Chicago Fire season 7 has found its new paramedic
Has Chicago Fire found Gabriela Dawson’s replacement? A new paramedic and a former firefighter are being added to the cast of Chicago Fire season 7.
Fans of Chicago Fire now know who will be joining Ambulance 61, at least for the start of the new season.
Annie Ilonzeh, who starred in ABC‘s short-lived reboot of Charlie’s Angels, will recur during Chicago Fire season 7 as new paramedic Emily Foster.
Emily is “intelligent, easygoing and confident” per a report from Variety, and she’ll obviously partner up with Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer) following the departure of Gabriela Dawson (Monica Raymund).
Ilonzeh is going to appear in multiple episodes, but we don’t know how many or if that means her character is the official full-time replacement for Dawson.
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She’s billed as a recurring cast member, not a series regular, so there is technically the possibility she could leave and herself be replaced by someone else.
It wouldn’t be the first time that Chicago Fire has introduced a recurring actor and then declined to make them a regular (see: Warren Christie, Kamal Angelo Bolden).
However, other actors like Miranda Rae Mayo started as recurring before being promoted to the main cast, so Annie Ilonzeh’s fate is about as vague as it could be.
It’s possible producers want to see how her character works out before making her a regular, which is completely fair considering how big a hole she’s filling on the show.
But at least for now, this casting puts the kibosh on the Jeff Clarke to Ambulance 61 idea that many fans had campaigned for once it was clear that we wouldn’t be seeing more of Dawson.
Also joining Chicago Fire season 7 on a recurring basis is actor Stephen Boyer, who appeared in the first season of NBC‘s comedy-drama Trial & Error.
Boyer will factor into the plotline with Carl Grissom (recurring guest star Gary Cole), as he’s playing the Assistant Deputy Commissioner. His character Jerry Gorsch is a former firefighter who’s more interested in a cushy desk job than actual firefighting, which means he ought to fit in perfectly as Grissom’s associate—and terribly with the hardworking crew of Firehouse 51.
Both characters have the potential to shake things up next season, but presumably Boyer will be more of a thorn in the team’s side as long as Grissom is around, whereas Ilonzeh’s character could wind up being another female lead.
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What do you think of these additions to Chicago Fire season 7? Do their character descriptions have you interested in seeing them next season? Let us know your reaction to this casting news in the comments.