Chicago Fire Fans Have A New Most Hated Character & It's An OG

Summary:

• Few Chicago Fire characters have been getting as much hate as Stella Kidd, but now, she might have a competitor.
• On the show’s biggest subreddit, many fans admitted they hated or strongly disliked Joe Cruz, especially lately.
• Despite the strong backlash against Cruz, some people rushed to his defense and accused Joe haters of being too dramatic.

Say what you want about Dick Wolf’s shows, but their characters rarely get the indifference treatment from the audience. They’re either loved or hated, and Chicago Fire fans are always candid about their preferences. But the Stella Kidd hate is old-fashioned: the audience is seemingly ready to move on to its next target.

Enter Joe Cruz.

Chicago Fire Fans Fire Shots At Joe Cruz

After many seasons of being chill with Joe, many fans of the series suddenly acknowledged his many annoying traits. All it took was one post of Cruz hate on the biggest Chicago Fire subreddit, and the flames of joevolution were then impossible to extinguish.

As it turned out, Joe Cruz has been getting on many people’s nerves.

“[Joe] is arrogant, makes stupid/childish assumptions, always throwing himself a pity party when he isn't trying to kiss one's ass trying to get an ‘Atta boy.’ <...> Borderline narcissistic, always thinking about himself, everything needs to be about him, everything is a personal attack to him, no one else. He's always the victim,” Reddit user Misspunkag1984 wrote.

In the comment section, a lot of fans seconded their impression of Joe, though most used weaker words, admitting that “hate” is too strong for a character like Cruz.

“I dislike him, but don't hate him. His character used to be better though, he was cute and fun. Now he's quite annoying, always hurt about something. <...> I think he has low self-esteem, that would explain some of his behavior like assuming the worst and feeling threatened,” diderdoot agreed.

Someone even said Cruz was being turned into “another Stella,” so it seems like the Kidd hate is still going strong in the community, but that’s a whole other story.

Not Everyone Hates Joe Cruz, Though

Apart from those who despise or dislike Cruz, there also emerged a smaller group of fans who rushed to Joe’s defense. According to them, the Cruz haters took many subplots too seriously and didn’t really appreciate the show and the characters.

“Cruz is a good man with a heart bigger than his brain. He may not be perfect, but out of the entire crew, he would be one of the top 2 or 3 guys I'd trust my life with. He'll have your back no matter what,” ChristmasKid88 retorted.

Others claim Joe Cruz is way more pleasant than even everyone’s sweetheart Kelly Severide in the latest seasons, so as always, the Chicago Fire fan community is polarized on this matter — but we were surprised to see any Cruz hate at all.