Chicago Fire spoilers: What do Cruz and Chloe name their baby?

Cruz (Joe Minoso) has had a drama-filled season 10. The Chicago Fire favorite nearly died in the season premiere, struggled with the trauma of his near-death experience in subsequent episodes, and was nearly relieved from duty.

Fortunately, things seem to be on the mend for Cruz. He’s regained his confidence in the field, and his wife Chloe (Kristen Gutoskie) recently gave birth to their first baby. Fans have long theorized what name the couple were going to pick for the baby, and the landmark episode “Two Hundred” finally gave us the answer.

Be warned that the rest of the post contains detailed spoilers for the 200th episode of Chicago Fire!

What is the meaning behind Cruz’s baby’s name?

The episode revealed that Cruz and Chloe’s infant son is named Brian Cruz. They broke the news to the Firehouse 51 team right outside the delivery room. Cruz took things a step further, however, and decided that the baby will be referred to by a nickname: “Otis”.

Longtime Chicago Fire fans will recognize the importance of this name. “Otis” was the nickname of firefighter Brian Zvonecek (Yuri Sardarov), who served as a core member of the team from seasons 2-8. He earned the nickname “Otis” because of his extensive elevator knowledge, and the the fact that “Otis” is a common brand of elevator in the United States.

It’s telling that Cruz named his son both “Brian” and “Otis”, given how close he was with the firefighter. The two men bonded over the course of the show, and it was Cruz who was most greatly affected by his death in season 8.

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Joe Minoso reflected on the impact of Otis’ death during an interview with TV Insider. “I feel like our camaraderie and our chemistry was impalpable and it was always a joy to be able to do those kinds of comedic things with him”, the actor noted. “It felt like there was a real brother-in-arms and in a lot of ways, Joe Minoso the actor and Joe Cruz has lost that with Yuri/Otis gone.”

As Chicago Fire looks back on the last ten years, the decision to name Cruz’s son after Otis is a nice nod to the show’s legacy and the characters that’ve been lost over the years. It also provides some closure for Cruz’s character, as he’s made peace with Otis’ death and passed his memory on to the next generation.

For the latest Chicago Fire season 10 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago Fire category at One Chicago Center.