Chicago Fire midseason finale preview: Best Friend Magic

What should fans watch for in Chicago Fire’s midseason finale? Get ready for Best Friend Magic with our Chicago Fire season 8, episode 9 preview.

The return of Gabriela Dawson is the biggest talking point going into the Chicago Fire midseason finale, but it shouldn’t be the only talking point.

Yes, it’s big news that Dawson (Monica Raymund) is back for her second guest spot in two seasons, and NBC wants us to ask if that means she’ll hook back up with ex-husband Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer).

But Dawsey wasn’t all that existed for Dawson and Casey. Nor was it all that existed for Chicago Fire as a show, either.

Certainly there are fans that hope the former spouses reunite. They certainly could; it’s easy to see them having a fling somewhere in this episode. After all, Casey’s already had one impulsive date in this season, and that was with somebody he didn’t have six seasons of history with.

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Yet that doesn’t change the fact that Monica Raymund isn’t a series regular anymore. It wouldn’t make logistical sense for them to reconcile, when it would be near impossible to continue that past this episode.

When Chicago Fire couldn’t make Brettonio work with one-half of the couple being a series regular on another show, the writers aren’t going to tie Casey back up to a character who we don’t know if or when we’d see her again.

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Expect Dawsey to have some kind of memorable moment, though, even if it probably won’t last more than this episode. They might not start dating again, but they’ll always be important to each other.

What will also be important to Chicago Fire fans is having that big moment that every finale has been known for. Of all the One Chicago series, this one is the one that always delivers something huge in each of its finales.

Is it going to be another fire, like it was both times last season? Will it be an emotional beat with a character making a big decision, maybe motivated by Dawson coming back?

After all, don’t forget that Chicago Fire‘s current couple Stellaride have professional issues on their plate. Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) is now working two jobs and Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) is still on arson investigation duty. And when last we saw Stella, she wasn’t looking too well.

Will she collapse or get into further trouble on the job because she’s exhausted? Will he get back from OFI before the end of the episode? Their relationship is probably in a good place, which is nice after all the prior drama between them, but professionally either or both could be in a pickle.

But will either of those stories be cliffhanger-worthy? Or will it somehow be related to Dawsey? You’ll have to watch and see, yet whichever pairing you prefer, you should be satisfied with this episode as it’s set up to move both of them along in a significant way.

For the latest Chicago Fire season 8 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago Fire category at One Chicago Center.