It seems Chicago Fire will get the chance to give Daniel Kyri a proper goodbye after all!
While Kyri is set to exit NBC’s long-running firefighter drama in the upcoming season and will not return as a series regular, he will be back in a limited capacity. “Back for a limited time only,” Kyri wrote as he confirmed his return to Chicago Fire on Instagram, sharing a behind-the-scenes photo from the set with costars Hanako Greensmith and Jocelyn Hudon.
At this time, it’s unclear exactly how limited Kyri’s role in season 14 will be, but we’re certain fans will be grateful knowing that we’re going to get an on-screen exit for Ritter rather than the character being written out of the show off-screen. This has been the biggest concern lingering on the minds of fans since it was announced that Kyri and co-star Jake Lockett would not be returning as a series regular in season 14.
Lockett’s exit was teased in the season 13 finale as we learned his character was leaving town to get a fresh start; however, there was no immediate groundwork laid for Ritter’s exit. The only tease we received was that the layoffs could be coming to the CFD. This hinted that perhaps Ritter would be impacted by the layoffs and written out without a proper send-off. Thankfully, that won’t be the case.
Although it is entirely possible Ritter will be impacted by layoffs and that’s how the show will write Kyri out of the show, we at least will get to see the exit unfold on-screen. In fact, we could even get Ritter for a few episodes this season rather than a one-off guest spot.
As fans might recall, heading into season 12, it was revealed that Kara Killmer would be leaving the show after 10 seasons playing paramedic Sylvie Brett. Many thought Killmer might exit in the first or second episode, but she ended up sticking around for the season’s first six episodes. This gave the show the chance to give her storyline a fitting send-off that honored the character’s history on the show.
After seven seasons on the cast, Kyri and his character deserve a proper send-off. We’re hoping the Chicago Fire writers will be able to take advantage of however many episodes Kyri will appear in, in order to craft a fitting exit for a beloved member of the cast. If the exit is a result of layoffs, we’ll accept that decision, as it would leave the door open for Ritter to return down the line. It’s a storyline we don’t want to see, but it’s better than Ritter dying in the line of duty!
Chicago Fire returns Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 9/8c on NBC!
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