How ‘Chicago Fire’ Said Goodbye to Gabby Dawson

Chicago Fire addressed the sudden exit of original cast member Gabby Dawson during Thursday’s season premiere, giving the character a quiet and heartbreaking goodbye in the process.

The exit comes on the heels of a heart wrenching cliffhanger at the end of season six, when Dawson and Matt Casey (Jesse Spencer) find out that if she gets pregnant, she will likely die due to an aneurysm.

Refusing to adopt, the couple engaged in a heated argument, which led to Dawson accepting a job helping out relief efforts in Puerto Rico and leaving her husband behind.

Scroll through to see how the show said goodbye to Dawson, as well as what comes next for star, Monica Raymund.

Reckless Casey

Blinded by his anger, Casey becomes reckless at an emergency where a man is fighting the clock after he falls down an elevator shaft with and the elevator is coming down and could crush him.

Rather than following protocol, Casey jumps into the elevator shaft and hopes to help from inside, but his attempts at helping stop and the other firefighters manage to rescue him just in time before he and the civilian are crushed to death.

Pep Talks

Later in the episode, Casey reveals that Gabby was supposed to only be in Puerto Rico two weeks; which soon became two months.

“We started off FaceTiming, then phone calls and now it’s just two-word texts,” he tells Severide (Taylor Kinney) during the episode. “I think I’m more angry than anything.”

“In my opinion, that’s not just on Dawson,” Severide responds. “If you want this long distance thing to work, you might want to step it up.”

Casey then FaceTimes Dawson, where she tells him all about how much work she’s doing over there, then quickly interrupts the call as she has to go back to it, leaving him feeling blue.

After their shift, and a conversation with Brett that motivates him to fight for his wife, Casey tells Severide he might need a ride to the airport later.

But when he arrives at his home, he finds Gabby standing in the living room.

A Quiet Goodbye

At their home, Casey is happy to see his wife, though from the looks of her face and the bags she has with her, it seems as she might be saying goodbye again.

“Those look more like leaving bags than staying bags,” he says.

“Um, yeah they asked me to extend again,” she says before announcing that she accepted a permanent position in Puerto Rico.

“I can’t describe to you the amount of aid they need down there,” she says. “They asked me to lead a unit…. doctors, nurses, lawyers, engineers. People who are giving up everything just to help.”

Broken hearted, Dawson asks Casey to come with her. He refuses, saying he’s always been a “Chicago guy,” and commends Dawson because all the training she went through both as a paramedic and a firefighter led her to this moment.

Despite the suddenness of their split, the pair end things amicably, with Dawson saying she will never know someone kinder than Casey. The couple hug for what appears to be the last time as the episode ends.

Fans React

As they wiped tears away, Chicago Fire fans reacted to the way the show wrapped up her storyline with a mixed response.

Raymund’s Confirmation

Back in May, Raymund confirmed the news of her character leaving the NBC firefighter drama with an emotional note on social media.

“It has been an honor to play Dawson on Chicago Fire and one of the most meaningful experiences of my life,” Raymund wrote. “I am so thankful for the journey and especially to all of you for watching, but I have made the decision that it’s time for me to move on to the next chapter in life.”

She concluded her note with a hint at her next project. “I’ll always be proud to have played a fierce paramedic with such an incredible cast and crew. On to the next! See you on the ice. Love, Monica.”

A Future in Directing

Raymund will not be going too far away for her next project, as she is set to step behind the camera and direct an upcoming episode of NBC drama Law & Order: SVU.

The project comes as part of an initiative to get more women directors working in the industry. Details on when the episode will air have not been revealed yet.

Her Next Role

Raymund was recently booked for next acting gig, taking on a series regular role in new Starz opioid epidemic drama P-Town, Deadline reports.

She is set to play the role of Jackie Quinones, a lesbian National Marine Fisheries Services officer who often trolls the area the show is named after, which is considered a gay capital city in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

When she finds the body of an addict washed up on the beach, her life takes on a surprising new direction.

A New Partner

To fill the void left by Dawson, Chicago Fire cast Annie Ilonzeh in the role of new paramedic Emily Foster.

From her first episode she seems to be likeable, and her and Brett’s chemistry as partners is already developing, though a visit to the hospital after a call leads Brett to believe there is more to the story of how she ended up working on the Station.

What Comes Next?

As for Casey, we will likely see him affected from his wife leaving the city, though hopefully he doesn’t go on too dark of a path in the season.

As long as they don’t try to force him into a new relationship too quickly, we are excited to see where Casey’s journey takes him next.

Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.