Say it ain’t so, Joe! The Firehouse 51 fan favorite is reflecting on his future in the CFD.
Chicago Fire Season 12, Episode 2, titled “Call Me McHolland”, saw the bond between Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) and Joe Cruz (Joe Miñoso) begin to break after a nasty disagreement.
The tension was inevitable. After Severide left Chicago and ghosted all his coworkers, it was Cruz who stepped up to the plate to lead 51. Now that Severide is back in command, lingering resentments over his exit have emerged.
“We’ll get into how it affected Cruz and what the relationship between Cruz and Severide is now going forward,” Chicago Fire showrunner Andrea Newman told NBC Insider. “[Severide] was Cruz’s best man. Cruz worshiped Severide, but Severide kind of ditched out on him, too.”
It didn’t take long for Season 12 of Chicago Fire to spotlight Cruz and Severide’s problem. Here’s what happened:
Joe Cruz and Kelly Severide’s power struggle
After getting a call about a civilian dangling from a building (after attempting to retrieve his drone), Cruz became frustrated with Severide. Cruz retrieved the drone without confirming the maneuver with Severide, which led to conflict.
“Cruz, I didn’t order you to get that drone,” Severide snapped. “No more freelancing! That ends now.”
“Hold up,” Cruz countered. “You leave me in charge for three months, and now I can’t think for myself?”
“Cruz!” Severide shouted. “Don’t let it happen again.”
Is Joe Cruz leaving Firehouse 51 on Chicago Fire?
It didn’t take long for Severide and Cruz’s fight to cause Cruz to reflect on his future in Squad Company 3. Cruz later visited Chief Boden (Eamonn Walker) with news of a jaw-dropping development.
“I want to take the lieutenant test,” Cruz revealed. “It’s time for me to leave 51 and run my own unit.”
Later that night, Firehouse 51 corralled at Molly’s, but Cruz sat apart from Severide. Stella (Miranda Rae Mayo) quickly picked up on the awkward vibes and encouraged Severide to talk to Cruz, to no avail. While chatting with Stella, Cruz perfectly articulated the root of the issue.
“I’m tired of feeling disrespected when he took off to go work with those ATF guys without saying where he was going, when he was coming back,” Cruz shared. “I covered for him, no questions, for three months. I acted up, leading squad, taking a hit at home. And he comes back, and he’s barking orders, telling me to fall in line like nothing changed. When a lot did. He just wasn’t here for it.”
“I know he left you in the dark too, so you know what I’m saying,” Cruz continued. “But I bet he at least apologized to you.”
Cruz got Boden’s blessing for the lieutenant exam
Cruz was later summoned to Boden’s office, where he received a test schedule and study guides for the lieutenant exam. Boden told Cruz he’d be a great fit for Firehouse 36 but encouraged him to talk to Severide before making big moves.
“I have no doubts that you are ready if this is what you want,” Boden said. “You will make a great leader, as much as it will hurt to see you go.”
Severide eventually came around to Stella’s request to make peace, sharing a drink with Cruz later that night.
“When I had to step away, there was zero question of who I was going to leave in charge,” Severide said. “And you were right, you acted up for three months, you did good, and Boden said you really took to the role. So if I didn’t seem thankful, that’s on me. Because I was, and I am.”
“I appreciate you saying that,” Cruz replied.
“That being said, I’m back now,” Severide leveled with him. “And if taking orders from me is going to be a problem, if you’ve had your taste of leadership and you can’t shake it, I’m not going to stand in your way if you need to move on.”
