“Blue Bloods” is one of many long-running popular police procedural dramas. The CBS show has been airing since 2010 and is now in its 12th season of following the Reagan family, all of whom work in law enforcement. The series explores the personal and professional lives of the family members as they clash, make up, and gather for their weekly Sunday suppers.
The show boasts a loyal following online, with fans often taking to Twitter to share their in-time reactions to the latest episodes and communicate with cast members. Additionally, many participate in the “Blue Bloods” subreddit, where fans theorize about what’s coming next and take a second look at details that left them scratching their heads.
A recent post by u/ancilla89 asked fans to help them understand an apparent continuity error they noticed. When it comes to a show that’s been on for over a decade, inevitably, some things aren’t going to line up. However, they raised an interesting question about a main character’s timeline.
When was Danny in the Marines?
In the Reddit thread, the original poster explained their confusion about Danny Reagan’s (Donnie Wahlberg) time in the Marines. They pointed out that in Season 1 of “Blue Bloods,” he said that he had joined after 9/11, but then in Season 9, his younger brother Jamie (Will Estes) talks about acting out and struggling in school when Danny left for the Marines.
“Danny says at least once over the course of now-12 seasons, that he didn’t go to college,” they wrote. “In order to get into the NYPD in the 90s, a friend pointed out, you had to have either 2 years of college or 2 years of military service. So which did Danny have?”
u/skieurope explained that Danny had enlisted in the Marines after high school and “either stayed in the Reserves or reenlisted after 9/11,” which would make him eligible to join the NYPD. However, the OP referenced other episodes that countered this and wrote, “I wish canon were clearer on this……”
Others pointed out that “Blue Bloods” has made glaring continuity errors in the past regarding the ages of the Reagan brothers. “It’s a case of the week show that’s been on the air for twelve seasons,” said u/Haltopen, demonstrating how the character’s beliefs have haphazardly switched from season to season.
While u/pizzaparitymick agreed that Danny could’ve joined the Marines after high school, they pointed to the writers. “We can’t expect them to keep everything in line for 12 seasons without some sort of issues,” they offered.