As much as fans were shocked by Monica Raymund's departure as Gabriela Dawson after six seasons on Chicago Fire, they were equally shocked when Raymund brought Gabby back for the Season 8 winter finale in November. It had seemed pretty much definite that we'd never see the fierce paramedic / firefighter again; she and her husband, firefighter Matt Casey, had already gone through a long-ish separation and completed their divorce when she showed up back at Firehouse 51. So, it begs the question: can fans count on seeing Gabby Dawson again?
That was the very question posed to Monica Raymund when she attended the Television Critics Association winter press tour, and took to the stage to help promote her new Starz drama, Hightown. I know you're all basically on fire right now waiting to hear what Raymund had to say, so here you go:
You never know. The door is always open for Dawson to come back.
Well, after all the stress caused to fans when they found out that Gabby would no longer be a part of Chicago Fire, that answer is simple enough, isn't it? While Monica Raymund didn't go into any details for potential plans to have Gabby come back to the firehouse for another short visit when she spoke to Deadline, it seems pretty clear that she's willing to return should the producers come up with a storyline that merits it.
And, after Monica Raymund returned to the role in November, there are plenty of directions her story could go in. Gabby and Matt had been in a slow burn relationship that saw them come together gradually, see lots of trouble and upheaval in their romance and finally marry half way through Season 5. While things were a long way from smooth sailing by that point, they seemed to at least be steady when it came to their love for one another.
But, the end of Season 6 saw the couple, who had already lost a biological child and a foster child, get into a serious argument over whether or not they should try to have more of their own kids. Gabby, who had been told that it could be dangerous for her to get pregnant, wanted to try again. Matt, on the other hand, felt it was too risky and wanted to adopt. When he made plans to get that adoption ball rolling without telling Gabby, she got so angry that she left to do relief work in Puerto Rico, effectively ending their marriage.
During their separation, Matt began a very tentative flirtation with Gabby's former best friend and ambo partner Sylvie Brett, which was completely returned. But, the fall finale saw Gabby come back to Chicago for a benefit dinner associated to her relief work, and, of course she and Matt had a night out and did sexytime things. This will leave the romantic situation very complicated for Sylvie, Matt and (probably) Gabby, no matter when she returns to Chicago.
It's at least good to know that Chicago Fire might see Gabby Dawson again, and that when she returns there will be some solid relationship drama to help drive her story.
You can see Monica Raymund in Hightown, which is set to debut on Starz sometime this spring, and (possibly) Chicago Fire, which airs Wednesdays on NBC at 9 p.m. EST.
