Chicago Fire’s latest episode, “Permanent Damage,” brings back Sam Carver (Jake Lockett) to reunite with Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith), and with his addiction under control, it looks like the on-again, off-again couple will make progress in their relationship. Meanwhile, Lizzy Novak (Jocelyn Hudon) spends the episode trying to find a roommate, who ends up being Darren Ritter (Daniel Kyri), creating a wild situation with two of the show’s most interesting characters. The two storylines—one that’s been brewing for a while, one brand new—look like they’ll give Chicago Fire’s writers something to tell for a while. Well, at least three weeks, since Carver and Ritter won’t be returning to the show next year.
The exact manner in which the characters are being written off the show has yet to be revealed, but the reason is simple: finances. Television is at a crossroads, with the relentless rise of streaming services taking a toll on the audience for regular TV. As a result, networks are taking a variety of measures to reduce production costs: cutting budgets, producing fewer episodes (CBS’s FBI series is a notable example), limiting the appearances of regular cast members on the series (“Permanent Damage” doesn’t feature Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), who “went to a training conference”), and cutting salaries, among other measures.
Chicago Fire has seen several of its veteran cast members leave the series for any of the reasons listed above, as has its cousin One Chicago. For Daniel Kyri and Jake Lockett in particular, it’s been speculated that stalled salary renegotiations may have played a role in NBC’s decision to let the actors go at the end of Chicago Fire’s Season 13. However, knowing that the two actors won’t be returning for Season 14 makes the timing of the two storylines involving the characters odd, to say the least.
The recent developments involving Carver and Ritter on ‘Chicago Fire’ don’t make much sense
With Carver and Ritter coming to an end, it makes no sense to have them involved in such prominent plot elements. Carver hasn’t been on screen in previous episodes, so they’ve had an easy time getting rid of the character. So why bring Carver back for four appearances? There doesn’t seem to be enough time to give the Carver/Violet relationship a satisfying conclusion, which means… well, we’ll get there soon.
For Ritter, inviting Novak to move in with him is a huge life change for both characters. There’s a lot of potential in this situation, on multiple fronts. It’s funny, it fits easily into an Odd Couple-style living situation, which fits into Chicago Fire’s winning balance of drama and humor. Conversely, this situation seems like it could give Kyri something deeper to work with, something hinted at by his reaction at the end of the episode when he’s surprised by Jack Damon’s (Michael Bradway) arrival to meet Novak for dinner. How can he reconcile having his solitude invaded without thinking through what that entails?
Ending Carver and Ritter’s Character Arcs on ‘Chicago Fire’ Won’t Be Easy
Darren Ritter (Daniel Kyri) and Sam Carver (Jake Lockett) in their firefighter uniforms on Chicago Fire.
It may not make sense, but Carver and Ritter are where they are at this point in the series, so how will Chicago Fire end their character arcs? It’s highly likely that it won’t be easy for either character. Three episodes — the first, “Cut Me Open,” airs May 7 — won’t be long enough to provide a satisfying, satisfying conclusion for at least one character, and likely both.
Of the two episodes, Ritter’s storyline is the only one that has the potential to end on a positive note. There’s no hint of him moving out of Chicago, no promise of a new job or family drama to prompt it, but that doesn’t mean something isn’t happening. But if it’s going to happen, it needs to happen in this upcoming episode to give him time for a proper farewell from his Firehouse 51 teammates and, more importantly, the fans who loved him.
Or, Ritter’s storyline could end on a sour note, which unfortunately seems to be the direction the show is heading in Carver’s final days. If Carver isn’t taken the easy way out, as discussed above, then bringing him back will end in one of two ways: heartbreak or tragedy. They’ve just reunited him with Violet, and by having them work together to track down a rogue doctor.
