Jeffrey is a freelance features writer at Collider. He is an MPA-accredited entertainment journalist and a Tomatometer-approved critic based in the LA area. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Radio, TV, & Film and a Bachelor of Arts in Theater.
While the spin-off series Boston Blue unfolds on CBS, viewers can relive its flagship, the original 14-season series, Blue Bloods, for free on Pluto TV. Blue Bloods is where the Reagan family saga beganin 2010, exceptionally blending elements of a traditional police procedural with those of family drama. Thanks to the exploits and interactions of the Reagans, a multi-generational family in law enforcement, Blue Bloods evolved into something more than a typical cop show, and it's time to explore why the series captured viewers' minds and hearts for over a decade.
'Blue Bloods' Kicks Off With an Excellent Season-Long Mystery
In the first season of Blue Bloods, Jamie Reagan (Will Estes), the youngest son of NYPD Commissioner Francis Reagan (Tom Selleck), graduates from the academy and joins the NYPD. His older brother, Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg), is already a seasoned NYPD detective, their sister Erin Reagan (Bridget Moynahan) is a New York City assistant district attorney, and their grandfather, Henry Reagan (Len Cariou), is the former police commissioner. The Reagans have been serving in law enforcement since they immigrated to New York City from Ireland. However, before the start of the series, one of the Reagan kids, Joe Reagan, was mysteriously killed in the line of duty, kicking off a season-long mystery as Jamie seeks to uncover the mystery behind Joe's murder.'
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The mystery eventually leads Jamie into an investigation surrounding a fraternity of corrupt NYPD officers called the Blue Templar. Unsure at first who he can trust, Jamie refuses to cooperate with the FBI regarding the investigation into the Blue Templar until he can learn more, eventually bringing his findings to his family. It culminates in what is easily still one of the best moments ever in the series, during the first season finale, "The Blue Templar," when the Reagan family exposes and confronts the group, and Francis shows a rare moment of rage when he asks which corrupt officer killed his son. The mystery posed at the start of the series provided the show with just the right hook and intrigue to keep viewers coming back for more.
'Blue Bloods' Is a Rare Police Procedural That Puts a Focus on Family
The family dynamic the Reagans have elevates Blue Bloodsbeyond the typical cop show. In a given episode, multiple members of the Reagans face a moral problem or dilemma that frequently emerges through the Reagan family dinner scenes. The Reagans' Sunday dinners and debates became the show's trademark. Typically, Francis and Danny take tougher or more conservative stances on law enforcement and police work. However, as a lawyer and district attorney, it's usually Erin who takes a more progressive stance in their familial debates, such as leniency and rehabilitation toward fugitives. The different roles and opinions in the family dinner scenes characterized the Reagans as more relatable and down-to-earth than other cop shows.
Regardless of the conflict or argument, the Reagans always find a way to work through their issues and find common ground, giving the show a positive, uplifting message, as the family never allows their arguments to create permanent rifts in their love and respect for one another. Regardless of the quarrel, the Reagans always come through for each other, and they are all individuals of integrity. The Blue Bloods family dinner scenes ultimately showcase why the show became such a huge hit for 14 seasons.
The 'Blue Bloods' Cast Nicely Evolves Over 14 Seasons
Image via CBS
Blue Bloods experienced a strong evolution over the course of fourteen seasons. Despite the loss of a key character partway through the series, the cast would eventually gain some strong additions, such as Vanessa Ray as Edit "Eddie" Janko, who eventually becomes a key person in Jamie's life. In Season 10, a young detective named Joe Hill (Will Hochman) is introduced with deeper ties to the Reagans than the family ever imagined, which gave the show a unique twist later in its run. Joe provided a nice shakeup in the show's dynamic with his tense and uneasy rivalry with Jamie and his weirdly charming relationship with Danny. Despite the changes in the cast, Selleck, Wahlberg, Moynahan, Estes, and Cariou remained part of the show's cast from the first episode to its last, and they were consistently entertaining. It's always a great time to revisit the exploits of the Reagan family on Blue Bloods, and now you can for free.
Image via Jeff Neumann/©CBS/courtesy Everett Collection
Image via CBS
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