Chicago Fire Finale Drama: Carver and Ritter’s Exits Leave Fans Reeling – and Furious at NBC

Chicago Fire’s season 13 finale was supposed to be a fiery send-off, but instead, it left fans smoldering with confusion and frustration. If you tuned in hoping for closure, you probably ended up shouting at your screen as the fates of two beloved firefighters—Carver and Ritter—were left dangling in the wind. Was this an emotional farewell, or just the cruelest cliffhanger in recent TV memory?

Carver’s Not-So-Final Goodbye

Let’s start with Sam Carver, the rugged firefighter who’s had more ups and downs than a Chicago elevator. All season long, the writers dropped hints that Carver might be leaving town. The finale seemed to set the stage for his exit: Carver was contemplating a fresh start in Denver, a move that would have been both heartbreaking and understandable given everything he’s been through.

But just when viewers braced themselves for a tearful goodbye, the show threw a curveball. Instead of bidding farewell to Violet, Carver confessed his love for her in a tender, emotionally charged scene. Was this a hint that he might stay? Fans certainly thought so—until they remembered the off-screen drama.

Despite the will-they-won’t-they tension, the writing was already on the wall. Jake Lockett, who plays Carver, had previously confirmed his departure from the series. Reports and comments from show insiders made it clear: Carver is leaving, no matter how much the finale tried to suggest otherwise. For fans, it felt like the show was just delaying the inevitable, stringing them along for one last emotional ride.

Ritter: The Forgotten Firefighter

If Carver’s exit was a slow-motion car crash, Darren Ritter’s was more like a magician’s disappearing act—blink and you missed him. Played by Daniel Kyri, Ritter has been a fan favorite, known for his heart and humor. Yet, in the season 13 finale, he was barely mentioned. No dramatic storyline, no emotional send-off—just a glaring absence that spoke volumes.

It’s not that the writers didn’t care about these characters. In fact, all season long, both Carver and Ritter were given storylines that suggested they’d be sticking around. Their arcs were building toward something bigger, not a sudden exit. So why the abrupt departures?

Network Execs to Blame?

Behind the scenes, it seems the real drama wasn’t happening in Firehouse 51, but in NBC’s boardrooms. Multiple sources suggest that the decision to write out Carver and Ritter wasn’t a creative one—it was handed down from the network’s top brass. Whether it was budget cuts, contract negotiations gone wrong, or a change in direction, the writers’ reluctance to let these characters go was clear. Their hesitation only made things worse, giving viewers false hope that Carver and Ritter might return.

A Bittersweet Ending

Meanwhile, fan-favorite couple Stella Kidd and Kelly Severide received their own shock in the finale, but at least their storyline offered some closure. For Carver and Ritter, the ending was anything but satisfying. Instead of a proper goodbye, fans were left with unanswered questions and a lingering sense of disappointment.

Chicago Fire has always thrived on drama, but this time, the off-screen decisions overshadowed the on-screen action. As fans process the exits of Carver and Ritter, one thing is clear: NBC’s procedural powerhouse may have just lost two of its brightest flames—and viewers aren’t ready to forgive or forget.

Fearne Cotton has broken her silence on split from husband Jesse Wood in her first TV interview since the breakup.

Joining Lorraine Kelly on Monday’s episode of the ITV show, the TV presenter, 43, also gave an health update after having two tumours removed from jaw.

Fearne announced her split from Jesse, the son of Rolling Stones bass guitarist Ronnie Wood, in December after 10 years of marriage.

She has since made swipes at Jesse and moved on with TV director Elliot Hegarty, with the pair having been seen kissing during a recent night out.

Fearne has had a difficult few months after undergoing surgery to remove two benign tumours from her jawline, just days before her split with Jesse emerged.

She told host Lorraine: ‘It’s all very amicable and kids are doing great. I am in a very good place.’place.’

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Fearne Cotton has broken her silence on split from husband Jesse Wood in her first TV interview since the breakup

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Fearne announced her split from Jesse, the son of Rolling Stones bass guitarist Ronnie Wood , in December after 10 years of marriage (both pictured in February 2024)

Discussing her recent surgery, she added: ‘I feel very grateful to have completely recovered.

‘I feel really good. I have a lot of people reaching out who have had the same thing.’

Davina McCall, 56, announced in November she’d been diagnosed with a colloid cyst, a rare type of benign brain tumour, and has supported Fearne.

She continued: ‘Everyone needs a Davina. She’s been amazing, weird that we had the same health thing going on at the same time. She’s so calming and we speak every day. She is just the best

It comes after Fearne has seemingly made another thinly-veiled dig at her ex-husband as she gushed that she is the happiest she’s ever been in a positive update.

Speaking to Scott Mills on his BBC Radio 2 breakfast show, Fearne gushed that she is ‘really happy’ and is ‘springing out of bed in the morning ready for life’.

Scott, who has known Fearne for 25 years, said he has never seen her ‘more positive or happier’, prompting Fearne to agree and reply: ‘Yeah I feel great!’

She told how her health scare has changed her outlook and said she has been seeking comfort from Davina.

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Joining Lorraine Kelly on Monday’s episode of the ITV show, the TV presenter, 43, also gave an health update after having two tumours removed from jaw

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It comes after Fearne has seemingly made another thinly-veiled dig at her ex-husband as she gushed that she is the happiest she’s ever been in a positive update

‘I’m really happy and I think when you’ve had a health thing like that it does just give you this baseline gratitude where you just feel, you know I have talked to Davina a hell of a lot as our operations were within a month of each other which so weird,’ she continued.

‘We’ve had so many brilliant chats about yeah just feeling very grateful for the basics and sort of springing out of bed in the morning ready for life so yeah I’m feeling good I’ve got lots of exciting stuff happening this year so I’m ready for it!’

Reflecting on her health scare, Fearne said she is ‘massively grateful’ because she didn’t think the lump was anything to worry about, before learning it was a tumour.

‘I went for an ultrasound and it ended up being a tumour, which was obviously a big surprise,’ she explained.

‘Now I feel absolutely great I’m really grateful and you know go and get those lumps and bumps checked out if you’ve got them it’s really really important.

‘I really thought this is going to be a non-event and it ended up being you know major surgery, but I’m healthy and feeling great and just massively grateful.’

Fearne had the benign tumour removed just days before her split from her husband Jesse – who she shares her son Rex and daughter Honey with – emerged.

‘It is with a heavy heart that I let you all know that Jesse and I are ending our marriage,’ the radio host said in an online post at the time, saying their priority would ‘always be’ their children.

Fearne is also stepmother to Jesse’s children Arthur, 21, and Lola, 18, from his first marriage to Tilly Wood.

Jesse, 48, has since moved on his former actress and model, Gemma Gregory, 39, who now works in the wellness business and hosts the Happy Place podcast.

Meanwhile, Fearne is said to have been secretly dating TV director Elliot Hegarty since January.

Their romance emerged when they were seen passionately kissing on a night out in Soho before they walked hand-in-hand while accompanied by friends.

The single mother, 51, was said to be ‘totally shocked and devastated because she only knew that Elliot and Fearne were friends’ and a friend told the Mail: ‘It was an awful way for her to find out and it has been quite ghastly for her.’

Fearne recently spoke about wanting to have a ‘burst of fun’ and ‘go and get p***ed’ following the end of her marriage.

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Fearne has since moved on with TV director Elliot Hegarty (pictured in September), with the pair having been seen kissing during a recent night out

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Fearne has also had a difficult few months after undergoing surgery to remove two benign tumours from her jawline, just days before her split with Jesse emerged

Speaking to Women’s Health UK, Fearne made a swipe at her ex-husband as she told how she has ‘missed out on having fun’.

She shared: ‘I’ve dedicated the past 12 years to being a mum and building Happy Place [the award-winning podcast and wellness festival Fearne launched in 2018] I still want to do all of that, but I’ve been missing out on just having fun.

‘Now I’m in my forties, I want more fun; to see mates, have lunches at my house and cook for everyone, go on little nights out and dinners and not care so much about getting back late.’

The couple had reportedly faced challenges for several years, with Fearne previously admitting that their marriage had been ‘suffering’ as far back as 2019.

Speaking at the time, Fearne said Jesse’s demanding schedule with his band Reef had put a strain on their relationship which left them desperately ‘clinging onto their marriage’ in an unearthed interview.

Fearne and Jesse tied the knot in July 2014 three years after they started dating. They met while partying in Ibiza the year after his split from his first wife Tilly.