Otis died on Chicago Fire this season, and other characters are still trying to pick up the pieces. An important subplot of the January 22 episode dealt with the loss of Otis.
In one of the opening segments, Brett mentioned to Cruz that her rent was starting to eat into her savings accounts. She brought up that they should look into renting out the spare room, which is where Brian “Otis” Zvonecek used to live.
Nick Porter, a retired firefighter who had been helping Cruz sell the Slamigan, was looking for a place to stay, and his name came up. Enter actor Brian Howe, who has appeared during episodes of three different seasons on the show.
Good morning to you too, Nick Porter! #ChicagoFire pic.twitter.com/75ftGyELuP
— Chicago Fire (@NBCChicagoFire) January 23, 2020
How did Otis die on Chicago Fire?
By having someone renting out the room that Otis lived in, it brought back memories of what had happened to their friend. It also caused many fans to try to refresh their memory about what happened to the character.
The storyline goes back to the Season 7 finale when Firehouse 51 was on a call at a warehouse fire. When the season faded to black, a boiler appeared like it was about to explode. Then, to start Season 8, that boiler did explode, as the premiere picked up right at that moment.
Otis — played by actor Yuri Sardarov since the first episode of Chicago Fire aired on NBC — died as a result of that explosion. It started Season 8 on a somber note and created a rippling effect for many of the episodes that came later.
https://twitter.com/AuggieGrey/status/1218770394490048513
The show addressed the death of Otis when Brett returned from trying out smalltown life, and when Gabby Dawson popped up in a special episode, then when a drone Cruz and Otis played with was found, and again, when the rental of his old room became a topic.
Season 8, Episode 12 of the show had a lot of important storylines to focus on, but it was still good that the writers took the time to remember Otis again.
He is still a character that is missed by many fans of the show, and the humor that actor Yuri Sardarov brought to the table has been missed this year.
Chicago Fire airs Wednesday nights at 9/8c on NBC.