This fall, Chicago Fire will celebrate yet another amazing milestone in its run as the show sails past the 300-episode mark! The fifth episode of season 15 will serve as the show’s 300th episode, and the creative team is hard at work making sure to pull out all the stops for the episode.
Chicago Fire has always gone big with its milestone episodes, but it seems the writers are looking to top the events of the 100th and 200th episodes by bringing fans an unforgettable episode to celebrate reaching 300 episodes. The creative team is hard at work pulling off a massive episode, which will be filled with exciting and thrilling moments, which will not only include incredible sequences but also moments featuring many of the fans' favorite characters.
“I am so thrilled. I think the incidents are absolutely stunning. The ideas are haunting and exciting and thrilling, and I know that our stunt team and special effects team are doing an amazing job, and it’s going to feature so many of your favorite characters. I really do not think it will disappoint,” Hanako Greensmith teased of the 300th episode of Chicago Fire in a recent interview with TV Insider.
When pressed about whether she was simply referring to the 300th episode featuring characters from the current cast who fans love, or whether we’ll be seeing characters from the past, Greensmith confirmed the 300th episode will include characters not seen on the show in “a little while.”
“You will see some adored faces that you have not seen in a little while. I think it’ll invite a lot of heartwarming material,” Greensmith elaborated.
Of course, she was unable to give any information on just how many characters will be returning for the 300th episode or which characters will be back, but this is our first official confirmation that the 300th episode of Chicago Fire will feature some returning faces!
It’s going to be interesting to see which characters from past seasons pop up over the course of the 300th episode and how they’ll be woven into the narrative of the episode. There are so many amazing characters we’ve seen over the years, and we’re definitely excited to see who the writers might be planning on bringing back for the milestone episode.
One character whose return seems likely is Otis, but we’re not quite sure how that will work. There was a stand-in casting call put out for a character under the name “Otis,” and the stand-in description fit the build of actor Yuriy Sardarov. There has been speculation that the 300th episode will be Joe Minoso’s last episode on the show, and bringing Sardarov back would certainly be an incredible moment for Cruz’s last episode.
Considering that Greensmith used the word "haunting" to describe the 300th episode, we have to wonder if perhaps ghosts of Firehouse 51’s past could play a role in the episode somehow. Could it be that Cruz might be fighting for his life and see literal ghosts of the past as he fights for his life? This would create a unique opportunity for the show to bring back characters who were killed off over the years and therefore aren’t able to be brought back in a more natural manner.
Of course, a dream sequence could also allow for the show to bring back other characters who are alive and well, but in a way that makes it easier to bring them into the fold without suddenly having them all just randomly passing through Chicago. Cruz could come face-to-face with characters he previously worked alongside, like Casey, Gabby, Brett, Boden, etc. Though, there is another storyline that could also come into play.
We know that several characters were spotted on set in their dress blues around the time the show would have been filming the 300th episode. As much as we hate to say it, could it be that the 300th episode will feature Cruz’s memorial and that these returns could come from his former colleagues returning to pay tribute to their fallen friend? We could then see the spirit of Otis present to help guide Cruz to the afterlife, which is a storyline we’ve seen many shows use over the years. That’s a storyline we’d hate to see come to fruition, but it would be a haunting moment.
Hopefully, whatever brings these familiar faces back to town will be a positive thing and not a tragedy, but no matter what storyline the writers have planned, we’re thrilled to know some familiar faces from the show’s past will be dropping in to help celebrate its 300th episode!
Don’t miss the season 15 premiere of Chicago Fire on Wednesday, October 7, at 9/8c on NBC!
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