Chicago Fire fans should be worried about Vasquez leaving Firehouse 51 after the latest comments from showrunner Victor Teran. In fact, worry is exactly what Teran wants us to be doing when it comes to Vasquez's future with the squad, which is frustrating but an exciting place to be.
When Brandon Larracuente joined the Chicago Fire cast in season 14 as Sal Vasquez, part of the character's backstory revolved around the checkered past of his police officer father. His father's choices and their strained relationship prevented Vasquez from following in his father's footsteps and becoming a cop like he dreamed, but as the season 14 finale highlighted, that dream didn't die.
Vasquez his continued to showcase both an affinity for policing and a real aptitude for the work. We saw this firsthand when he participated in a training course. He even appeared to have a choice to make about leaving Firehouse 51 for police work, but when caught back up with him in Chicago Fire season 15, he's still a proud member of the team. However, Teran wanrs fans to be worried.
Vasquez still might pursue becoming a cop in Chicago Fire
The Chicago Fire showrunner spoke with Matt Webb Mitovich for his newsletter Matt's Inside Line and responded to a fan question about Vasquez's future with Firehouse 51. The new season has featured four new firefighter candidates with the potential to join the team full-time, and given Cruz's injury and imminent departure, someone's likely to take his place.
But will Vasquez be the next team member requiring a replacement? Teran suggested that fans should still be worried about this potential: "Yes! Please worry. Because on Chicago Fire, anything can happen. No matter what Vasquez decides, police work is in his DNA, and his need to solve mysteries, to set wrongs right, will continue to be a core part of his journey," Teran told Mitovich.
While the showrunner made no definitive statements about Vasquez's future, it's still unsettling that at any moment, his itch to pursue his police office dreams could send him away. We can at least rest assured that he appears to currently be secure in his career path and place on his team, even as he butts heads with Burke. He hasn't so much as mentioned becoming a cop in season 15 (yet).
As Teran stated, you never know what could happen. Even the slightest disappointment or struggle could bring the decision back to the front of Vasquez's mind. Whether that's his hot-and-cold working relationship with Burke, that's sure to only continue being tenuous, or the feelings he clearly still has for Novak, it wouldn't be unlike him to make a rash career choice.
On the other hand, as worried as the showrunner wants fans to be, he also revealed that solving mysteries and righting wrongs will be a core element of Vasquez's character arc. Who else does those things? Severide! Vasquez can find a way to put his expertise to work within Firehouse 51, and rather than forcing him off the squad, the series has a perfect opportunity.
There's a lot of potential to explore with Vasquez, and we should all hope that in place of finding an easy out for the character and squandering his potential, the writers actually see this journey through with him. As fun as a crossover arc on Chicago PD would be for Vasquez to test drive a career on the force, there's a reason why he's on Fire and that development is much more important.
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