Otis is leaving Chicago Fire. The character was killed off during the Season 8 premiere of the show, but a lot of fans were asking what he said as his last words before he died.
In the opening segment of the episode called “Sacred Ground,” Chicago Firehouse 51 was still trying to deal with the mattress fire that had concluded Season 7. The fire would end up being fatal for one of the long-time Chicago Fire cast members.
Is Otis leaving Chicago Fire?
Yep. There is no going back from what happened on Wednesday night. The character of Brian “Otis” Zvonecek died as a result of injuries he sustained when a boiler exploded in the fire.
Thank you. For everything. ❤️ #ChicagoFire pic.twitter.com/lYffKpyajm
— Chicago Fire (@NBCChicagoFire) September 26, 2019
Actor Yuri Sardarov has played the character for years, and Otis was often good for comic relief on the show. It hit the firehouse really hard and particularly Joe Cruz (played by Joe Minoso). As Otis was saying his final line, Joe was sitting at his bedside. It was a Russian phrase, though, and he didn’t have the heart to get it translated.
What did Otis say as his last words before he died?
Joe and other members of the firehouse struggled throughout the episode, but the ending was a very cathartic one. Chief Boden (Eamonn Walker) not only had the phrase translated but built a memorial outside that he deemed “sacred ground” for the neighborhood.
As for what Otis said before he died, the chief stated that the words meant “Brother, I will be with you always.”
It brought Joe to tears right away and the other members of the firehouse surrounded him as they paid tribute to the monument.
This was a shocking opening to Chicago Fire Season 8 and it certainly indicates that there could be a new cast member or two joining the show very soon. Casey (played by Jesse Spencer) had been having trouble replacing Otis, but maybe that will change in the coming episodes.
Chicago Fire airs Wednesday nights at 9/8c on NBC.