Chicago Fire has been on the air for quite some time. Its thirteenth season just kicked off at the end of September. The cast is quite large, and characters have come and gone over the years. Wolf Entertainment has done a good job of expanding the storylines and making sure that every character with a story to tell gets that chance. For the most part.
If there’s one character the show has missed, it’s Darren Ritter, played by the wonderfully talented Daniel Kyri. Ritter was first introduced in the second episode of Season 7. When Fire Department 51 (the department the show focuses on) is called to a multi-alarm fire in a high-rise, they encounter Ritter and his Lieutenant. Although Ritter is new and trying his best, the Lieutenant isn’t afraid to insult and humiliate him in front of everyone else. Herrmann (David Eigenberg) defends Ritter, but the damage is done and Ritter is frozen. Mouch (Christian Stolte) is able to convince him and Ritter to help him save two residents. But his confidence is dashed, and he leaves CFD for a short time. It’s only when Mouch and Herrmann trust him and offer him a position at 51 that he returns.
The first few episodes of Season 7 are the most we’ve seen of Ritter in quite some time. His next big story comes in Season 8, when he comes out as gay to Herrmann. While the plot is handled well, Herrmann accepts and lets Ritter know in one of his dad jokes. There’s not much more to it than that. The event is quick and fleeting. It’s almost one of those blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments. For the next few seasons, everything else we learn about Ritter is through careful observation.
Over the seasons, little interesting tidbits have been revealed about Ritter. He joined CFD to honor his uncle, a former firefighter who committed suicide a few years ago. He is gay. He is sweet, funny, and a great friend. His admiration and respect for his uncle shows that he is very devoted to his family. And, having found his place at age 51, he has proven to be an excellent firefighter. He has shown a deep understanding of people and an empathetic ability to read emotions, especially depression. Unfortunately, Chicago Fire doesn’t feel compelled to expand on any of this or give us any more details about the character. Even his relationships and romantic interests are only mentioned in passing in brief conversations.
For the most part, Ritter is relegated to being the right-hand man to fellow firefighters Blake Gallo and Violet Mikami, assisting other members of 51 in their storylines, and generally just a supporting character. Not much is known about the guy. This is a pretty big oversight on the part of the show, as Kyri is a great actor and certainly has the chops to handle a big storyline. Clearly, someone at Wolf Entertainment saw something special in him, as this isn’t Kyri’s first appearance in the One Chicago universe. Just a few months before his Chicago Fire debut, he appeared in an episode of Chicago Med as Lane Tucker in Season 3. Kyri may have an innocent face, but his acting chops aren’t quite there yet. In the fourth episode of Season 7, when Ritter explains to Mouch why he left CFD, Kyri gives us a glimpse of what Ritter is feeling. The look of determination in his eyes, the slight waver in his voice as he tries to hide his emotions, walking away and not giving Mouch a chance to talk to him, it’s all impressive. Christian Stolte is a seasoned actor and an incredible talent. It’s amazing to see Kyri go up against him and keep it together. On the other end of that spectrum, in the first episode of Season 12, Kyri allows Ritter to let his emotions out in an emotional scene where he and Violet say goodbye to Gallo. Watching Ritter interact with these more experienced firefighters and be able to find his place in the house is proof that this guy can handle anything.
