Kevin Ryan

### played by Seamus Dever

Ryan is the newest member of Beckett's team, which sometimes leaves him stuck with the scut work. He makes a great counterpart to the more streetsmart Esposito, who is his best friend outside the precinct as well as inside it.

On a personal level, Ryan is probably best known for his blue Irish eyes and his inexplicable habit of occasionally dressing like Patrick Jane from The Mentalist. He proposed to Jenny Duffy-O'Malley in the middle of the 12th precinct, and they are recently married in a church ceremony in the fourth season.

In season 5 Jenny and Ryan have a baby girl, Sarah Grace, and Ryan worries so much about the cost of raising a child that he gets a second job as a bouncer in a male strip club.

Ryan also keeps a blog, "The Ryan Report".

### Just the facts

* Ryan did a stint in narcotics before moving to homicide (1x03, 3x20), was there in 2003 (3x20) and still knows some of the drug dealers by name (2x12). This seems to have been his first assignment after finishing his probationary training (4x04).
* Esposito and Ryan say it's Montgomery who brought them into homicide (3x24).
* He is allergic to goosedown (1x07).
* In 2x02, it looks like Ryan has a pair of reading glasses on his desk.
* Ryan and Esposito have their own handshake - two quick, horizontal open-handed slaps (2x02). Later, this turns into the little finger twizzle known as Feed the Birds (a gesture actually invented by Nathan Fillion).
* Ryan believes in following his 'gut instinct' (blog, 2x01)
* Ryan only knows one Shakespeare quote (3x11?).
* Ryan and Esposito are in a fantasy baseball league (blog 2.1, episodes: ?) -- Ryan is ranked #1.
* Although no one ever mentions it directly, from 1x02 through the end of the first season, Ryan is nearly always seen with a Richard Castle novel in his hand. He is reading Heat Wave in 2x06 (October 2009) and is still reading it in 2x08 (November 2009).
* When Ryan went to the prom, his date's father checked his wallet for condoms, then showed off his gun collection (1x10).
* His girlfriend is named Jenny. In 1x09, Ryan has been dating his girlfriend (we assume it's Jenny) for just over two weeks (likely around the third week of April). Jenny is fond of giving him anniversary presents like loud, horrible ties (1x10) and of sharing a warm honey milk drink before bed (2x02). She also calls him if he doesn't check in every hour (2x09). We finally meet Jenny in 2x16. He proposes (thankfully ignoring Castle's crazy advice about helicopter rides) to Jenny in 3x11. She accepts, natch.
* He has two sisters who are (or have been) married (2x12) and hate lasagna (blog). According to Seamus, Kevin is the youngest (article).
* Has at least one nephew, a fan of the "Captain Underpants" series of children's comic books (3x04).
* He once dated a girl who was into the vampire lifestyle, but they broke up because she wanted to have sex in a coffin (2x06).
* Initially, Ryan seemed to live around 54th and Lexington (1x04), but his blog says he lives in the Bronx (much more likely on his salary) and grew up outside New York.
* Ryan has found a route that will get them from the precinct to the Old Haunt in 8 minutes (3x18).
* Has a best friend (not Esposito?!) who works in an ER (blog).
* He has "fallen in love with operators on the phone" and even asked one out once, but she was in Bangladesh (2x22).
* Ryan went to 12 years of Catholic school (3x13).
* Natalie Rhodes is on Ryan's freebie five list of celebrities he'd be allowed to sleep with (3x11).
* If Ryan won the lottery he would buy a vineyard because that's where he and Jenny went on their first vacation together. He plays Espo's 'firsts' for his lottery numbers, because that way they "both win, and it's not awkward." (3x14).
* Ryan was going to give Jenny chocolate for Valentine's day until Esposito convinced him that that was a bad idea as Jenny is likely on a pre-wedding diet (3x15).
* Ryan seems to be the one who is the most technically savvy - he is usually the one looking at surveillance videos, searching the web for research, or syncing the technical stuff in the van (1x02, 2x01, 2x06, 2x07, 2x12, 2x16, 2x21, 2x24, 3x06, 3x07, 3x08, 3x20). (This is also a defining characteristic of "Detective Raley", his counterpart in the Nikki Heat novels.
* Although, in 2x10, Esposito says (about computer jargon) "English?...for my partner..." implying that Esposito is better at computers/technology than Ryan.
* Reads People magazine (4x01).
* His call code is W16, said as William-16 (2x21).
* Dressing up as Elvis in 4x08 was not the first time he has done so. Hm...(Ryan Report)
* Before being accepted to the Police Academy, Ryan had odd jobs here and there. He drove vegetable trucks, mowed lawns, and was a delivery boy (weirdest thing delivered were live eels...ick). He also had applied and interviewed for a job as a male phone sex operator. Whichever call came first (Academy or phone sex line) came first would determine his fate. Fortunately for him, it was the Academy. (Ryan Report)
* Ever since he watched *Child's Play* he can't look at doll's faces (4x17).
* His big sister used to read Little Red Riding Hood to him (4x17).
* When Beckett goes on errands, Castle and Ryan have arm wrestling fights. Ryan apparently has some Irish magic on his side (WriterRCastle Twitter).

### Spec

Have an idea about some of Ryan's missing backstory? Have at it here...

### Defining episodes

* 2x16 - We meet Jenny for the first time.
* 3x06 - Ryan and Castle are abducted by a serial killer.
* 3x11 - Ryan proposes on bended knee, in the middle of the precinct. Beckett sheds a tear.
* 4x04 - A murder is committed with the gun Ryan lost to Jerry Tyson, the Triple Killer.
* 4x08 - The boys follow a suspect to Atlantic City, and throw a bachelor party for Ryan which unfortunately involves Elvis impersonation.
* 4x11 - Ryan marries Jenny in a church in front of all his friends.
* 5x18 - Ryan goes undercover to bring down an Irish mobster, and Jenny tells him she's pregnant.
* 6x11 - Jenny goes into labor and gives birth to their daughter while Ryan and Esposito are trapped under a burning building.