Chicago Fire season 15 episode 5 officially marks one of the show's biggest milestones yet as the series celebrates its 300th episode. It's not often that television reach 100 or 200 episodes these days, much less 300 episodes, which makes the occasion extra special. Because of this monumental moment, fans can expect some emotional surprises that will tug on our heartstrings.
As fans know by now, we will unfortunately be saying goodbye to Joe Minoso as the 300th episode will be the final series-regular appearance of Joe Cruz. Ahead of the milestone episode's airing on Wednesday, Nov. 4, Chicago Fire stars Taylor Kinney and Miranda Rae Mayo made the promotional rounds and teased what fans can look forward to from "Three Hundred."
Speaking with Des Moines' local NBC station, Kinney explained how big of a part of the Chicago Fire family Minoso has been and will continue to be after his on-screen departure as a director. Kinney hinted that long-time fans can anticipate "sentimental treats" from the episode without spoiling any of the surprises the series has up its sleeve. But there have already been rumors about what's to come.
Earlier this fall, excitement over seeing Otis back on Chicago Fire began to sweep through the fandom, though it's unclear exactly how this particular moment will come to fruition. It's always been pretty much confirmed that we're going to see a number of familiar faces that we haven't seen on the show in quite some time, which makes sense for Cruz's big sendoff.
There has been a lot of speculation about what to expect from the episode the beginning of the season has been steadily building up to, like the intel fans received before the season 15 premiere that the Firehouse 51 crew was spotted filming in their dress blues. Rather than being a somber celebration, the dress blues seem to signify a happier occasion per the episode's teaser.
Taylor Kinney and Miranda Rae Mayo reflect on Chicago Fire 300th episode milestone
Mayo gave even more insight into the emotional themes of the 300th episode and Cruz's fittingly bittersweet farewell, telling WHO 13, "Over these first five episodes of the season, we really have seen how strong that character [Cruz], and so, it's a wonderful homage to the incredible man and character that Joe Cruz is and the strength of his heart."
Cruz's injury that has essentially ended his career as a firefighter has a cast a large shadow over the first four episodes of season 15. After the warehouse fire, Cruz has been thrust into a new normal with the support of his family, friends, and team. Since he's one of the few remaining characters from the series, it's another full-circle moment for the series and its fans.
Beyond seeing Cruz off with an episode deservedly devoted to him, the Chicago Fire 300th episode is also a celebration of the show's longevity. Kinney and Mayo both reflected on the "rarefied air" of starring in a television show that has survived various cycles of TV trends and continues to thrive after 15 seasons and counting. Clearly, that doesn't happy very often anymore.
In another interview with the pair ahead of the 300th episode, Mayo continued to express her gratitude for the One Chicago community, including the cast and crew of all three shows as well as the fans, saying she feels as though she "won the lottery" with Chicago Fire. That's a statement I think we can all agree on, especially those of us who have been day one fans.
Add us as a preferred source on Google