Chicago Fire has been on the air for quite some time. Its thirteenth season just started at the end of September. The cast is a decent sized ensemble, and characters have come and gone over the years. Wolf Entertainment has done a decent job of spreading out the plot lines and making sure that each character with a story to tell gets that opportunity. For the most part.
If there is one character that the show has dropped the ball on, it’s Darren Ritter, who is played by the superbly talented Daniel Kyri. Ritter is first introduced in the second episode of Season 7. When Firehouse 51 (the department the show is centered on) is called to a multi-alarm fire at a highrise, they come across Ritter and his Lieutenant. Though Ritter is new and trying his best, the Lieutenant has no problem insulting and humiliating him in front of the others. Herrmann (David Eigenberg) defends Ritter, but the damage is done and Ritter freezes. Mouch (Christian Stolte) is able to talk him down and Ritter helps him save two residents. But his confidence is shot, and he leaves the CFD for a short time. It is only when Mouch and Herrmann believe in him and offer him a position at 51 that he comes back.
Darren Ritter Is ‘Chicago Fire’s Unsung Rock Star
These first few episodes of Season 7 are the most we get of Ritter for quite a while. His next big story comes in Season 8, when he comes out as gay to Herrmann. While the storyline is handled well, Herrmann is accepting and lets Ritter know this with one of his dad jokes. There is not much more. The event happens quickly and just in passing. It’s almost one of those blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments. Over the next several seasons, everything else we learn about Ritter is strictly through keen observation.
Through the seasons, interesting little tidbits have been dropped about Ritter. He joined the CFD to honor his uncle, a former firefighter who committed suicide a few years before. He is gay. He is sweet and funny and a great friend. His admiration and respect for his uncle shows he is very dedicated to family. And, once he found his place at 51, he proved to be an outstanding firefighter. He has shown to have a keen understanding of people and an empathetic ability to read emotions, specifically depression. Unfortunately, Chicago Fire has not felt compelled to expand on any of this or give us any further details into the character. Even his relationships and romantic interests are only passing mentions in brief conversations.
Most of the time, Ritter is relegated to being the wingman for fellow firefighters Blake Gallo and Violet Mikami, assisting other 51 members in their storylines, and generally just being a background character. Not much about the guy has been fleshed out. This is quite an oversight by the show, as Kyri is an outstanding actor and definitely has the chops to handle a big storyline. Clearly, someone at Wolf Entertainment saw something special in him, as this was not Kyri’s first appearance in the One Chicago universe. Just a few months before making his debut in Chicago Fire, he appeared in an episode of Chicago Med as Lane Tucker in Season 3.
Do Not Underestimate the Power of Daniel Kyri
Kyri might have the face of sweet innocence, but his acting skills are nothing short of powerful. In the fourth episode of Season 7, when Ritter is explaining to Mouch why he is quitting the CFD, Kyri gives us just a glimpse of what Ritter is feeling. The determined look in his eyes, the slight waiver of the voice as he struggles to keep his emotions hidden, walking away and not giving Mouch a chance to talk him out of it is all very impressive. Christian Stolte is a seasoned actor, and an impressive talent. Watching Kyri go toe-to-toe with him and hold his own is quite stunning. On the other end of that spectrum, in the first episode of Season 12, Kyri allows Ritter to give into his emotions during an emotional scene, as he and Violet say goodbye to Gallo. Watching Ritter interact with these more seasoned firefighters and being able to find his place in the house is proof that this guy can handle anything.
With the high turnover rate that 51 has experienced in the last few seasons, that should have moved Ritter up the storyboard of importance. The first two episodes of Season 12 do see a bit of an increase in Ritter’s onscreen time. Episode 1 has Herrmann and Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) battling over which team will get to keep Ritter permanently – Herrmann’s engine team or Kidd’s truck team – because Kidd and Herrmann see how important Ritter is. Herrmann comes out the victor and Ritter rejoins the truck team. Episode 2 has Ritter concerned about Herrmann’s hearing after an explosion, and convinces him to go to the doctor to have his hearing checked. Also in this season, it is revealed that Ritter is dating a police officer, but rather than running with that story, Chicago Fire has Ritter spending most of the season hiding it from his fellow firefighters. The show is quick to say that it is not because Ritter is dating a guy through a conversation with Ritter’s coworker, Chippy. They play it as Ritter keeping it quiet due to a rivalry between the firefighters and the police force. This is odd, though, as the two departments have always gotten along.
In a comment made by showrunner Andrea Newman in TVLine’s Fall Preview, she teases that Season 13 will be “a Ritter-heavy season.” Let’s hope this is true before Kyri decides to start looking for somewhere else that will appreciate his talents and let him shine. He has already dipped a toe into worlds outside of acting. In March, he had his first experience of being a model when he did a spread for Out Magazine. And in July he released his first single, a danceable little number called “Dreamland Ave.” Daniel Kyri has options, and he is learning that. If the Chicago Fire writers are smart, they’ll give Ritter the big storylines he earned years ago. For now, you can catch Ritter (and Kyri) in action when Chicago Fire streams on Peacock.
