Chicago Fire: Annie Ilonzeh Not Returning as Emily Foster for Season 9
Chicago Fire is down a paramedic: Annie Ilonzeh, who plays Brett’s ambulance partner Emily Foster, will not return as a series regular for Season 9, US Weekly reports.
The scene was set for Foster’s exit during Wednesday’s makeshift Season 8 finale, in which she announced that she wanted to go back to med school and had even reapplied to Northwestern. At her interview, Foster gave an impassioned speech about how the mistake she made was the best thing that ever happened to her, because it brought her to Firehouse 51 and made her a better person. As for whether Foster got into Northwestern, the interview committee said they would let her know. “They’d be lucky to have you,” Brett said.
Ilonzeh was promoted to series regular on the NBC drama ahead of her debut in the Season 7 premiere. Foster filled the ambo space left by Monica Raymund’s exit as Gabby Dawson.
When asked during a post mortem interview whether Foster potentially going back to med school would mean another shakeup in the firehouse assignments, showrunner Derek Haas would only say, “That’s a wait-for-Season-9 question!” It is not yet clear if Ilonzeh will return to wrap up her character’s story.
Fire fans, what do you think of Foster’s exit? Hit the comments with your thoughts!
Not surprising as we see her wanting to go after her dream and return to medical school.
Meh.
I kind of thought they’d just move her over to Chicago Med
Chicago Med is a great idea.
I was thinking the same thing. I assumed that’s what they had been building up to but I guess not.
That’s what I figured as I watched the show
Was thinking the same thing.
She seemed to never let Med School go for some reason. I hope that Gabby returns!
God no!!! Anything but St. Gabby!!
Hahaha, I’d rather see the show cancelled lmao!!!
I hope they cancel it then lol
Sorry, it’s been renewed for three more seasons. Monica Raymund has a new show on Starz network anyway and I wish her all the best there. Chicago Fire ruined the Gabby character. The writing for her was horrible.
Very well said @wrstlgirl
I was looking forward to Monica’s new show since it’s set nearby, but Comcast took Starz off my line-up and now wants another $5.99 a month for it. They didn’t ask, and they didn’t lower my monthly bill, they just added another bunch of channels I’m never going to watch. And they wonder why people find alternate ways to watch.
Three years… A lot of things can happen, it still can be cancelled : )
I wouldn’t go that far! But no, would not want to see Gabby back either.
Agree
I like it without Gabby now its seems less DRAMA..I hope it keeps showing m ou re firefighter scene & different ways to handle it
Less drama? Brett crying every now and then?! Please!!!
Are you forgetting the entire season dedicated to Gabby becoming a fire fighter?
I’ll be so happy having Monica back as Gabby Dawson #Dawseyforeverrrrr
Same. Loved her.
Gallo’s girlfriend Violet is the new paramedic on ambo 61. Derek said that in another interview.
Cool. I like her.
So do I. I don’t understand why people didn’t like Gabby. I always did. She was so smart and very pretty. I liked her a lot. I will miss Foster because she was smart and an excellent paramedic. I hope she stays around Chicago Med and at least we get to see her.
Because of the way they wrote Gabby, she was such a Mary-Sure character, she was written as being more skilled, talented, knowledgeable than any other character despite her flip-flopping between careers and being incredibly pushy, especially with regards to Casey, I guess some people saw the writing as her being strong, independent / knowing what she wants but to a lot it came across as flaky and obnoxious. And when Gabby left, they began writing Stella in that same way, all knowing and invovled in everyone’s business, was off-putting enough that I stopped watching earlier this season.
Exactly! The problem was the writing for her character, it was AWFUL. No wonder the poor actress left.
And so you don’t like Severide then? Because your description of Gabby fits him near perfectly now as well.
I’m sad to see Foster leave 51 but HOPEFULLY, they’ll move her to Med! They NEED more POSITIVE , BLACK, female characters on tv! And, it’s a NO for me with Matt & Brett as a couple! That thought gives me the CHILLS!
Maggie and Sharon are both strong female African-American characters and I like both of them more than many of the others on Med.
I’m with you, Q….The ever so perfect Matt positively gags me. Wish he would leave the show in search of the suddenly ‘missing’, saver of the world, Gabby..and come up missing himself!
I’m so disappointed Foster is gone.
Hate it when a great character leaves a show..and she was definitely a great character..
Does anyone know the name of the show she’s on..on Stars?
Oh Yuck no thanks! Nothing against the actress just the writing for her character was TERRIBLE! Turned her into an object of derision and hate, awful, awful writing, destroyed the character.
The writing is awful for every character. This show should’ve ended after season 5.
Disagree.
And if it’s awful for every character why are you still watching?
Dang, I really liked her. So the revolving door continues.
I feel when she started the firehouse she was good. Then who ever created her dropped the ball on keeping her interesting. Hopefully the new one will get the respect she/he deserves!
They should have her come back later on chicago med
I’m doing my happy dance. Good riddance : )
Oh poor Sylvie…Has to deal with breaking in a new partner; hopefully she/we will not be subjected to weeks of loser EMTs like last time.
I hope they don’t subject Sylvie to that guy who worked with Foster when Brett was back in Fowlerton.
She should intern on chicago Med that would be awesome
Put her on Med.
If it was Annie’s decison I will be okay with it but if it was a creative choice it was a dumb one. The trio of Brett, Stella and Foster was amazing not to mention the cast on the canvas mesh so well. I am praying Gabby does not come back.
She will be roughly missed. I wish her luck with what’s in store for her.
Foster should be moved over to Chicago Med. They need a decent student.
Oh yes, please. Anyone but that self-righteous, soul-less blonde bimbo they have now.
Her quirkiness and straightforwardness is what makes her interesting. She reminds me of the black Jewish brilliant doctor who has Aspergers. Not great socially but great doctors
The same actress (Molly Bernard) is on Younger and plays an exact opposite type of character. So I hope your critique is of the character and not the “bimbo” actress.
I also like her quirkiness, she can be annoying at times but she is still definitely interesting and thank you, it had been driving me crazy as to where I had seen her before, I didn’t realize that it was Molly Bernard from Younger, I only watched a few episodes of that show.
Omg I totally wouldn’t have ever noticed that was the same actress if I hadn’t seen your comment! Totally shows how versatile of an actress she is, those 2 characters are so completely different, amazing! Definite rising star in TV!
I want Brett and Casey together therefore I do not want Dawson to come back unless she is married. I don’t know who they will pair with Brett and don’t really care as long as she and Casey get together. Tired of waiting for that to happen.
I would like to see Bret and Casey to get together as well I don’t want Dawson back and Foster should go to Med that would be awesome she will be missed on fire for sure she is awesome don’t give Sylvie a terrible partner she needs a good partner I’m guessing it will end up being Gallo’s girlfriend
Maybe the fire investigator that was hot for Severide will take the demotion to Ambo #61 to be closer to him.
Why Gabby would be married if she comes back?! Nonsense. Siblings are what we would call Brett and Casey lol
I liked her character and would love to see her eventually on Med. She should follow her passion.
Wow this show sure goes through a lot of paramedics. It’s beginning to remind me of the running gag with Murphy Brown’s secretary. 😂 I really liked Foster and am sorry to see her leave.
I really hope Monica Raymund is too busy with the Starz show to come back. I hold nothing against her personally, I just think the show focused way, way, way, too much on the Gabby and Matt relationship in past seasons. I felt like the other characters were getting shorted and because of that I came to resent those two a lot.
So much that I applauded when Gabby left, and to be honest not totally over being sick of Matt either. I liked them to start just don’t want to see it become the Gabby and Matt hour ever again.
I resent Severide for exactly that reason now. I’d have Gabby over him any day and I thought she was insufferable by season 5. Monica can at least act and Casey is at least interesting (well…used to be).
I hate to see Annie llonzeh (Foster) leave the show because her character was always on the ball and made the ambulance part of the
show interesting.
Foster has been the only disappointing part of an otherwise great past two seasons. After telling Brett how she cheated on her boards and revealing she was bisexual her story pretty much evaporated except for how it applied to Brett or Stella. Couldn’t figure out why they didn’t leave Foster as recurring and bump Ritter up to main cast since Ritter is never without a story. I hope that Fostet turns up on Med but I have my doubts. Both Annie and Kara have made some guarded comments on social media that made me think Annie was on her way out. I think Violet will be the new paramedic on ambo 60 so the show will have even more millenials to go up against the “old timers” but I’d like Rafferty to come back or better yet bring Mills back. I loved Brett and Mills on ambo together.
They can move over Gallo’s girlfriend.
That’s too bad – I like her. But she really didn’t have anything to do lately, so I’m not shocked.
Meh saw this coming when she was first introduced – purely a temporary character that never went anywhere
Well that’s a bummer! I liked her. I really like the relationship between all the women on the show. It’s nice to see a supportive, caring friendship between them instead of an adversarial relationship like is portrayed so often between women on shows.
Move Violet over from 61.
Awww!! The only Black Beautiful, smart. Talanted, girl they had on the show!!! She can get her Dr degree and still work wit Brett!! Have that fancy Ems truck like on the show 911!! BRING HER BACK !!