How does the Reagan family’s story need to wrap up in Season 14?
With the recent end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, major film and TV projects are now able to resume production, including long-running hit shows such as Blue Bloods. However, CBS has revealed that the upcoming landmark fourteenth season of the hit police procedural series will be the show’s last, ending the show’s run after 293 episodes. Some shows struggle to make it past just one season, yet Blue Bloods managed to make it to a staggering fourteen, making it among the ten longest-running scripted shows in CBS history. In terms of its longevity, Blue Bloods has had a run that many shows probably envy, and it reached a fairly decent level of popularity. This is especially apparent considering how TV viewership has become segmented in recent years with the advent of streaming media. That said, Blue Bloods never reached a significant level of prestige or critical acclaim achieved by some of its contemporaries, such as Justified, Boardwalk Empire, or The Walking Dead. Season 14 seems as good a time as any to end the show since many of the characters’ main arcs have already reached their emotional conclusions.
‘Blue Bloods’ Changed After Sami Gayle’s Exit From the Show
Another major recurring subplot throughout the run of Blue Bloods concerned Erin Reagan’s (Bridget Moynahan) daughter, Nicky Reagan (Sami Gayle). Early on, Nicky declared that she wanted to become the first woman in the family to become a police officer, and that remained Nicky’s career path for a time before the character pivoted. Nicky essentially grew up on the show, going from her teen years to becoming a young woman. In real life, Sami Gayle started attending Columbia University, the same as her character in the series. This resulted in Gayle getting written off the show, when she accepted a job with a startup company in San Francisco, essentially leaving New York, and the series, during Season 11.
It’s understandable that Sami Gayle needed to focus on her real-life education and other career prospects, but a more fitting conclusion for Sami Gayle would have depicted her graduating from college and entering the police academy. Had the series ended earlier, a proper ending for the show could have depicted Nicky graduating from the academy and becoming a police officer around Season 10, when Gayle’s appearances were winding down. That would have bookended the series with Jamie’s graduation from the academy in the pilot, followed by Nicky’s own graduation in a proper series finale. Now, in defense of Blue Bloods, there is still potential for this to happen, and if the showrunners play their cards right, things could play out this way in Season 14.
How Should ‘Blue Bloods’ End?
Looking ahead to Season 14, the proper ending to the show would likely be Frank Reagan’s exit from his position as chief of police. Frank mentioned in the past that his goal was to walk out of the office proudly, leaving the department in a better place than where it was when he arrived, and making sure it was not in a pile of rubble. Now that Jamie has finally found and married Edit “Eddie” Janko (Vanessa Ray), his one true love and fellow officer, it seems he is destined for higher office. Of the Reagan kids, Jamie seems to possess the most level-headed demeanor and intelligence to eventually become the next police commissioner and follow in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps.
Unquestionably, Erin Reagan should be promoted to a higher public office, whether it’s the mayoral office or District Attorney. Pulling back on her District Attorney run last season was a lame-duck decision that was counterintuitive to the character, and it needs to be corrected for the final season. With Sami Gayle making a welcome return in the Season 13 finale with a brief guest appearance as Nicky, hopefully, that signals that she could make additional appearances in the final season. If Sami Gayle does return for more appearances, it could be a way to have Nicky move back to New York to finally bring home the subplot of her becoming the first female police officer in the family. That would bring a fitting emotional conclusion to her story arc, and the series overall, about a law enforcement family, with Nicky carrying on the Reagan legacy.
