The Chicago Fire Character Who Fans Love To Hate

On the surface, "Chicago Fire" may be a workplace drama about the firefighting profession, but the main appeal of the show to many lies deeper than that element. In truth, one of the biggest draws of the series is seeing its cast of flawed yet loveable characters develop as people. Although a fair few faces have come and gone throughout the course of its run, "Chicago Fire" is home to some of the most beloved characters on television and that's more than enough to keep many tuning in, even when it's wrapping up its 10th season and gearing up for the 11th.

Not every new character that has been introduced to the show is a guaranteed hit, though. There have been times when the show's writing faltered and didn't present a new addition to the series in the best light, or even mischaracterized a long-standing character and left fans confused. There's one "Chicago Fire" recurring character, in particular, that has become rather infamous for their overwhelmingly negative reception and who appears to be near-universally hated by fans.

Back in Season 7 of "Chicago Fire," the series introduced the character of Assistant Deputy Commissioner Jerry Gorsch (Steven Boyer). Narcissistic and lacking any of the real experience necessary to qualify for his rank, Gorsch proved to be an antagonistic force and frequently butted heads with the firefighters. He even went so far as to knowingly give them cheaper and more dangerous equipment and embezzle the extra money, a plot that eventually resulted in him being fired and exiting the show. 

It seems that the intended impact of Gorsch worked, as a discussion post on the r/ChicagoFireNBC subreddit had many fans agreeing that he was undoubtedly the most hateable character from the entire series. "He was the perfect [villain], got on everyone's nerves," u/rayoncee commented, a sentiment shared by many who replied to the thread. 

Though Gorsch did eventually receive his comeuppance and was summarily punished for his actions, some viewers' hatred for the character burned so brightly that they wished his downfall was more severe. "I just wish his take down had lasted two episodes," user u/chanel444 commented. "He made everyones life at 51 miserable."

Popular opinion on Gorsch isn't likely to change anytime soon and it's anyone's guess what the fan reaction would be if his character suddenly returned to the series. At the very least, the disgraced firefighting official can walk away with the dubious honorific of being the most-hated character on "Chicago Fire."