‘Chicago Fire’ Fans Sound off After Season 8 Premiere Death

Chicago Fire left fans devastated after the resolution of the big Season 7 finale cliffhanger ended with a beloved character passing away. The explosive finale left most of Firehouse 51 in the unstable basement of a factory, with equipment set to blow up any second leaving most of their lives in the balance. The big death in the premiere episode had fans sharing their heartbreak on social media.

Spoilers ahead for Chicago Fire Season 8 Premiere: “Sacred Ground”

The aftermath of the big cliffhanger saw as some of the firefighters managed to go inside an adjacent room in the basement for safety, as Casey (Jesse Spencer) asked paramedics Brett (Kara Killmer) and Foster (Annie Ilonzeh) to suit up and help inside the factory.

The call ended up putting their lives in danger, however, as the equipment blew up and caused the first floor of the factory to collapse into the basement. Foster ended up with barely a scratch, while Brett suffered a serious arm fracture.

In the basement, the firemen in the adjacent room were safe from the blast. However, Otis (Yuri Sardaraov) did not make it to the room in time before the explosion and was caught in the blast. Cruz (Joe Minoso) finds him and gets help. The beloved firefighter is quickly taken to the hospital, but Cruz opens his uniform in the ambulance and sees his body has been severely burned.

At the hospital, most of the firehouse gathers in the waiting room to await news, as Brett is told by the a doctor she will have her arm in a cast for three months.

In the waiting room, Boden (Eamonn Walker) gets an update from Otis that doesn’t sound good as Cruz gives a tearful goodbye to his friend. Before Otis dies, he tells Cruz a phrase in another language that he struggles to decipher for some time

The show jumps three months as the firefighters struggle to move on from what happened. Brett is also out of Chicago and back home, adjusting to being back in a quieter life. Something tells us that won’t last too long.

After Casey and Boden deal with an internal investigation into the incident, ending with Casey being cleared of all wrongdoing, Boden gathers the firehouse and unveils a new memorial to Otis for his sacrifice. He then reveals that the phrase Otis spoke before his death was “Brother, I will be with you always.” The episode ended with all the firefighters kneeling before the memorial as a tribute to their fallen friend.

Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.