She deserved better.
Although Chicago Fire has had some great entrances and some great exits in its long history, there are still some that could have been drastically improved.
While most fans have come to terms with the fact that their favorite characters will never return to the small screen, they still feel like they could have had a better send-off.
It feels especially unfair to someone who was on the show for the full 6 years and yet was let out very lazily.
Gabriela Dawson, portrayed by Monica Raymund, is still the character that fans feel was not given justice by the way her exit was handled.
Playing such a large role in the show, one would expect the writers to come up with a solid reason for her departure, but all the fans got was that Dawson just got scared and ran back to Puerto Rico.
There is a segment of the fandom that finds the end of Dawson’s arc boring but fitting for the character, but many disagree.
With no real motive, no explanation, and no way for viewers to at least connect with her character, her exit felt very off and simply poorly written.
Although many people were rooting for Dawson and Casey’s relationship at the time, everyone was relieved that he didn’t follow her as well.
As messy as Raymund’s exit seemed, the actress herself explained in an interview with Express.co.uk that there was no drama behind it:
“I fulfilled my commitment to the show, did my job and you know, six years is a long time. I just had different desires and hopes and dreams and I knew that it was my time to move on”.
While this leaves fans relieved, it in no way explains why the writers put so little effort into writing off her character.
Either way, no matter how you feel about Gabriela Dawson’s departure, you can still enjoy her run in seasons 1 through 6 of Chicago Fire by streaming it on Peacock or fuboTV.
