For Chicago Fire fans, Gabriela Dawson was more than just another paramedic — she was the soul of Firehouse 51. Played with fierce vulnerability by Monica Raymund, Gabby lit up every scene with strength, passion, and deep emotional resonance. Her departure in Season 7 left an undeniable void, a wound that even now feels raw for many longtime viewers.

But Monica Raymund didn’t fade away with Dawson’s exit. In fact, she ran headfirst into a different kind of fire — and now, years later, that story is finding a new life thanks to Netflix.

In what’s being called a “rescue mission” by some fans, Netflix will drop all three seasons of Hightown — the gritty, under-the-radar crime drama led by Raymund — on July 23. For many, this is a bittersweet revelation. Hightown premiered in 2020 on Starz and quickly gained a cult following for its uncompromising look at addiction, trauma, and self-destruction, all told through the lens of Jackie Quiñones, a reckless but deeply human federal agent spiraling in the shadowy corners of Cape Cod.

It’s a role that couldn’t be further from Gabriela Dawson. But that’s the point.

Jackie isn’t saving lives in burning buildings. She’s trying to save herself from drowning in her own darkness. Raymund’s portrayal is brutal, unapologetic, and layered — the kind of performance that should’ve swept awards season, if only more people had seen it.

Unfortunately, after just three seasons, Hightown was abruptly canceled — and worse, wiped from the Starz streaming platform without warning. Fans were stunned. Critics were frustrated. And it seemed like a powerful, character-driven series had been erased entirely.

Until now.

Netflix’s decision to revive Hightown has reignited interest not just in the show, but in Raymund herself. For many Chicago Fire loyalists, watching her transform from Gabby to Jackie is like watching an alternate universe where the firefighter didn’t just leave Chicago — she broke.

And yet, the emotional threads are there. Both women care deeply. Both are fighters. Both lose things — people, identity, hope — and claw their way back. Raymund brings a raw physicality to Jackie that echoes the urgency she gave to Dawson, but now it’s sharper, heavier. As Jackie, she’s bruised but still standing.

Chicago Fire will return this fall with fresh stories and familiar faces. But even as Gabby remains in the past, Monica Raymund is firmly in the present — proving she never needed a hose or uniform to command the screen.

For fans, Hightown may not bring Dawson back, but it offers something just as valuable: closure, evolution, and a reminder that sometimes the fiercest fires aren’t the ones we fight with water — but with truth.

So when July 23 rolls around, will you press play for Jackie Quiñones?

Or will you watch, just for a moment, to see the spark of Gabriela Dawson still burning inside her?