Datatables, how to work with row().child when not using source

Codepwned

I'm migrating a mass of reports from an older system to a new and ran into a roadblock I just can't get around. I have a table, and each row can be clicked on to reveal comments underneath. Using the transitional method of hiding another row with colspan = * doesn't work due to limitations.

I've read this https://www.datatables.net/examples/server_side/row_details.html (great!) except there is no source data file to pull from. Everything is done on the fly using loops around the actual <tr> fields. This is not an option to change.

I can't seem to figure out how to work with the datatables to insert these rows nicely. How can I do this without using source: in javascript?

Thanks, and I appreciate any helpful comments.