SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for Chicago PD Season 14, Episode 4.

Chicago PD wastes little time in filling Kevin Atwater’s spot in the Intelligence Unit. Season 14, Episode 4—just two episodes after LaRoyce Hawkins‘ final appearance—introduces Naiqui Macabroad as Officer Donovan Watts. And the NBC show gives him a pretty solid debut.

Viewers generally know what’s going to happen in “My Eye, My Call.” The show has to introduce a new character, and that character is going to be the star of the episode, because Chicago PD has to convince the audience that they deserve to be part of the Intelligence Unit. Plus, in this case, fans know the type of character they’re going to meet; the show needs another Black officer, and it needs someone who can fill the community-oriented role that Atwater had. Watts certainly has big shoes to fill (as does the actor playing him), but he has more than a little in common with Atwater.

Macabroad—who just appeared in Law & Order Season 25—portrays Watts as still rough around the edges, and writers Edgar Castillo and Gwen Sigan give him a character who almost compulsively goes outside the lines. That’s perfect Intelligence material. Chicago PD has at times struggled to introduce new characters; Toya Turner’s first episode as Kiana Cook was a little heavy-handed, and Cleveland Berto’s character Andre Cooper was recurring with the potential of becoming a series regular, only to exit after three episodes. Castillo and Sigan skip ahead in “My Eye, My Call” by having the episode end with Hank Voight flat-out offering Watts a job. Not only does this save them some time, but it’s almost like an endorsement: if Voight thinks he’s good enough for Intelligence, then the One Chicago fans should, too.

Because of the episode’s intended purpose, “My Eye, My Call” is pretty much a one-man show. Voight has his share of the screen time, with this episode’s case being connected to the cliffhanger from Episode 3. Which is a curious choice; is Chicago PD starting a second recurring subplot for Season 14, on top of the Charlie Boyden stuff? But however that plays out, Watts is the co-lead of the story, and the rest of Intelligence is basically along for the ride. It makes the episode feel one-dimensional from an entertainment standpoint, but that’s forgiveable because fans understand this is meant to showcase a specific new character.

And unlike previous character debuts, while Watts is the clear hero, it’s not quite so obvious. He makes mistakes, and ultimately he’s not the one who saves the day—that goes to Voight and Adam Ruzek, who shoot the two suspects before they can shoot Watts or a pair of hostages. “My Eye, My Call” paints him in a good light but in different ways, such as lingering on how affected he is by the three deaths in the episode. It also introduces a piece of information to act as a hook for viewers: that final scene reveals that Watts has a controversial past in Durham, with his file from that police department having been legally sealed. Chicago PD viewers know that’ll come out by the end of the season, just like the story with Eva Imani’s sister.

The end result is a clearly standalone episode that isn’t as exciting or as deep as it could be. But it serves its functional purpose: to bring in the next new member of the Intelligence Unit and get people interested in what he has to bring. It’ll now be on the Chicago PD writers to keep developing Watts so he doesn’t turn into another Kiana Cook or Vanessa Rojas. And to keep that idea of a community-focused cop; not only is that something the show benefits from, but it’s almost a way of keeping the spirit of Kevin Atwater alive. One thinks Atwater would tell Donovan Watts he needs to slow down, but he’d be proud of him, too.

Chicago PD airs Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Photo Credit: Courtesy of NBC.

Article content is (c)2020-2026 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.