It’s been years since Gabby Dawson last stepped foot in Firehouse 51, but fans still have hope that Monica Raymund could come back to Chicago Fire — and she just got one step closer to doing so.
Is Monica Raymund coming back to Chicago Fire?
At the time of writing, Raymund isn’t returning to Chicago Fire as Gabriela “Gabby” Dawson, however, One Chicago fans will see her return to the Dick Wolf universe in Prime Video’s upcoming police procedural drama, On Call, in which she’ll guest star as a Long Beach, California, police officer.
On Call — which is created by Tim Walsh and Elliot Wolf, the son of executive producer Dick Wolf — is described as “an adrenalized and visceral police drama that follows a rookie and veteran officer duo as they go on patrol in Long Beach, Calif. Incorporating a mixture of body-cam, dash-camera, and cellphone footage to create a cinema verité effect, the innovative series explores the morality of protecting and serving a community.”
The series is led by Troian Bellisario, who plays Traci Harmon, a veteran police officer who struggles to find her place at the Long Beach Police Department while training the next class of rookie cops, including Alex Diaz, played by The Good Doctor alum Brandon Larracuente. Also in the cast is When Calls the Heart vet Lori Loughlin, who plays one of the department’s leaders, Lietenant Bishop.
Raymund, an original cast member on Chicago Fire, starred on the series as a full-time cast member from Seasons 1 to 6 as Gabby Dawson, a paramedic on Ambulance 61. She was also a firefighter on Truck 81 from Seasons 2 to 5 before returning to paramedic work in her final season.
Dawson left Chicago Fire in the Season 6 finale, “The Grand Gesture,” which saw her move from Chicago to lead a rescue-and-relief unit in Puerto Rico. She returned in a guest role in the Season 7 premiere, “A Closer Eye,” to say goodbye to her now ex-husband, Matt Casey. She also returned in Season 8, Episode 9,” Best Friend Magic,” in another guest role.
Chicago Fire co-creator Derek Haas told Us Weekly in 2022 for fans not to expect Raymund to return to the series anytime soon, especially given her ex-husband Matt Casey’s relationship with paramedic Sylvie Brett at the time. “She’s not coming back anytime soon,” he said at the time. “It felt like [Casey and Brett] had a really good, you know, they left in a good place when she left the last time. And then Casey’s been a one-woman man since then. So we’re not throwing that wrench.” Co-showrunner Andrea Newman added of Casey and Brett’s Season 10 storyline, “We’re throwing plenty of them, but not that one!”
Now that Casey and Brett are no longer on Chicago Fire — the couple married in Season 12 following actors Jesse Spencer and Kara Killmer’s exits in Season 11 and 12, respectively — there may be a world where Raymund could return, but it’s unlikely. Of the current characters on Chicago Fire Season 13, only three — firefighters Christopher Herrmann (played by David Eigenberg), Joe Cruz (played by Joe Minoso) and Randall “Mouch” McHolland (played by Christian Stolte) — were on the series when Dawson was still a part of Firehouse 51.
Dawson’s other tie to the One Chicago universe, her brother Detective Antonio Dawson (played by Jon Seda), also left the One Chicago franchise in Season 7, which means that there isn’t much left for her to do in the Windy City. Raymund also previously told TV Guide in 2018 that, while she knows the door is open for her to return full-time, she isn’t sure if that’s what she wants.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” Raymund said when asked if she would ever return as a series regular on Chicago Fire. “If I just can’t bear it and must go back to the show, I know the door remains open and I’m grateful for that. I’m trying to figure out what I’m gonna do tomorrow so I have no idea whether or not I’m going to return to the show. That is up for debate but I am very humbled that the door remains open.”
Despite not having any plans to come back, Raymund does have positive memories of the One Chicago show. “I really do miss my cast and my crew. It’s a pleasure and an honor working with those people. I really love it. The storytelling of first responders in America what they do every day to protect people like you and me, it’s a pretty incredible honor to tell that story,” she said.
While there’s no confirmation that Raymund is coming back to Chicago Fire, her stint on On Call is a positive sign of her future in the Dick Wolf universe.
