Firehouse 51 has welcomed several dynamite new candidates to their ranks on Chicago Fire, but no one has emerged as a scene-stealer faster than Darren Ritter, played by Daniel Kyri.
Ritter is passionate and tender-hearted, always looking out for his 51 friends when they’re in need. Aside from being one of the best friends someone could have, Ritter never backs down on calls and is an exemplary first responder. Ritter was also the proud owner of 51’s former firedog, Tuesday, the darling Dalmatian who stole hearts from Seasons 7 through 10.
As a 51 fan favorite, Ritter has been the cornerstone of several dynamite storylines, and Chi-Hards are always rooting for him.
How did Darren Ritter join Chicago Fire?
Ritter made his way to the One Chicago universe in Season 7 Episode 2 (“Going to War”). At the time, Ritter was a candidate for a neighboring company and was struggling on his first day.
Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg) noticed the young candidate at the scene of an all-hands-on-deck apartment building fire. When Ritter’s lieutenant was breathing down his neck and hurled unhelpful criticisms, Herrmann told the officer to back off. Amid the chaos, Ritter took a massive fireball to the face, instantly rattling the budding candidate.
Ritter was shellshocked, leading him to freeze up in the building’s stairwell. Randall “Mouch” McHolland (Christian Stolte) found him and encouraged him to move.
The young firefighter however, was locked, so Mouch stuck by his side, ultimately telling him that the main difference between firefighters and civilians is taking action, inspiring Ritter to finally get to his feet.
The two helped escort victims out of the building, securing Ritter’s first civilian save.
After his chaotic first day, Ritter was removed from his previous company and kicked to the CFD floater pool. Mouch visited him and encouraged him to stay positive, but Ritter said he was quitting the CFD, much to elder man’s dismay.
Ritter then visited Mouch to thank him for his support, gifting him a pen his Uncle Tony had given him when he initially joined the CFD.
Luckily, Mouch and Herrmann were able to show Ritter the light by offering him a spot on their engine, and he formally joined 51 in Season 7, Episode 4 (“This Isn’t Charity”).
Who was Darren Ritter’s uncle, Tony?
From the moment Chi-Hards met Ritter, his love for his Uncle Tony stole the spotlight.
Tony was a respected firefighter and Ritter’s inspiration for joining the CFD. As he started opening up to his colleagues, it was revealed that his uncle had died by suicide a few years before Ritter joined 51.
In the Season 8 scene, Ritter visited Herrmann at Molly’s, getting an invite to his barbecue. After Herrmann told Ritter to bring his girlfriend, Ritter corrected him — he had a boyfriend. After a beat, Herrmann quipped, “You aren’t vegan too, are you?”
“It didn’t have to be this whole dramatized thing about this character coming out with backlash,” Kyri said in a 2021 NBC News interview. “All of that extra stuff wasn’t there, and it ended up being a very simple and lovely moment. I look back on it, and I’m really, really proud of it, because I think that that scene is so refreshing. It’s like a cool drink of water on a hot summer day.”
Ritter is the first openly gay firefighter in the company. “For this Black, male character to come out as gay in this blue-collar, first-responder world, I wanted to do it justice,” Kyri added.
What happened between Darren Ritter and his Season 12 boyfriend Dwayne Morris?
Throughout Season 12 of Chicago Fire, Ritter explored a new romance with Dwayne Morris (Samuel B. Jackson), an officer with the Chicago Police Department.
Ritter was positively smitten in Season 12, Episode 7 (“Red Flag”) after spending the night with Dwayne, but was also secretive about his new paramour, refusing to give his BFF Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith) any information about his new man.
It was eventually revealed Ritter’s secrecy was because his boyfriend was a cop, and Ritter was worried about what his colleagues would think when they found out he was dating a member of the rival force.
