The Chicago Fire season 15 premiere might serve as the final episode for one character, but it seems it will also bring back another beloved character.
Heading into the season premiere, we know that the episode will be the final episode for Dermot Mulroney, who is exiting the series after just two seasons. We’re not quite sure how his character Dom Pascal will be written out of the show, but fans have been assured they’ll get the chance to say a proper goodbye, which we’re truly grateful for.
The other key member of the ensemble who is set to exit the series this season is Joe Minoso, who will be leaving the show after 15 seasons playing Joe Cruz. The details around Minoso’s exit have been kept a bit more closer to the vest for NBC, with no confirmation on when exactly Minoso will exit the show or how he’ll be written out.
As we await answers, it seems there is one more piece that has been placed into the puzzle in the form of Rotten Tomatoes reporting the return of Kristen Lee Gutoskie as Cruz’s wife, Chloe, via its cast listings for the season 15 premiere.
That’s right, it seems that Chloe will appear in the opening hour of the season, and it sounds like we’re going to be seeing her a few times in the episodes leading up to Minoso’s exit. Not only do we now know that Gutoskie will return as Chloe in the Chicago Fire season 15 premiere, but it's also previously been reported that she’ll also appear in the show’s 300th episode.
It’s going to be interesting to see how Chloe is involved in these episodes, and there are really two ways this could play out. The first is that Cruz is going to be injured on the job as a result of the warehouse fire and that she’ll be by his side through his recovery, which could potentially take place at Med given we know Steven Weber will be appearing in the premiere and in the 300th episode as well. This seems to hint that the premiere could kick off what will become a five-episode arc that will likely conclude with Minoso’s final appearance on the show.
If Cruz is indeed injured on the job, it would make sense for Chloe to be by his side at the hospital, and we’re glad the show is going to involve her in the on-screen storytelling.
Now, the other possibility for Chloe’s appearance could be that the premiere will bring about the birth of their twins, as we know a time jump is coming and the show was casting infants to play a pair of twins on the show. While casting calls never give away too much information, the timing definitely suggested that the show was casting infants to play Chloe and Joe’s new babies.
There’s also a chance that storyline could play out in the 300th episode, which leads us to the final possible explanation for her appearance, which is simply that we’ll get to see a glimpse into Chloe and Joe’s life as they prepare for the arrival of their babies. If a time jump happens, it could put us closer to the twins’ birth, and there is a chance that if the show is looking to have her deliver the babies in the 300th, it’ll want to further the storyline beginning in the premiere.
Knowing that Minoso is leaving, there is a chance that his family could play a role in the decision, so bringing Chloe into the mix early could help pave the way for his eventual exit storyline—whether in the 300th episode or another early episode in the season.
Regardless of the circumstances, it’s going to be fun to see Chloe back, and we hope her return is under positive circumstances now because something has happened to Joe. We’ll find out, though, when Chicago Fire season 15 premieres on Wednesday, October 7 at 9/8c on NBC!
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