Chicago Fire season 8 character preview: Joe Cruz

What should happen

Though Cruz’s biggest episode was the crossover, that storyline could still be mined for character growth as he heads into Chicago Fire season 8. He’s seen how firefighters can do bad things, even if they think they’re for good reasons; maybe he could develop some cynicism or self-doubt about the job, and have to find his passion for it again?

Leon Cruz’s guest appearance also reminded us how the relationship between the brothers still has a lot of life left in it. Aside from Leon’s early troubles with gangs, he hasn’t really been seen since, and that’s something that ought to change. There aren’t a lot of prominent sibling bonds in the One Chicago universe, except for the Halstead brothers.

The other brothers and sisters fans know about generally have been written out or faded away (see: Chicago Med‘s Noah Sexton or even Christie Casey). So why not bring Leon back more? He doesn’t have to be a prominent presence, but especially now that he’s turned his life around, it could be incredibly cool to see him around—especially if he’s supporting Joe through a rough patch like the aforementioned crisis of faith.

Then there’s Cruz’s friendship with Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney). Severide was outspoken last season about how valuable Cruz was to his team, but also fought with him, too. How about a bit more of them together?

Joe Cruz may not be the show’s biggest character, but Chicago Fire season 8 can still do a lot with him, if it wants to. Which leads us to one big logistical hurdle the writers may have to face.