Joe Cruz Leaves Firehouse 51 in Chicago Fire’s 300th Episode

Joe Cruz leaves Firehouse 51 in Chicago Fire’s 300th episode, as the firefighter decides to move to Minnesota with his family and pursue rehabilitation there rather than return to the job. The episode, titled “Three Hundred,” marks the departure of Joe Miñoso, who has played Cruz since the NBC drama’s first season. Cruz’s exit follows a spinal injury and months of rehabilitation. In the episode, he learns that continued treatment could allow him to return to firefighting within a few months. But after his wife, Chloe, gives birth to twin daughters, Cruz weighs the risks of the job against his family’s needs and tells Lieutenant Kelly Severide he will not return to the firehouse. The family plans to settle near Chloe’s relatives in Minnesota, where Cruz can attend a specialized rehabilitation program. His departure comes after a conversation with his son, who questions whether his father needs to return to such a dangerous job. Miñoso said the moment helped explain Cruz’s decision, which he described as a choice between the family he built at Firehouse 51 and the family at home. The episode also gives Cruz a final exchange with Severide, his colleague for 12 years, and a visit...