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Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 22, “It Had to End This Way” brought plenty of twists, namely Herrmann (David Eigenberg) giving up his Lieutenant position for Mouch, and Stella (Miranda Rae Mayo) revealing to her husband, Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) that she’s pregnant. But perhaps the most surprising part of the episode is what it does with the two characters that we already knew were exiting the show after Season 13: Sam Carver (Jake Lockett) and Darren Ritter (Daniel Kyri).
How Did Carver and Ritter Leave Chicago Fire?
The news that Lockett and Kyri would not be returning for Season 14 of Chicago Fire was confirmed weeks ago, and yet we didn’t know much about how exactly they would be written out. In fact, fans were concerned that the lack of setup for their exits would mean Ritter or Carver (or both) could be killed off in the Chicago Fire Season 13 finale. In the end, that wasn’t the case, as both characters survived. But the episode doesn’t really clearly set up exits for either, and according to showrunner Andrea Newman, that was a little by design.
“Our characters have always — and this is the luxury of 13 seasons — but a bunch of them have come and gone and come back,” Newman told TVLine. “There’s still so much to be figured out with those two and those characters. We love the actors, we love the characters, and we want to give them some good, surprising moments and goodbyes, and then maybe hellos later down the line.”
More: Meet the Chicago Fire cast’s real-life partners
While fans knew Kyri won’t be returning, the Chicago Fire Season 13 finale didn’t even hint at Ritter leaving the show. At this point, the only thing that would make sense to write out Ritter is for him to be affected by the budget cuts from the CFD mentioned a few episodes ago. However, considering the budget cuts were mentioned with offers of retirement for older firefighters, like Mouch and Herrmann — who will still be around — that doesn’t truly work.
Then there’s Carver’s departure, which poses an even bigger problem. He does actually have a built-in exit, telling Violet he’s transferred to Denver because he doesn’t think he can stay sober while in Chicago. After that, though, the season ends with Carver admitting he’s in love with Violet and kissing her. Feels like anything but a goodbye.
However, the reality of real-life budget cuts means that Carver and Ritter will not be back full-time next season. So, will Carver just go to Denver even after confessing his love to Violet? Will he stay and move to another firehouse, so the relationship can develop off-screen and we only get to see him for guest appearances every once in a while? Neither of the options is ideal, but they’re both better than killing off another man Violet loves.
Perhaps one of them could come back in Season 14 when Stella Kidd, who is now pregnant, inevitably has to take some time away from Firehouse 51 — especially if Herrmann can step in for her in some way. Their exits will, after all, leave Truck 81 and Engine 51 down a firefighter. One thing is for certain: Chicago Fire will need to finish off their stories if they are really leaving the show for good, and the Season 13 finale didn’t actually do that. So that means we’re likely going to see both of them again, even if it’s just for closure’s sake. And fans are not complaining.
