Is Yuri Sardarov leaving Chicago Fire? Did Otis die in season 8 premiere?
For brand new Chicago Fire video coverage, be sure to watch our reaction on the premiere in the video at the bottom of this article. Subscribe to CarterMatt on YouTube so you don’t miss out on all of our fall coverage on this show and then view our One Chicago playlist.
There’s no sense in beating around the bush here — Otis died within the first ten minutes of tonight’s episode, as he was the life ultimately claimed within the massive mattress factory fire that closed out the end of season 7. Perhaps over the past few years, we’ve started to become a little desensitized to some of the fires, thinking that they wouldn’t claim any of the major characters. It has, after all, been years since the departure of Shay. Yet, this was a real shot to a heart and a reminder that anyone can go at any time. These are firefighters who all fight hard to save lives, but in doing that, there are consequences.
If you missed our interview with show executive producer Derek Haas be sure to check it out as he goes into detail with us about this heartbreaking decision.
Losing Sardarov in particular is an enormous blow since Otis was one of the brightest lights in firehouse 51, a source of tremendous energy and heart who was appreciated by everyone. His antics with Joe Cruz made him one of the most enjoyable characters every week, and it is of course especially sad that such a bright light ultimately is struck down in this way after such a devastating turn of events.
This one also hurts given Yuri’s longevity on the series — we’re talking about someone who was a part of Chicago Fire dating back to the very first season, so he is one of those characters whose death will leave the biggest mark. This marks the second straight season, since Chicago Fire lost a longtime cast member; previously, Monica Raymund departed the series, though her character of Dawson is still very much alive in Puerto Rico. This is a different circumstance, and clearly a much more devastating one in terms of what this means to everyone else in the firehouse.
Stay tuned for more coverage of the Chicago Fire premiere later on in the night — we’ll have it for you over at the link here. Meanwhile, let us know your immediate thoughts on the departure of Otis from the series, and what this means to you as a viewer. (Photo: NBC.)