I knew since I watched the trailer that Chicago P.D. Season 12, Episode 17 ‘Transference’ was going to be a good episode because this show has some stories that it knows what to do, and some characters it tends to write better than others, or at least understand better than others, and lately Kevin Atwater has been one of them. I wasn’t wrong, as this is one of the strongest episodes of the season because it’s not just about the case. Instead, it uses the case to examine Kevin and his relationship with Val Soto.
Val is a very interesting character because she has a personality. I don’t necessarily agree with her at most points during ‘Transference’ but that’s probably a good thing because that hardly ever happens in this show with love interests. They’re paper-thin at best, and Val really, really isn’t. She’s a fully realized character, one we don’t yet fully know, but one we actually want to. More importantly, one we want Kevin to get to know.
But it’s not just that she’s a fully realized character with flaws; it’s that she has a backstory. At this point, I feel like I know about as much about her as I know about Torres, and she’s been around for only a handful of episodes. She’s just gotten good, intentional writing. That, coupled with very good chemistry between Natalee Linez and LaRoyce Hawkins, makes this the most successful relationship this show has put on my screen for Kevin Atwater so far, and it’s not even close.
If I wasn’t sold before, though, the moment that truly sold me was the maturity in the way two broken people—because you can be broken, and they both admit they are—approached their relationship. At the end, Kevin simply asks her if she really wants to end it. And she admits perhaps they should. She’s a mess. So is he. But no, they still want to continue trying. Perhaps they can be a mess together. And that means, perhaps, they can try to get better together.
For Kevin, that’s a great step forward. Because what Kevin has needed, what this show has needed for him, is a true partner. That’s partly why the way Kim reads Kevin in the episode also works really well. Because your friends understand that about you, too.
And this doesn’t fix Kevin, just like it doesn’t fix Val. It’s the same as we saw with Adam and Kim. Love isn’t a cure all. But it is a salve in every wound. It is the thing that makes it easier to get up in the morning and to take that extra step. And wouldn’t you rather have the thing that makes life easier than not?
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Chicago P.D. Season 12, Episode 17 ‘Transference’? Share with us in the comments below! And if you have your own opinion on the show, leave a review/rating on our Chicago P.D. hub!
Chicago P.D. airs on Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC.
