Chicago Fire’s Otis is a staple of Firehouse 51, so we’re looking back at the highlights for Yuri Sardarov’s character with the Top 5 Best Otis Moments.
Since season one, fans of Chicago Fire have been subjected to some brutal, upsetting and even heart-breaking scenes that leave the viewers sobbing over characters they have grown attached to. From the drama in the firehouse to the drama of the callouts, the show has its fair share of eventful moments.
But amongst all the chaos and drama there is a light at the end of the tunnel, in the form of Brian “Otis” Zvonecek (Yuri Sardarov).
As a recurring character in the first season and a main character ever since, Otis has provided us with a jokey sense of humor to free us from the darkness. From his attitude to the hurricane of chaos he seems to cause, Otis is always there to put a smile on the viewer’s faces and bring laughter to the otherwise darker moments of the show.
He has also been shown to have a big heart as he looks out for those around him. With almost six full seasons of episodes, there are plenty of moments that entertain, amuse, create laughter and cause our hearts to burst for Otis, but which five are the best?
Which moments from Otis have provided the most entertainment for Chicago Fire fans? Is it the pranks he plays on a regular basis? His mischievous attitude towards others? Or just the trouble he gets into on a regular basis? Perhaps it’s not even the humor; maybe it’s his kind heart?
Click through the below slideshow to find out which moments from Chicago Fire we consider to be Otis’ best moments and let us know your favourite Otis moments in the comments.
5. The Goat Crest
In Chicago Fire season 1, we were introduced to Otis for the first time as he was promoted from candidate on Truck 81. Having been given his nickname due to the type of ladder he operated, he was established as quirky and it felt like he was going to be a primary source of comedy for the remainder of the season and the show. This became evident in episode 2, “Mon Amour,” when we saw Otis questioning the crest on Truck 81 and its importance to the firehouse.
The fact that the crest for Firehouse 51 is a goat is enough to confuse the best of people, but Otis just couldn’t seem to figure out why they would have a goat whilst the other firehouses get much cooler creatures to represent their firehouses. Why was this so funny? Because after being around for a very long time, it’s strange that no one would have considered the goat to be a bizarre crest before Otis.
Not only is Otis questioning the goat a funny introduction of his character into the show, but the comment he makes to Mouch (Christian Stolte) later in the episode just takes the cake. When Mouch suggests that Firehouse 51 used to have a goat so they didn’t have to mow the lawn, Otis responds in a way only Otis would—that the candidate’s job is the mow the lawn.
The snippy, sarcastic comments he made in this episode and the way he questions the crest are the moments that solidified Otis as the funny man in Chicago Fire—a role that he has kept up ever since.
4. The Rescue Pal
During Chicago Fire season 6, Otis was still up to his old tricks, especially when it came to his little toys. In episode 5, “Devil’s Bargain,” Otis introduced his new toy to the firehouse. It was a gadget aptly named the “Rescue Pal’” that essentially did the job of a firefighter, but in robot form.
Whilst the others in the firehouse found the device to be stupid, not to mention a robot that could put them out of a job, Otis did his best to prove them wrong. He set up a fire in the middle of the firehouse garage floor to show off the Rescue Pal, but in typical Otis fashion, it didn’t go the way he planned.
With the instructions and remote control both in Japanese, all signs pointed toward disaster, and when Otis aimed the Rescue Pal at the fire, all it did was squirt goo a short distance—missing the fire completely and leaving Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg) to clean up the mess Otis created.
That wasn’t the end of the Rescue Pal saga, however. Having not learned his lesson, Otis proceeded to keep the Rescue Pal at the firehouse overnight, locked in the snack cage. Not only does this annoy the other firefighters, as it made their beloved snacks accessible to third shift, it also opened Otis up for third shift pranks.
When Otis came into Firehouse 51 the next morning, he was shocked to find the Rescue Pal covered in brightly colored lollipopsm having been defaced by the other crew of firefighters. That still didn’t deter him, though, as he cleaned the machine up despite the other members of his team protesting.
Between the failure of the device itself and it getting defaced in surprising fashion, this spectacularly ambitious plan that went nowhere and then some is another of Otis’s best moments.
3. Saving the Girl
In between all the hilarity that comes with Otis, we often get to see his soft side represented through his job. Firefighters have to look out for civilians and help them in some of the toughest situations they face, and Otis is no exception. In Chicago Fire season 2, episode 14, “Virgin Skin,” he was among those called to a car accident in which a young girl is trapped in her seat with a snowmobile dangerously near her head.
Being the true hero he is, Otis rushed to the rescue and climbed into the seat next to the girl in order to reassure her, while the others on Truck 81 worked to remove the threat of the snowmobile. He tried to make jokes about the situation in order to not freak both of them out. Everyone deserves an Otis to sit with them in a life or death situation, someone who can crack a joke and take your mind off all the scary stuff unfolding around you.
We got to see Otis display bravery and kindness in a big scene that normally gets handed to one of the more prominent Chicago Fire characters. And in the same episode, Otis went to the hospital to visit Kelly Severide’s (Taylor Kinney) half-sister, Katie Nolan (guest star Brittany Curran), as she was recovering after being kidnapped. Isn’t he a sweetheart?
2. The Moustache
One of the most iconic things about Otis will always be his moustache—the over the top, dramatic, caterpillar-like thing that sits on his upper lip. Those who have been watching Chicago Fire since season 1 know that it has become a part of his character; without it he looks a little bit like a shaved cat.
But in Chicago Fire season 4, the unthinkable happened. In episode 11, “Path of Destruction,” Otis went to our favourite paramedic Gabriela Dawson (Monica Raymund) for relationship advice. Here, she suggested something absolutely insane: that he shave the moustache.Chicago Fire fans everywhere thought he wouldn’t do it, that he wouldn’t even consider it. We were wrong.
At the end of the episode at Molly’s Bar, Otis shaved off the infamous moustache. It’s safe to say that he didn’t look anything like the Otis we all know and love. It was a little shock to the system. Luckily, the moustache grew back, and we didn’t have to look at a moustache-less Otis for very long (thank you, Severide).
What makes this one of the best Otis moments? Because he did the unthinkable and shaved off something that we all knew was a part of him. It was a difficult decision for him to make. If Otis was a real person, we all know that he wouldn’t need to shave his moustache to make girls like him. He’s a nerd with a cool moustache—what’s not to love?
1. Canadians
Everyone knows that Otis is the king of practical jokes—at least when he can get away with them which, let’s be honest, isn’t very often. One of the best practical jokes he pulled off was way back in Chicago Fire season 1, when Otis was fresh out of his candidacy.
When two Canadian firefighters visit the firehouse in episode 8, “Leaving the Station,” Mouch had some issues with their arrival, much to Otis’ amusement. Deciding to have a bit of fun with his colleague, Otis set out a rather elaborate plan to pull a prank on Mouch and entertain himself at the same time.
He managed to convince Mouch that the Canadians were actually from Cleveland and that it was Herrmann who put them up to pretending to be otherwise, knowing how much Mouch hates Canadians.
Thinking he’d gotten one over on Herrmann, Mouch rigged a pulley system on the firehouse floor to drop buckets of water on the Canadians’ heads after they pulled on a rope. Of course, he didn’t know that he was acting on false information given by Otis!
Unfortunately for Otis, not only did he get in trouble with Chief Boden (Eamonn Walker) for this gag, but he also got slimed by the Canadians in a revenge attack in the firehouse locker room. Despite the prank going awry and Otis getting pranked a result, the way he convinced Mouch it was all real lands the Canadian kerfluffle in our top spot.
Next: Our interview with Chicago Fire's Jesse Spencer
In Chicago Fire season 6, our love for Otis is still going strong. We can’t wait to see what Chicago Fire comes up with for him next—or really, what crazy idea he comes up with next! Tell us your favorite Otis moments in the comments.