Beech Tree News Network

On September 24, 2010, CBS premiered a little show called Blue Bloods.  Fast-forward 14 years later and we’re saying goodbye to the Reagan family of cops.  A special aired the day after Thanksgiving that consisted of cast interviews, clips from the series and a sneak peak of the finale.  The cast made it a point to say during the special that the finale would be a love letter to fans as well as honoring the NYPD (as they’ve done throughout the series’ 14-year run).

There has been plenty of cast turnover in the past 14 seasons.  Sami Gayle, who played Erin Reagan’s daughter Nicky, left the show to attend school at Columbia while simultaneously attending the university fictitiously in the show.  Her growing career also contributed to her less regular appearances.  She’s currently appearing in Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Bad Cinderella on Broadway.  She never made a public statement about leaving the show.  Maybe she’ll pop up in the finale.

One former cast member who can’t appear in the finale is Amy Carlson, who played Danny Reagan’s wife Linda.  Linda died in a helicopter crash in 2017.  I don’t think there will be any coming back from the dead in this case.  Carlson chose not to renew her contract for season 8 and wasn’t asked to return.  

Jennifer Esposito, who played Jackie Curatola, left the show in 2012 after collapsing on set due to complications from celiac disease.  She was diagnosed during season three.  Her doctor recommended a reduced work schedule.  CBS chose to write her character out of the show instead of working around her limited schedule.  Esposito was critical of the decision, calling it “shameful” and “sick”.  Esposito returned in season 14 to join her partner Danny Reagan on a case.  

The Blue Bloods family extends outside the Reagans.  Danny’s current partner, Detective Maria Biaz (played by Maria Ramirez) is a long-time trusted colleague, someone Danny trusts without fail.  Flex Alexander made a brief appearance as Danny Reagan’s partner, Detective DeMarcus King, in the pilot but by episode two had disappeared.  The feeling was that a woman should be Danny’s partner.  Bye-bye, Detective King.

It's common knowledge amongst Blue Bloods fans that Jamie Reagan’s former partner Eddie Janko became his wife.  What some fans might’ve forgotten is that Jamie had a partner before Eddie.  In season 3 episode 22 titled “The Bitter End”, Jamie’s original partner, Officer Vincent Cruz, is killed in a gang ambush.  Eddie Janko is introduced as Jamie’s new partner in season 4 and the rest is history.  The characters got engaged in season 8 and married in that season’s finale.  

Whatever happens or whoever may or may not return these last few weeks, it’s been a welcome fixture these past 14 seasons to catch up with the Reagan clan.  It’ll also be interesting to see what the cast does post-Blue Bloods.  In the meantime, check out the link to this week’s vlog here: https://youtu.be/bXTrjZiLv20?feature=shared