Chicago P.D. Season 10 Episode 11 Review: Long Lost

Before diving into the emotional side of Chicago P.D. Season 10 Episode 11, “Long Lost,” we have to give a shoutout to Torres’s very discreet outfit change. Instead of his usual short sleeve white t-shirt, he is wearing long sleeves (still white).

The outfit change is a particular highlight for me because I keep wondering if he will fully change his clothes once he feels he belongs in the Intelligence Unit. With how good he is working undercover and understanding the needs of the team, he should already feel like he belongs.

But the entire episode belongs to Kevin Atwater and, once again, LaRoyce Hawkins does an amazing job portraying every emotion his character goes through in the 42 minutes of “Long Lost.”

Before “Long Lost,” Chicago P.D. hadn’t given us much information regarding Kevin’s parents. We know he takes care of his siblings because his dad was in jail, but that is it.

However, things change when his dad witnesses a shooting and the team needs to use his experience, connections, and time in jail to catch the real bad guy. This gives us the opportunity to understand Kevin better, but also to further explore the dynamics on the show.

For starters, Chicago P.D. does a great job at making Kim be the one who is with Kevin when he sees his father. The two of them started this journey together, so it makes sense that she is the person he trusts the most on the team.

Kevin has always been the most reserved one, which is something Kim points out when she mentions they have been friends for a really long time yet he hasn’t spoken about his father or his past.

It is these layers and bonds that make Atwater such a fascinating and complicated character. What is he really hiding behind the quietness and by-the-book attitude he carries with him?

Following Kim, we see Adam and Voight’s concern for Atwater. The two of them come from different places.

On the one hand, Adam checks in on his friend and is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure Kevin is okay. This means having him taken off the case if that is what he wishes.

On the other hand, Voight comes in as a father figure. He understands the complexity of father/son relationships, having had a complicated relationship with Justin. However, he is trying to put Kevin’s interests first.

Voight has proven time and time again that he will do anything for his team. Whether that means hiding a body (as he did for Hailey) or dealing with their parents (as he did for Erin).

What shines through, however, is Kevin’s constant choice to follow the rules. Out of everyone in the Intelligence Unit he is the most by-the-book cop. We will rarely — if ever — see him bend the rules for a case.

Chicago P.D. proves that once more when he doesn’t shy away from taking photos of his father at the scene, using him to get Torres undercover, or busting a buy before it’s time to make sure everything goes right.

Up until “Long Lost,” we thought Kevin’s attitude came simply from wanting to be a good cop and keeping his siblings safe. However, now we understand why.

Kevin never understood why his father went to jail and he was never able to visit him because he wasn’t on the visitors’ list. That pushed him to shove all of his bad feelings down and remember his father for the good times.

This time around Chicago P.D. shows us that those unsolved feelings are what constantly push Kevin to be good, do good, and not fall off his path. He wants to be for his siblings what his father wasn’t for him.

But now we get to meet his father and see his side of the story. During the buy with Torres, Lew says “I owe this man,” which immediately makes us think he owes Kevin for everything he put him through.

The line doesn’t seem too important at the moment, but it comes back when Lew and Kevin have their last conversation. He tells his son he didn’t want to be visited in prison because he didn’t want to be remembered like that.

He took the fall for the wrong people and left his children alone. Lew owes Kevin a lifetime of gratitude for stepping up for his siblings, but also an apology for having left him to fend for himself.

The case definitely doesn’t go as planned and the fake buy doesn’t bring the results they were expecting, but it is the catalyst Kevin needs to have some closure.

Hopefully, we will see more of Lew on Chicago P.D. and continue to learn more about who Kevin is and why he decided to be the cop he is today.

Stray Observations

• It shows great character development and trust that Voight allows Atwater to make the call before they rush in. He allows him to make the decision that will let him sleep at night.
• In every police show, they make it so obvious when they are following a suspect. “Long Lost” isn’t any different. Shouldn’t they drive a little further back?
• The scenes between Kevin and Lew are some of the best and most emotional scenes we have seen on Chicago P.D. in a while.
• The lighting on the episode can be better. Some of the scenes are a little too dark and this makes some of the details go unnoticed.

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What did you think of this episode of Chicago P.D.? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Chicago P.D. airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC.

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