Gabriela "Gabby" Dawson: Love her, hate her

[SnarkySheep]

No matter what she does, it seems that viewers either love her or hate her -- no middle ground.

Some say that Gabby has changed since her introduction in Season 1, when she was eager to attend med school one day, crushing over Casey and just overall a kinder and milder persona. Now Gabby's not only a bar co-owner but an aspiring firefighter, and she's managed to land a serious relationship with the man of whom she long dreamed. 

Interesting to me is the relationship Gabby has with her brother Antonio, a detective currently starring on Chicago PD. It's rare to see adult siblings with such a strong and supportive relationship, which makes it especially nice.

What are your favorite or least favorite things about this characters? What kinds of storylines do you hope to see in upcoming episodes/seasons?

 

[Chas411]

I want to like Gabby and sometimes root for her but Jesus she makes it too damn hard. She's so judgemental and argumentative. She's bossy and controlling. Not too mention she's either the centre of or part of every central storyline the show has whereas other characters get very little.

What annoys me most though is that everybody is in love with her. She's beautiful and strong yes but when we can't go a single episode without someone bringing up how great she is then i have a problem. It's too much. I don't need to be knocked on the head with how great a character is, I'd rather see it.

[WendyCR72]

Raising a hand for the hate side. To me, the character is now a Mary Sue. I mean, when you have MOUCH - who seemed to do fine with his love life, albeit online - suddenly proclaiming her the ideal woman...well, ENOUGH.

Memo received: Gabby is great, shoulda woulda coulda been a great firefighter - and is about to get another chance (blah!), and wears the pants with Casey. I just can't with her anymore.

[coloradoqt]

Didn't like her as ADA on the good wife.like her even less as a EMT/Firefighter, Even less because she sleeps with every man she has a working relationship, well at least 3 so far.

[Crs97]

I wasn't wild about her on Lie to Me, but I cut her some slack because it was her first acting gig and I chalked most of it to the writing of her character. My problem is that I have the exact same problems with her here so I don't know how long I can say it's not her fault.

[WendyCR72]

Is it me, or did the edit option disappear here?

[Chas411]

I think they'll need to drop this fire fighting storyline for me in to be with a chance of liking her again. She's just too annoying and tailor made propping storyline with Jones has just added to my irritation.

[formerlyfreedom]

WendyCR72, the edit option is available for 24 hours after the original post. After that, it's gone. Does that answer your question?

[WendyCR72]

Oh, okay. Yes, it does, Stacey. Thanks!

[coloradoqt]

One of the things I dislike about Gabby is, she beds every new guy on the show..

[Neurochick]

I don't have a problem with Gabby but she acts like a sixteen year old, someone needs to tell her to grow up. 

I don't get the "Mary Sue" but that's just me.   Nice to have a woman of color that's desirable, usually the woman of color is regulated to the "best friend" status, while the blonde is the one everybody loves.  Nice to see it this way for a change.

[Mars477]

I liked Monica Raymund in Lie to Me, but Jesus Christ she's annoying here. Sure, she's apparently Black Hispanic/Jewish or whatever, but does Gabby have to suck so much?

[Neurochick]

Sure, she's apparently Black Hispanic/Jewish or whatever

 

I think seeing a WOC on TV in a leading role is more than just "whatever."  I'm just so glad they're not focused on the blonde for a change.

[Chas411]

She could be white, black, orange or purple. It still doesn't excuse the fact that she's unbearable to watch.

[WendyCR72]

She could be white, black, orange or purple. It still doesn't excuse the fact that she's unbearable to watch.

Word. And there's lack of focus on "the blonde" (Shay) and barely any at all. I wish these writers would stop having Gabby swallow this show whole and share the wealth with Shay...and with Mouch, Hermann, etc. This is supposed to be an ensemble show, not The Perils of Greedy Gabby, yes?

[Neurochick]

She could be white, black, orange or purple. It still doesn't excuse the fact that she's unbearable to watch.

I don't understand this, people aren't orange or purple; but the reality is that WOC in leading roles really don't exist on network TV.  So I'm glad to focus on one, even if she can be a pain in the ass. 

[Chas411]

The reality is that she's an absolute pain in the ass. She takes over every storyline in the show. She's terribly written, has become a Mary Sue and is completely unrootable. The colour of her skin is a moot point at this rate and isn't relevant nor does it excuse any of the issues I as a viewer have of her character. I don't understand why it's continuously brought up.

[formerlyfreedom]

Let's move on folks. Coming back and repeating the same thing isn't furthering the conversation.

[SnarkySheep]

Personally, I've enjoyed the bits - far and few between, granted - where Gabby interacts with her family. I think it shows a whole other side of her than when she's focused on whatever man is currently in her eyeview, and it's a proverbial breath of fresh air.

Now that I'm watching both Chicago Fire and PD, I may be forgetting which bits happened where, so forgive me; but overall IMO it's all the same universe, building the same character, etc.

Last season on this show, we saw her intensely close relationship with her older brother Antonio; this season, on PD, we got to see her interacting with Antonio's children and wife, showing how strong her family ties can be, and that - gasp! - she can indeed focus on the basic things that matter most in life. I hope that Chicago Fire picks up on that some more too.

[2KllMckngBrd]

Didn't see a speculation w/out spoilers thread (excuse me if I'm blind-at this point it's possible), and it's about Gabby, so putting here. I am starting to think we are in for some sort of rape storyline w/her. The a-holes at her new squad are giving me the rapey vibe, not the 1 part haze 2 parts sexual harassment feeling(s). I am soooo not looking forward to that if I'm right. I like Gabby, but I'm not sure that the actress, or the writers are up for that storyline. Or have the dedication to the aftermath of rape that would be required for such a storyline. I guess it would give lots of opportunity for crossovers w/Chicago PD. But there are so many ways that storyline could go wrong.

[2KllMckngBrd]

Or I could be talking out of my ass, based on tonight's ep. Will go back to just lurking where our little Gabby is concerned.

[Lillybee]

I just saw the actor who play Gabby on a Season 2 episode. She was Jamie's temporary partner and she was just as annoying as a cop as she is as a firefighter.

[stormymac]

I just saw the actor who play Gabby on a Season 2 episode. She was Jamie's temporary partner and she was just as annoying as a cop as she is as a firefighter.

You might want to be more specific... Season 2 of what show?

[Watermelon]

You might want to be more specific... Season 2 of what show?

Wikipedia indicates he/she may have meant Blue Bloods.

[Lillybee]

I did mean Blue Bloods.

[betsyboo]

As of this writing, Nosey is losing. (HOW??)  http://tvline.com/gallery/greys-anatomy-arrow-once-tv-characters-love-or-hate/#!5/chicago-fire/ 

 

Gabriela Dawson:

 

Determined, loyal firefighter  52.31%
OR
Overly nosey fixer  47.69%

[lanceswatch]

So relived to see I'm not the only one. I started from season 4 and trying to work my way back considering she is the main reason I can't stand the show at the beginning. And her sleeping with one of my favorite characters is not helping. I'm stuck on season 2 and can't quite go on without taking the risk of gauge my eyes out at every scene of her and Casey in bed. And my main problem with her is actually her face. Yes I'm shallow like that. But it's a F public network show not HBO, not showtime which means you don't have great enough storyline to afford a face of hers. And since there is only too little female characters on the show it's only fair to have some adorable characters with adorable faces for the male viewers if there is even any. I like shay and even more Brett. I do have a thing for blonde.

[squidprincess]

It's funny how people's tastes differ.  Even at her worst/most annoying, I think Gabby is the most beautiful woman on the show.  :-)

Edited March 4, 2016 by squidprincess

[Pallada]

To each their own but to call Dawson beautiful is an overstatement imo. She needs a ton of makeup to look decent...

[squidprincess]

To each their own but to call Dawson beautiful is an overstatement imo. She needs a ton of makeup to look decent...

I wouldn't know, as I've never seen Monica Raymund without standard TV show makeup.  I'd be curious to see her without it and see if you're right.  Do you have a link?

[Pallada]

Uhm...maybe on Lie To Me she had standard TV makeup but on CF it's over the top. Gabby's makeup is too heavy fo a firefighter. It's unrealistic b/c they sweat like hell when on calls in their full gear and under the masks. But Dawson is always in her flawless battle makeup even in the hospital after the miscarriage, so lack of running mascara and such doesn't surprise me.

MR's pics without makeup are hard to find. I saw some on Twitter but I don't have any links, sorry.

[squidprincess]

I think maybe I'm just not understanding you.  I thought you were saying that Dawson (Raymund) isn't beautiful because she needs a lot of makeup to look good.  Certainly, I agree that Dawson wears a lot of makeup.  But honestly, I thought she was beautiful in Lie to Me as well, and as you point out, she wears a lot less obvious makeup there.  

[roamyn]

Sylvie wears far more makeup than Dawson.

[tobeyoungagain]

Sylvie wears far more makeup than Dawson.

 

OMG so true!  And she's super pale too so she just looks painted.  She's pretty - it's unnecessary.

 

Gabby - use to be a fan but now find her annoying.  I'm not a fan of her being a fireperson.  Didn't she want to go to med school?  That's not usually a dream people easily give up on.  Plus something about her seems very masculine (and it's not the fireperson aspect)...I liked her better on Lie To Me (not that her acting was any better).

 

Oh Gabby .... hold on to Casey cause someone else will gladly have him!

[FnkyChkn34]

On 4/4/2014 at 2:40 PM, SnarkySheep said:

No matter what she does, it seems that viewers either love her or hate her -- no middle ground.

Some say that Gabby has changed since her introduction in Season 1, . . .

I'm working my way through Season 1 now, and I don't see that much of a difference in Gabby between then and now.  Yes, she mentions med school, but people are allowed to change their minds.  She was still stubborn and opinionated and did whatever she wanted to do, regardless of consequences - just like now.  She even had several demerits and had to go to a hearing with the commissioner.  She's the same to me.  

But to answer the first question - I guess I'm in the very small minority.  I don't love her or hate her, she's just another character.  I can tolerate her; sometimes I like her, sometimes I dislike her.  

[dreamcatcher]

@UNOSEZ I've been trying to pinpoint why Gabby is more "hated" than Casey and Severide. First of all, I don't think that most viewers hate her, it's just that in forums (and especially in imdb's boards) there is a -very-vocal minority that expresses its views. If you check twitter for example, it would seem that the whole fandom adores Gabby. So I'm sure she isn't that much of a controversial character. And I do consider myself a fan, BUT this last episode really got on my nerves. Making Gabby an amazing firefighter was fine because Casey and Severide are like superheroes too so it's not like all the other characters were portrayed as mediocre and she was a glaring exception. I'm ok with the over the top storylines, I just hate the attitude. I hated just as much Casey acting like a saint back when he was campaigning because in pretty much every episode there was at least one person calling him an angel and he was supposed to be the only moral person in this world, the only  one who won't be corrupted by politics etc. But they kinda dropped it. And I think they can handle this much better because for example, Saint!Casey would do everything in his power to appease the "crazy" constituent, but he was kinda mocking him in the beginning. In the last couple seasons, Gabby doesn't have just a sassy personality, she IS just a sassy personality. Most of her storylines are about her stubborness and it's off putting. I don't know if I can explain it much better, but I just think that it's not a matter of bad stoylines, they're just handling them terribly.

And of course it's not always that obvious, but this episode was definitely their worst in terms of writing Gabby's character.

[Waterston Fan]

I think it's more of it seems like she is central to the show and that's why people don't like the storylines. It does seem like she is more of the focus than it should be on Severide and Casey. 

When Haas does his questions.. I might ask if they can cut back on the Dawson stories and give the other more stories. 

[Court]

I hate Dawson.  She just steamrolls people and has no respect for anyone. 

[FnkyChkn34]

On 3/31/2017 at 5:17 PM, Waterston Fan said:

When Haas does his questions.. I might ask if they can cut back on the Dawson stories and give the other more stories. 

Please do!  However, she might have it written into her contract that she gets so much airtime...  which would be unfortunate.

[dreamcatcher]

Well I don't really mind her getting more airtime than the others (although I would prefer to see more of the other characters at least once in a while). But she doesn't have to be snarky all the time, especially if they're going to have on screen for 30 out of 40 mins.

[Waterston Fan]

3 hours ago, FnkyChkn34 said:

Please do!  However, she might have it written into her contract that she gets so much airtime...  which would be unfortunate.

I did ask him but seemed like he did only two questions and did things differently. Not sure what was up with that. 

[FnkyChkn34]

5 hours ago, Waterston Fan said:

I did ask him but seemed like he did only two questions and did things differently. Not sure what was up with that. 

On Sunday? He answered 7 questions, but with the new format, it was confusing. You can see all of his answers if you choose "Tweets & Replies."

[dreamcatcher]

I don't think they're going to answer this question! It might be that Monica has to be given specific airtime as per her contract, that he just loves Gabby or that putting her always front and center makes sense for whatever reason. They won't ever comment on any of these! But at least if they notice that we're not happy with her storylines, they may make some changes.

[Waterston Fan]

14 hours ago, FnkyChkn34 said:

On Sunday? He answered 7 questions, but with the new format, it was confusing. You can see all of his answers if you choose "Tweets & Replies."

That makes more sense. Thanks, the format was a bit confusing. 

[Res]

I'm new to the show. Just finished binge watching it. Gabby was okay at first in the series but did become pretty annoying towards the end, especially with her father.

Good parts with Gabby - her relationship with her brother. I do like them together.

Bad parts - all the rest really, especially how everyone seems to think she's the bestest thing ever!

[crowsworks]

Loved that her husband possibly burnng up was somehow about her

[Brookside]

On ‎9‎/‎17‎/‎2017 at 9:34 PM, crowsworks said:

Loved that her husband possibly burnng up was somehow about her

It's always about her, remember.   Me, me, me.

[CoyoteBlue]

On 9/17/2017 at 11:34 PM, crowsworks said:

Loved that her husband possibly burnng up was somehow about her

And her husband making captain is all about her. God forbid he get a moment in the spotlight.

[mxc90]

This week a doctor was offering help, she rolled her eyes and acted in a condescending manner. I guess that's how the foreman felt when she was telling him how to do his job. 

[belletane]

On 05/10/2017 at 7:23 AM, Brookside said:

It's always about her, remember.   Me, me, me.

The Gabby Dawson character is just rude, obnoxious, self centred  and narcissistic. And for whatever reason Derek Haas seems to think that is what 'the fans' want and if twitter were to be believed that would be the case because that is where her fans hang out. But he hadnt reckoned with the people who don't  like dawson biting back had he? now he's getting a truer picture of things. She needs to leave the show.  After all she is a detective, an arson investigator and a structural engineer as well. She  could get another job elsewhere and the showrunners could find someone for Casey who actually deserves him.!