. Atwater met a woman named Celeste at a bar and the pair hit it off. However, Atwater lied about his occupation because of Celeste’s disdain for cops. When Celeste learned Atwater lied, she broke up with him. LaRoyce Hawkins weighs in on whether or not Celeste is gone for good.
![LaRoyce Hawkins as Kevin Atwater in Chicago P.D. Season 9. Atwater wears a red hoodie with a black coat over it.](https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Chicago-P.D.-Kevin-Atwater.jpg?strip=all&quality=89)
‘Chicago P.D.’ Season 9 introduced a new love interest for Kevin Atwater
Atwater has told his fair share of lies in Chicago P.D. Season 9. He started dating an art teacher named Celeste in the episode “Burnside,” but neglected to tell her his occupation. Celeste has a fair amount of disdain for the police, and things get even more complicated when one of her students is involved in a drive-by shooting. When the student named Lewis is later arrested, he ends up being shot while in Atwater’s custody.
In episode 11, Atwater is still dating Celeste and lying about what he does for work. At the end of the episode, Atwater comes clean to Celeste. She explains that although she hates the police system, that doesn’t mean she hates every cop. However, she tells Atwater to leave her apartment. To make things more complicated, Celeste still doesn’t know that Atwater was with Lewis when he died. Is there any hope that this couple has a chance in the future?
LaRoyce Hawkins teases whether Celeste will return
In an interview with TV Insider, actor LaRoyce Hawkins discussed that heartbreaking moment when Celeste learned the truth. “She doesn’t say it’s over. That’s interesting. I think this is an opportunity for Atwater to learn an important lesson, where he can explore that space, where you ask yourself, where do we live from?”
“I would say he dropped the ball a little bit,” Hawkins continued. “But if I know Atwater, he’s also one that I know you can count on to pick a ball up too.” When TV Insider asked Hawkins if we will see Celeste again, the actor responded, “I wouldn’t be surprised.”
Hawkins discusses the complexities of Atwater being a Black police officer
Hawkins further discussed Atwater’s relationship with Celeste, and with the complex dynamic of being a Black police officer. “They created, through a crisis bond, a safe space. And I don’t think you can blame Atwater for leaning into that, especially if you know what he’s been through. If you know where he’s grown from, you want that for Atwater.”
“It’s like when you think about cops and you think about drama, we can define both of those words differently, depending on where we come from,” Hawkins continued. “But it’s a cop drama for Atwater because his heart has been broken by the boys in blue, by the Blue Wall. And half the time is because he is Black and both sides of the coin have to be told in an authentic way. That’s what I think Chicago P.D. and this cop drama offers: an authentic way to navigate both sides of the coin.”