In Chicago Fire’s gripping 13th season, the past catches up with Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso) in an unexpected and dangerous way. A storyline first introduced in Season 1, where Cruz made a life-altering decision to protect his brother Leon (Jeff Lima), resurfaces in dramatic fashion, proving that some skeletons refuse to stay buried.
In the Season 1 arc, Cruz left gang leader Flaco (José Antonio García) to perish in a fire, ensuring Leon’s safety. But as the midseason finale revealed, Flaco’s cousin, Junior (Richard Cabral), has returned to settle the score. Junior, newly released from prison, delivers an ominous message to Cruz after leaving behind a pendant urn shaped like a bullet, filled with Flaco’s cremated remains. The midseason premiere, “A Favor,” airing January 8, throws Cruz into the deep end as he grapples with the fallout of his long-hidden secret.
Joe Minoso, who portrays Cruz, shares his excitement about revisiting this storyline, teases the challenges ahead for his character, and reflects on the weight of keeping the past at bay.
Revisiting a Season 1 Deep Cut
Minoso expressed his enthusiasm for the show’s decision to resurrect the Flaco storyline. “It’s such a huge skeleton in the closet,” he said. “For them to have the bravery to revisit this unresolved plot line after 13 years is awesome. I was incredibly excited when they told me it was happening.”
The reemergence of Flaco’s shadow introduces high stakes for Cruz, who now faces a tough choice: confront the ghosts of his past or risk spiraling into the criminal underworld.
The Threat of Junior
Junior, Flaco’s cousin, brings chaos back into Cruz’s life. “Junior wants what all criminals want,” Minoso explained. “He wants you to do some criming with him. Cruz has to decide whether to get involved, but with these guys, it’s never just one thing. It spirals, and it never ends.”
Cruz is caught in a precarious situation—balancing his desire to protect his family while avoiding Junior’s dangerous demands. “He’s handling it as best as he can,” Minoso said. “But now, as a father and a husband, his world perspective is completely different than it was in Season 1.”
The Pressure of Family and Firehouse
Cruz’s internal struggle isn’t just about Junior’s threats; it’s also about shielding his loved ones. “How do you protect your family from something so dangerous while keeping them unaware of it?” Minoso pondered. The pressure doesn’t stop there. Cruz’s firehouse family also becomes entangled in his ordeal.
According to Minoso, the next episodes will push Cruz to his limits. “In Episode 10, it becomes impossible to keep this a secret from the firehouse family,” he hinted. “A lot will unfold in the next two episodes that will take this storyline to places I never thought we’d explore.”
A Dangerous Spiral
As Cruz navigates this tense situation, viewers will see a man fighting to reconcile his past with his present responsibilities. The stakes have never been higher, and the fallout promises to test Cruz in ways fans haven’t seen before.
With Chicago Fire masterfully weaving in this storyline, it’s clear the series is at its best when diving deep into its characters’ histories. For Joe Cruz, the past isn’t just haunting—it’s coming for him.
