Showrunners Tease That a "Dawsey" Reunion Is Happening on Season 9 of 'Chicago Fire'

Ever since Monica Raymund left Chicago Fire at the end of Season 6, fans have wondered if she’d be willing to come back to the series, which is now in its ninth year. 

After Monica made a rare guest appearance on Season 8, showrunners have made it clear that it may not be the end of the road for Gabby Dawson and Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer). 

The season premiere of Chicago Fire gave viewers hope that Matthew Casey and Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer) would finally become a thing, but Matthew's previous relationship with Sylvie's former friend, Gabby, ended their relationship before it even started. 

Although Matthew was adamant about pursuing his relationship with the paramedic, Sylvie maintained that Matthew was still in love with his ex-wife and ultimately shifted her attention to another firefighter. While Sylvie has decided to focus on her budding relationship with Greg Grainger (Jon-Michael Ecker), she insisted that Matthew reach out to Gabby to explore unresolved feelings — leading fans to believe that we'll be getting a "Dawsey" reunion sooner than we think.

In a previous interview, Jesse Spencer guessed that Matthew and Sylvie would probably end up together by the end of Season 9, but their happily ever after can't come true until he resolves his issues with an old flame. 

Just last season, Gabby and Matthew shared an intimate moment that showrunners say won't easily be forgotten. Derek Haas told TV Insider, "It’s the kind of thing you can try to brush aside but we the audience watched it — for six years and then again in December 2019 — and so I think she’s well within her bounds to call him out on that and maybe he isn’t being completely honest with himself."

While there are no signs that Monica will be returning to the series for good, we do have clues that she will make her return very soon. Without revealing any spoilers, the showrunner added, “The fact that Casey hesitated [when Sylvie asked] is meaningful, but let’s just see if that happens.” 

In a 2019 interview, Monica opened up about what it was like to return to the drama's Chicago-based set two years after her initial departure. "Coming back to the show was a homecoming for me," she explained. 

"The cast of Chicago Fire will always be my family, and it was so wonderful to work with them again," she added. "It was such a positive experience returning to the family, and I’m so happy and grateful for a chance to work with all of them again!"

Derek said having Monica around was as "amazing as it always was. She’s delightful inside and out. And an incredible actress."

The 34-year-old decided to leave the series after her six-year contract was up. "I felt like I was hungry to explore a different role, a different story. I wanted to explore a different world," she told the Chicago Tribune in a September 2018 interview. 

"I had been in Chicago for five years and, just personally, where I was in my life, I was ready to create my home and kind of plant some roots in Los Angeles," she continued. 

"It’s kind of a double-edged sword because on the one hand, it’s wonderful to be employed for that long and to have job security. And to be able to delve into a storyline and to flush it out over that amount of time. To get that opportunity is extremely rare and special."

Derek told Us Weekly that he actually pitched Gabby Dawson’s return less than a year after Monica’s departure. "I kind of held on to the information because you don’t know if stories are going to be what you imagine … as you start to write them out," he admitted. 

"I texted Monica, probably two months ago, and just said, 'Hey, winky face. Can you come back for the winter finale?' It’s hilarious, she’s like, 'You’re nothing if not persistent.'" We’re so thankful he is!

New episodes of Chicago Fire air Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.