In one of his final moments on"Chicago Fire," Joe Cruz (Joe Miñoso) has powerful parting words for his dearly departed best friend, Brian "Otis" Zvonecek (Yuriy Sardarov).
"I'll be with you always, brother," Cruz says during an emotional farewell at fallen firefighter Otis' memorial outside Firehouse 51. Miñoso suggested the powerhouse scene for Cruz's farewell in the NBC drama's milestone 300th episode, "Three Hundred," which aired Wednesday, Nov. 4(now streaming on Peacock).
"I just knew that there had to be something between those two brothers," Miñoso tells USA TODAY. "There had to be some sort of a final chapter, a closing of that relationship."
The farewell
carries special meaning because it echoes Otis' final words to Cruz before dying from injuries suffered in a mattress factory fire in the 2019 Season 8 premiere. Speaking in Russian, Otis told his best friend from his deathbed, "Brother, I will be with you always."
For Miñoso, the tribute was more than Cruz's farewell to Otis and the firehouse. After 15 seasons, it was his own chance "to say thank you and goodbye to the fans."
But getting through the scene without tears was another matter.
"I want this to be a joyful moment," Miñoso recalls telling the episode director before filming. "I don't want to be crying through this scene."
But as the cameras rolled, "there was just such a rush of emotion."
"I'm so happy it was impactful," Miñoso says.
Cruz also returns Otis' wooden cane, a symbol of his late friend's resilience. Veteran Firehouse 51 firefighter Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg) had given Cruz the cane to inspire his recovery from a spinal injury suffered in the Season 14 finale. The cane had hung on a wall at Firehouse 51 since Otis recovered from his own devastating injury in Season 6. In his final episode, Cruz promises to return the cane to the wall, "where it belongs."
Cruz had overcome the odds, regaining his ability to walk and holding out hope of returning to firefighting. But ultimately, he decided to leave Chicago and put his family first, with plans to move to Minneapolis with his wife, Chloe, and their growing family.
The real-life brotherhood continues off-screen. Miñoso and Sardarov remain close friends and recently collaborated on the short film "Long Lost," written and produced by Miñoso. The two are discussing a possible "Chicago Fire" rewatch podcast.
While Cruz leaves Chicago with his family, Miñoso will remain in the Windy City with his wife, makeup artist Caitlin Murphy Miles, and return to direct future "Chicago Fire" episodes. But the actor didn't leave his longtime role entirely behind.
"I took my helmet, I took a few things," Miñoso says, adding that the cast presented him with an honorary Slamigan, a hybrid firefighting tool invented by Cruz that combines a sledgehammer and a Halligan bar to break through locked doors.
"The squad guys presented it to me at my 'promotion' party," Miñoso says. "That Slamigan has already been mounted at my home."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Chicago Fire' Joe Cruz's heartbreaking final goodbye to his 'brother' explained
