Chicago PD Season 11 Episode 11 Overview: The Water Line

For sure, Kevin Atwater is the purest, most universally adored, and greatest character within the sequence.

And it is at all times a delight when he will get some focus, which is exactly what Chicago PD Season 11 Episode 11 got down to do because it touched on a few of Atwater’s best attributes: his dedication, compassion, sympathy, and the Aristocracy.

However with all nice attributes, there’s a downside, as every little thing is a double-edged sword.

The hour was a follow-up on Chicago PD Season 11 Episode 5.  

General, it was a median installment.

Kevin is such a beloved character, and he is typically suffered nearly as a lot as Trudy when he will get shoved into the background.

Because of this, any time we spend with him on the forefront is an actual deal with. In that sense, you cling to his installments with a loss of life grip as a result of he lastly will get targeted, however LaRoyce Hawkins can also be unbelievable.

The person is definitely considered one of this sequence’s best (double entendre meant heartily) actors.

Regardless of the content material, the person will constantly ship and preserve you hooked from credit score roll to credit score roll.

It was no exception with “The Water Line.”  

He put forth one other unbelievable efficiency, and the identical reward extends to Petey McGee, who performed Butchie.

He was a specific standout through the moments the place he opened as much as Atwater about his cousin’s loss of life and when he confronted the person he held answerable for Marcus’ loss of life.

Robust performances abound; thus, they overcompensated for a moderately understated hour.

Atwater: I can step off the case.
Voight: No, I need you to do your job. Simply discover the lead. Make it proper.

It wasn’t even that “The Water Line” was a awful installment, because it was a far cry from that. It is simply that one’s thoughts rapidly wanders throughout elements of it, and it’ll not stand out and even follow you past the moments you spent watching it.

Atwater-centrics are sometimes a number of the strongest of the sequence, and this possible will not break the highest 5.

However that is effective. There was nonetheless loads to get pleasure from about it.

The route, for starters, was additionally notable and robust. The aerial shot of Oceanwater parting methods to trace down their perp and Butchie was marvelous.  

The cinematographic shot of Atwater staring out into the water, representing the “water line” as he waited to talk to Butchie, was additionally splendidly achieved.

And the scuffle at Terrence’s home was shot properly additionally. Just a few standout moments have been visually interesting as they aligned with the plot.

Butchie was clearly not the perfect candidate to help them with this case. He got here throughout as a possible legal responsibility from the second he hopped into Atwater’s automotive with out warning.

His conduct through the intro was nerve-wracking, and issues solely obtained progressively worse from there.

He did beat the CI curse, although, however simply barely. He was prepared to go to jail and presumably die for his younger cousin, however thankfully, he skilled the previous moderately than the latter. 

He put Atwater in a couple of tough place, although. And for a man who has been carrying the load of not reacting to sure issues the best way that he ought to, it was robust for him.  

Paradoxically, Butchie and Atwater have been in related positions.  

Atwater was additionally holding onto what occurred with Corey Westbrooke, and he is allowed his guilt over that to eat him.  

Sadly, it is gone thus far that it is often jeopardized the job, and Theresa has been publically threatening his profession and requesting a restraining order if he would not keep away.

Right here is the place Atwater’s arc tapped into considered one of his earlier centrics, “Sympathetic Reflex.”  

He is expressed how he at all times leads with sympathy, and that is what one hopes and needs in an officer, particularly these days when too typically the imagery of regulation enforcement would not align with that individual trait. 

However generally, the problem with main with sympathy is the emotional toll it takes on an individual — the self-flagellation when issues do not go in accordance with plan and drowning below the crushing weight of all of it.

Sympathy is emotionally taxing and exhausting. Sure, it is doable to care an excessive amount of, and Atwater was proper on that line.

It was irritating to see him wracked with a lot guilt and turmoil once we knew that there was nothing he may’ve achieved.  

The Westbrookes did not hearken to something he needed to say throughout that theft, and his loss of life did not fall on Kevin Atwater. He even went so far as to save lots of Theresa and her son.

For those who ever come close to me or my son once more, I’ll file a restraining order, and I’ll be sure you lose your job. I am going to be certain that of that.

Theresa

With all that in thoughts, it was tough to sympathize with this grieving lady as a result of her blaming Atwater was unfair. And that is what makes Atwater a greater individual than most.

He is paid for a gravestone, despatched them meals, and helped Jonathan out of a jam with the regulation. And all Theresa can take into consideration is that Atwater’s assistance is him attempting to ease his guilt for what occurred.  

One of many delicate issues that was pleasant about how this has impacted Atwater is that we had Voight and Trudy taking part in involved mother and father and doing that of their particular methods.

Voight was the hardass doling out straight-to-the-point robust love by primarily telling him to get his crap collectively.

However Trudy, let the One Chicago gods bless her, was such a Den Mother.

They do not give us practically sufficient Trudy, however once they do, they make it value our whereas, and this was a major instance.  

We all know how Trudy is on the subject of the Intelligence Unit. As a lot as she’s a sarcastic hardass with everybody, she genuinely loves and cares about them. They’re her children.

And Kevin and Trudy’s dynamic is a profoundly underrated bond. It is plain as day that he is considered one of her favorites.

The 2 of them having a heart-to-heart was considered one of their biggest moments since she Mama Bear hugged him to loss of life throughout Chicago PD Season 5 Episode 12 and advised him by no means to scare her like that once more.

She is aware of that of all of her “children,” Kevin is a compassionate one with a mushy coronary heart who earnestly tries to do proper by individuals.  

Atwater: What are you doing right here?
Trudy: Voight requested me to speak to you. You gonna carry this one too? That artificial his mattress. It isn’t on you.

And he is additionally the one who carries everybody else’s stuff on his shoulders. He tries to save lots of and assist everybody and every little thing, even at his personal expense, and he is been doing that his complete life.  

Trudy’s recommendation to him was essential and sage. She hit the nail on the top about him and the way necessary it’s that he is aware of when to let go so he can preserve his head above water.  

The water metaphors labored properly with Kevin, his emotional state, and even his final identify.

He would not know the way to not be this one who is compassionate to a fault, and with a job like theirs, if he continues down the trail that he is going with out toeing the effective line, he’ll burn out sooner moderately than later.

Due to the emotional struggles Atwater was battling, Trudy’s maternal edge befitted the scenario and gave us among the best moments of the season. Trudy is not technically a mom, however she’s nonetheless one of many greatest mothers within the sport, regardless.

Goodness, Amy Morton is the best.

Atwater realized a tough lesson from this entire case, and it reached a pure conclusion throughout this installment.

Voight’s serial killer arc hasn’t, however we at the very least realized that he was lacking as a result of he was in Detroit chasing a connection.  

I can recall no cause for Ruzek’s absence, but it surely was obtrusive.  

If anybody obtained the shaft this season, it was Ruzek, who has barely had a presence all season.

As soon as once more, it has to go on the document that this disappearing, rotating solid and centrics aren’t working. It sucks.  

For as a lot as I beloved Atwater and Trudy in addition to Oceanwater, we have been disadvantaged of some high quality Ruzwater for a very long time. 

The system they’re utilizing merely is not working for this sequence in any respect and hampers the present’s high quality in consequence. Half the explanation we tune into Chicago PD is due to the characters and their respective relationships.

Trudy: There are two issues you are able to do with guilt. You’ll be able to let it drown you or allow you to give it objective.
Atwater: I want to determine how to do this.
Trudy: Effectively, I am not going to allow you to drown. Nobody right here is.

In any case, Atwater and Trudy’s dynamic carried this episode.

Over to you, Chicago PD Fanatics. How would you rank this in Atwater-centric? Did you’re keen on all of the Kevin/Trudy content material? Do you miss Ruzek? Hold forth under!

Chicago PD airs on NBC on Wednesdays at 10/9c. You’ll be able to stream the next day on Peacock.

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