The fifteenth season of Chicago Fire could not have started in a worse way; not that the premises offered grounds for less harrowing scenarios, unfortunately. The episode that aired on Wednesday evening on American TV bringing back the firefighters of Station 51 wrote a new dramatic page for one of them. But since in Italy the wait for the new season will extend for a few more weeks, allow us to warn you first that what follows could spoil the surprise for those who aren’t fans of spoilers.
Chicago Fire 15: What happened in the first episode? (spoilers)
The premiere tells the events immediately following the fire that had closed the previous season: the members of 51 worked together to save themselves and the civilians trapped in the building. During the rescue, Joe Cruz (played by Joe Minoso) smashed through a wall to reach two people still in danger, but he was overwhelmed by debris. The story then leapt three months forward, showing the consequences of the incident: medical exams revealed a severe fracture to the spine, with only a small amount of healthy tissue in the damaged area. Cruz is confined to a wheelchair and, even with a potential partial recovery of mobility, will not be able to return to the job of a firefighter.
The news was devastating not only for him, but also for Herrmann (David Eigenberg), who felt responsible for what happened. During the emergency, in fact, Herrmann had offered to perform the same risky maneuver, but Cruz had ordered him to step back, taking the danger upon himself. Concurrently, the episode—titled New Blood (literally New blood)—clarifies that Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) is not to blame for the two civilian deaths that occurred in the fire and confirms his staying at 51 after turning down the opportunity to work in the Office of Fire Investigation (OFI).
The show’s creator and showrunner Victor Teran revealed to TV Insider that choosing to strike Cruz was particularly difficult because he is a character beloved by the audience. However, the evolution of a long-running series like inevitably requires changes: the job of firefighters is physically demanding and dangerous, and not everyone can keep doing it indefinitely. Injuries, retirements, and turnarounds are part of the professional reality the series intends to depict. The writers had also considered the possibility of killing the character, as has happened in previous seasons, but they felt that a death would be too cruel a fate for Cruz. A departure connected to disability, instead, allows for a deeper exploration of the emotional and practical consequences of the incident, rather than merely dwelling on the immediate pain of loss.
The Farewell of Joe Minoso to Chicago Fire
Teran hinted that the upcoming concluding episodes of Minoso’s arc will become increasingly intense and engaging, especially the series’ 300th episode, tackling not only rehabilitation and prospects for recovery but also Cruz’s personal identity, his future, and the ripple effects on his family. A central element will be his impending paternity: Cruz is about to welcome twins, a circumstance that makes the prospect of a life markedly different from the one he had even more complex. The relationship with Herrmann will also have a significant space. The sense of guilt felt by the latter will be addressed on screen and the two characters will undertake a shared journey, described by the showrunner as intricate and rich with unforeseen developments.
Teran also clarified that the announced departure of Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) represents the natural conclusion of a storyline already developed in the previous season. His temporary return served mainly to give one final contribution to Severide’s arc, reminding him of the role he played in solidifying him at the helm of Station 51.
Comments