One of the most beloved characters died and didn’t even deserve a funeral?

The most beloved series about firefighters right now is undoubtedly Chicago Fire – each episode is an exciting drama about selfless people. The unpredictability of the plot twists and the high level of drama have contributed a great deal to the popularity of the show.

On Chicago Fire, the stakes are high – anyone, even the main fan favorite, can die. And one such death is still haunting fans.

Otis’ Death in Chicago Fire Season 7

Otis Zvonecek was one of the most beloved characters on Chicago Fire – the members of Firehouse 51 treated him like a little brother, and Otis always put a positive spin on even the most difficult and risky situations.

In Season 6, Otis began dating Lily, the daughter of the man who sold him the bar the firefighter called Molly’s North, and their duo melted the hearts of many viewers. The fans wished the couple a happy ever after, but that did not happen – in the seventh season finale, Otis found himself in a situation from which he could not get out alive.

While fighting a fire at a mattress warehouse, Otis suffered a boiler explosion and later died in the hospital; members of Firehouse 51 erected a memorial statue in his honor and bid him farewell.

Fans Feel Otis Didn’t Get the Farewell He Deserved

However, while other characters like Shay and Severide’s father were given full-length farewell scenes with significant running time, all Otis got was a brief goodbye at the memorial, and some fans feel that this is unfair.

“They do mention Otis quite a few times, […] and there’s an obvious grieving process especially for Cruz afterwards, so it wasn’t cold and stupid […]. But the lack of funeral service seems odd,” Reddit user erayachi wrote.

Chicago Fire Showrunner Confirmed Otis Was Killed to Show No One Was Safe
Some fans believe that such a shocking and brief death was intentional – the actor who played Otis, Yuri Sardarov, had no intention of leaving the show, it was the writers’ decision to up the drama and remind the audience that no one is safe on Chicago Fire. And well, the fans were not wrong.

In an interview, showrunner Derek Haas admitted that Otis was killed for that very purpose:

“ I was talking to […] my two head writers […] and as we were talking, we just said, ‘We gotta put some teeth back into the show, and we gotta show that the dangers are real.’”

As sad as Otis’ death was, let’s face it – the writers and the showrunner achieved the desired effect, and fans are still discussing what happened in the Season 7 finale.