We all miss Otis. The character’s death remains arguably the most upsetting moment in Chicago Fire history. None of us saw it coming, and it stings to this day. There’s a contingency of fans each season who question whether or not the character will return, and generally speaking, all signs point to no.
The recent Chicago PD finale, however, opened up the possibility that we might get to see Otis at some point. The PD episode “More” brought back the long-deceased character of Alvin Olinsky (Elias Koteas) in what was essentially a hallucination scene. The character doled out advice to a bloodied Hank Voight (Jason Beghe), who was on the brink of death of himself.
It was a shocking reveal, and one that had never really been attempted within the One Chicago franchise. The only instance in which previously deceased characters returned to the show was the Chicago Fire episode “Always,” which featured flashbacks. Olinsky has broken the mold in terms of bringing a dead character into the present.
Chicago PD showrunner Gwen Sigan confirmed that she’d been trying to get the character back on the show for years, and was simply waiting for the right time to strike. This leads us to question if the Chicago Fire team will attempt, or have considered attempting, something similar with Otis.
Otis actor Yuri Sardarov remains close with the Chicago Fire cast, and we could envision an instance in which Cruz (Joe Minoso) imagines seeing the character. The precedent has been set. That said, the downside is that PD beat them to the simplest punch. If Fire does a similar near-death hallucination, then it will simply be copying its sibling series.
Sardarov hasn’t committed to any other show long term, as evidenced by his brief guest spots on The Rookie. He even returned to the Dick Wolf universe with an appearance in FBI: International. We aren’t saying an Otis cameo is mandatory, but it’s kind of cool to know that it’s technically on the table for the show’s creators.
