‘Chicago Fire’: Otis’ character arc, explained

There’s an old nugget of truth in the community of first responders that inspire shows like Chicago Fire every day through their bravery, selflessness, and honor: “Sooner or later, everyone explodes in a mattress factory.”

It’s a stereotype, but it exists for a reason. Eventually, dramatic, end-of-season mattress factory fires come for everyone. You’d think that it would snuff out the dramatic tension of shows like Chicago Fire, but if anything, it fans the flames, like the uncaring industrial fan blades in a mattress factory. At least that was the case when the fictional folks at Firehouse 51 found themselves at the business end of a mattress factory fire in the final moments of season seven, during the season finale “I’m Not Leaving You.” The stakes were high. The flashpoint of the mattresses was low. It seemed inevitable that someone would meet their fate, but nobody could have guessed that it would be fan favorite character Brian “Otis” Zvonecek.

Does Otis die in Chicago Fire?

As Otis and friends bravely battled a memory foam conflagration, the worst came to pass: The factory’s boiler, perhaps unused to not being the hottest thing in the room, acted out, exploding. The resulting damage trapped Otis amidst the debris after he was slammed into a steel wall by an intense backdraft. Frightened, he called out for help from his fellow emergency workers. 

Then, boom: Like a slap to the face or a fire to the mattress, the season promptly ended, leaving viewers to wonder what happened to Otis for four unbearable months. The news, when it finally came, was just no good.

When does Otis die in Chicago Fire?

In the season eight premiere, Chicago Fire fans were transported to the moments following the mattress fire/boiler explosion Windy City jamboree. The good news was that the folks from Firehouse 51 had managed to pull Otis from the wreckage. 

The bad news? Otis had suffered severe injuries during his time in an actively exploding building. Despite the best efforts of his friends and colleagues and a hasty trip to the emergency room, the mustachioed fireman didn’t pull through. After encouraging his best friend Joe Cruz to branch out and spring for a Rosetta Stone subscription by whispering a message in Russian (which would later be translated as “Brother, I will be with you, always”) Otis passed away.

The beloved member of the Chicago Fire would not soon be forgotten. A memorial was put up to celebrate his sacrifice, and his best friend, Joe, would go on to name his son “Brian” in the season 10 episode “Two Hundred.”