Blue Bloods, which celebrates its tenth season this year, might be most famous for its dinner scenes. So many police dramas look alike that the dinner scenes with the Reagan family do a lot to make the show distinct. It’s undoubtedly part of why the show has lasted as long as it has.
Still, every once in a while, the show likes to mix it up with the inner scenes. New members have joined the Reagan family, like Vanessa Ray’s Eddie, and an outsider played by Treat Williams made it to the dinner table. Now, the show has batted around the idea of something different.
How did the dinner scenes come about?
The dinner scenes do more than just shake up the show from the usual law and order material. They strengthen the themes of Reagan family solidarity and traditions passed down through the years. There are generations of police officers at the table, led by Tom Selleck’s police commissioner Frank, with Bridget Moynahan’s lone daughter providing the “black sheep” element by being the lawyer of the family.
In the episode, “By Hook or by Crook,” Jamie Reagan (Will Estes) explained to Eddie that the dinners started via a family member who immigrated to America and had one desire.
“Because my grandmother grew up poor in a small town in Ireland,” he said. “She was the oldest of 12 kids and there was never enough to eat. She moved to New York to make money. She met my grandpa and when they got married she promised herself that they would always have more than enough to eat. Family dinner was just her way of proudly proving that every week.”
How has Blue Bloods changed up the dinner scenes?
The most obvious addition to the Blue Bloods dinner scenes has been Eddie, who came to the table by virtue of marrying Jamie. Jamie and Eddie were partners on the force, which raised some eyebrows in the family, but they welcomed her with open arms — although those arms crossed when she tried to introduce the meat and potatoes Reagan clan to plant-based veggie burgers.
Until recently, it was unheard of for anybody not in the Reagan family to join the dinner table, but the show changed that this year with the one-off visit by Frank’s former partner, Lenny. Williams told TV Insider, “I don’t think they’re used to somebody being Frank’s equal, being comfortable with Frank to call him nicknames and to give him a hug and to kiss him on a cheek. He’s this mountain of a powerful guy, and then you have a guy who put his life on the line with this guy for 15 years.”
Now the Reagan table isn’t just for family dinners and while the change seems minor fans are in favor of it.
What’s the new addition to the Blue Bloods dinner table?
The April 3 episode “The Puzzle Palace,” was mainly about Erin and Anthony having to trust a sociopath who claims he has the evidence to convict a double-murderer. Meanwhile, Frank faces backlash from his department when he suspends an officer for violent behavior.
In the dinner scene at the end, the Reagan clan kicked around the idea of having a guy’s night, of which fans on Twitter were generally in favor, although some fans expressed anxiety about Frank’s status.
“I pray to god this isn’t setting Frank up to quit!!!!!” one fan tweeted. Another said, “This ain’t going where I think it is with Tom Selleck leaving.” That anxiety stems from the fact that because Selleck had signed only a one-year extension to do season 10, according to Popculture.com.
“Here, the simple fact is it was great to know the heart of our show wanted to come back,” Selleck said. “It’s also great to know, as far as I know so far, that we have the whole universe coming back. You’re talking about, from top to bottom, a cast of really good, strong actors playing all sorts of roles.”
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