Chicago Fire’s 300th Episode Gives Its Undervalued Character Their Due Way Too Late

Published Nov 7, 2026, 3:31 PM EST Laura Hurley has been writing about the entertainment industry for more than twelve years, after a decade as a content producer and editor at CinemaBlend after writing for WhatCulture and Examiner. Attending events like SCAD TVfest and San Diego Comic-Con over the course of her career, she has been immersed in the world of network, streaming, and cable TV. Warning: this article contains spoilers for Chicago Fire season 15, episode 5, "Three Hundred."An era ended on Chicago Fire in the latest episode, which saw the exit of one of the NBC drama's last remaining original stars. Joe Cruz's departure had already been announced months ahead of the 300th episode, but Chicago Fire waited until the last half hour of Joe Miñoso's final episode as a series regular to explain why the character would leave his longtime firehouse. In order to sell his decision as the only one he would possibly make, the show finally gave none other than Chloe Cruz her due. Chloe, played by Kristen Lee Gutoskie, joined Chicago Fire back in season 7 and continued to recur throughout the years as Cruz's most serious love interest. They made it past her fears about falling in love with a first responder, got married, had a baby, and overcame the hurdles of adoption to grow their family, all before she became pregnant with twins and her husband nearly died in a fire. Chloe went through the majority of her pregnancy while also helping Cruz recover from his paralysis, and "Three Hundred" revealed that she finally reached her limit. Despite being weeks away from her due date, Chloe gave birth to two healthy baby girls in "Three Hundred." The whole Cruz family was gathered around her bedside, and all was going well until Chicago Med's Dr. Archer dropped in to reveal that Cruz might be just months away from returning to active duty at the CFD. The good news for his recovery wasn't entirely what his family wanted to hear, and their reactions led him to the fateful decision he'd make by the end of the 300th episode. Kristen Lee Gutoskie Shone As Chloe Cruz Peter Gordon/NBC Kristen Lee Gutoskie has often been part of heavy storylines on Chicago Fire,from Chloe's fears that a relationship with a firefighter would inevitably end in heartbreak to those fears nearly coming true in season 15. Despite everything, Chloe and Joe have had one of the most successful relationships on Chicago Fire, and their family unit survived the combination of Chloe's latest pregnancy and Cruz's complicated recovery. Gutowski was always an excellent supporting character in Cruz's plots. Chloe kept a stiff upper lip throughout all of her appearances in the first four episodes of season 15, but learning that her husband could rush right back into the work that nearly killed him was too much for her while she was still recovering from the birth of their twin daughters. Gutowski did a fantastic job in the scene, along with Carlos S. Sanchez and Finn Russell, the young actors who play Javi and Otis. They didn't say a word, but their reactions said everything, and all the weight of her years of stress over his job showed on Chloe's face. Joe Miñoso deserves credit as well, for how his face slowly fell from joy at Dr. Archer's prognosis to the realization of what returning to the CFD would do to his family. Over the course of this one scene, Chicago Fire established the only believable reason Cruz would leave the job he loved: to protect the people he loved even more. Instead of working to return to the CFD, he and Chloe are moving their children to Minneapolis to be near family and work on his recovery. Will The Cruz Family Come Back? Peter Gordon/NBC The good news is that the 300th episode didn't end Cruz's story as definitively as it did for other characters. Unlike the tragic endings for characters like Otis and Shay, the Squad 3 firefighter was alive and getting better when he left Firehouse 51. The distance between Chicago and Minneapolis isn't too great to discourage a visit from any or all of the Cruz family, and Cruz has every reason to want to drop by again. Not only are longtime members of his Firehouse 51 family still working there, but the monument to Otis is on the grounds, too. Even if Cruz never comes back to live in the Windy City with Chloe and the kids, Joe Miñoso could always return as a civilian. Monica Raymund and Jesse Spencer both did in years past, and Cruz isn't moving nearly as far away as Dawson and Casey did. A return for the Cruz family hasn't been confirmed, but Chicago Fire also hasn't ruled it out. Scratch & Peek Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as possible. For now, the big question is how Severide will cope with replacing Cruz. New episodes of Chicago Fire will continue airing on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC. Release Date October 10, 2012 Network NBC Showrunner Andrea Newman Cast Taylor Kinney Kelly Severide David Eigenberg Christopher Herrmann Directors Michael Brandt Writers Michael Brandt Creator(s) Michael Brandt, Derek Haas