S09.E05: Burnside

[jewel21]

As the team works to solve a deadly shooting in Burnside, Atwater realizes he has a very personal connection to the case.

Airdate: 10/20/2021

[mommalib]

Damn that guilt eating Atwater alive, He did everything he could for that kid and it still wasn't enough. And Celeste still don't know that he's a cop so you know that's going to blow up in his face down the line. 

[jalady]

Why do they even pretend to write episodes for Atwater?  It’s always the same shit/different day.  Black cop bad.  Love interest disappointed with/disgusted by him for doing his job.  And then we never see her again.  Dude should resign and head to Fire or Med; maybe they can find a plot for him that lasts more than ONE episode 🙄.

[mommalib]

20 minutes ago, jalady said:

Why do they even pretend to write episodes for Atwater?  It’s always the same shit/different day.  Black cop bad.  Love interest disappointed with/disgusted by him for doing his job.  And then we never see her again.  Dude should resign and head to Fire or Med; maybe they can find a plot for him that lasts more than ONE episode 🙄.

I find Atwater episodes the most interesting and emotional even with the repetition. 

[Guildford]

Okay, I love Atwater & his episodes are the highlights of the season....But, I hate this redundant storyline for him..again. Granted she didn't end up in jail by the end of the episode but this is a dead end right? Hasn't he already done this before with Laila? Hasn't Halstead lied to his girlfriend about not being a cop? Don't we already have a relationship on this show built on lies? 

How long has Atwater been waiting for a personal life? And they can't even give him one single episode of happiness? Not let him have a few weeks of fun & light before beating him over the head with the misery stick?

I can't begin to understand the situation these boys are in, but I do see the helplessness of it all and that was what I took away from this episode & I think that is a good thing for the audience to bare witness to, and that despite that helplessness and anger there are still people trying to fight & do the right thing and give these kids hope & believe in something better for them. 

I did like Celeste & hate that they chose this route for Kevin. Seeing he still has hope with his building project I could see them working together on that & that's what bought them together before things went to shit. Before the black v blue story again got in the way. It all seems a bit much & too rushed that this was all in what 1-2 days at most. The show needs to stop rushing through storylines that have weight & meaning & spend time developing them, seeding them in over weeks not minutes, especially while they insist on dragging out this Voight/Upton/Roy clusterfuck for weeks on end.

Despite that, it all felt repetitive. Yet again, Ruzek remains the only person who stands by his mate, while the other's are just blissfully ignorant that anything is going on. For all his faults, and he has many, Ruzek is Kev's ride or die & he does it without question. Any danger of untethering Halstead from his partner & letting him be Atwater's back-up? Any chance they remember Burgess & him are former besties?

Also, that moment in the bar when Ruzek was leaving would've been the perfect opportunity for Kev to ask how Burgess was doing, just a check in because frankly if you didn't know Burgess had been kidnapped, beaten, shot, in a coma you wouldn't be able to tell because they have completely missed the mark and have totally ignored it. A quick, 'good days/bad days or she's getting there' from Ruzek would've kept that thread running so when Kim's PTSD  suddenly pops back up in a few weeks time it won't feel so completely out of the blue.

Considering this seemed to pick up the day after last weeks mess, Mopey & Dopey didn't seem too bothered by anything, other than Dopey's little snide remark about talking all night & leaving early. No animosity with Voight? In saying that, thank god we weren't subjected to their misery this week.

Finally, as for Atwater lying....ughhh....this showrunner (thank god he's leaving) seems to dig these massive holes for the characters to serve the story of the week & the pay-off for the viewer, if they ever remember to get back to it is always underwhelming. We already know this won't last, it was set up to fail from the start & if (when) it crashes & burns it will feel like it was always inevitable & we'll just move on. 

Despite all that, I did enjoy this like I always do enjoy the rare Atwater outtings.

(I know this is my issue & I'm not sure what to do about it, but I can't for the life of me understand half the words LaRoyce says, I just kinda guess & try to follow along as best I can)

 

Edited October 21, 2021 by Guildford

[SuzieQ]

Atwater is the one I want most to see happy and find peace.  We don't even get one episode of Kevin with a smile before bad shit happens?  I liked Celeste and would like to see them work something out, unlike Laila who annoyed me from her first scene.  They have a lot in common and and seem to mesh really well.  Does anyone know if she has any future appearances?  I hope this isn't a one and done.

[Snazzy Daisy]

Kevin-centric episodes are always the best and emotional.

Finally, a love interest for our Kev‼️But why the writers have to recycle Jay/Camila Vega’s plot on Kevin/Celeste? Why can’t they come out with something that is more original and true to Kevin’s character? A relationship started with lies isn’t good. Is there any plot twist coming soon re who Celeste really is?

My fav lines, Voight to Kevin:

”This wasn’t on you. It isn’t. I get why you did what you did today. I also get that sometimes this job chews up your soul in a different way than it does mine. I respect the hell out of you that you stay here when it does.”

[snarkysnarkerson]

To the poster who said they have trouble understanding Atwater, me too. Closed captioning is great for this!

That being said, I am also sick of him not having a love interest that lasts longer than an episode. He gets piled on and piled on, and he deserves some happiness.

[MsJamieDornan]

7 hours ago, Guildford said:

The show needs to stop rushing through storylines that have weight & meaning & spend time developing them, seeding them in over weeks not minutes, especially while they drag out this Voight/Upton/Roy clusterfuck for weeks on end.

Absolutely correct.

[mommalib]

3 hours ago, snarkysnarkerson said:

To the poster who said they have trouble understanding Atwater, me too. Closed captioning is great for this!

That being said, I am also sick of him not having a love interest that lasts longer than an episode. He gets piled on and piled on, and he deserves some happiness.

Or turn the TV up lol, Laroyce got that deep voice.

[SuzieQ]

Spoilers on the Atwater situation:

 

Spoiler

https://www.tvinsider.com/1018931/chicago-pd-atwater-celeste-secret-laroyce-hawkins/?fbclid=IwAR0aSFf4z7n41ZcsxXx-u6OSe1Iw8zxsIoJBXQS3zwxsFk3s6IEKJKyJvZU

 

[Guildford]

1 hour ago, mommalib said:

Or turn the TV up lol, Laroyce got that deep voice.

😂 tried that.... just my thing I think, I struggle with a lot of accents as well. I love his deep voice, just can't understand what he says at times, particularly when the background music or noise in the scene is loud as well. That whole bar scene at the start...yeah, took me 4 goes to figure it out.

Closed captions is not an option, so I'll just continue on & make up the story in my own head. Easy😂

[butterbody]

I have a sibling who works on the show and one day, they called me and put LaRoyce on the phone. I couldn't understand anything he was saying! I love him so much and actually had him on the phone and I don't know what he said! ( But I agreed to it!) 😀