Blue Bloods’ cast and crew are grieving the end of the popular procedural, and main cast members such as Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg have spoken up about it. The crime drama about a family of cops continued to be popular throughout its fourteenth and final season. Nevertheless, CBS stuck to its disappointing decision to cancel Blue Bloods, and the series aired its final episode on December 13, 2024. The Blue Bloods series finale featured many aspects of the show that made it popular.
The final story revolved around every Reagan working on arresting gang members who were causing mayhem and shooting at public servants in an effort to force the release of incarcerated gang associates. In the final moments, the Reagans gathered for one last family dinner in Blue Bloods, where it was revealed that Eddie (Vanessa Ray) was pregnant. The finale thus did not wrap up every storyline, leaving things open for a reunion, spinoff, or reprieve. Additionally, most of the cast and crew continue to be vocal about their desire to return to producing Blue Bloods.
Donnie Wahlberg
The Danny Reagan Actor Is Sorry They Couldn’t Save Blue Bloods
Donnie Wahlberg is known both on and off the Blue Bloods set for his positive attitude, which makes his comments about Blue Bloods ending even more heartbreaking. Throughout season 14, Wahlberg held out hope that CBS would change its mind, continually stating that he hoped to be able to do Blue Bloods season 15 despite CBS’ insistence on cancelation. Wahlberg also co-signed a fan-led movement to save Blue Bloods and hoped to have good news.
Sadly, all efforts to save Blue Bloods failed to move the needle with CBS. After the cancelation was confirmed, Wahlberg said that he had held out hope of a reprieve for Blue Bloods until the finale and that reality was hitting hard. Most importantly, he felt terrible for crew members who were now out of work after 14 years. Wahlberg spoke on the failed attempts at saving Blue Bloods and how it affected all involved with the show:
“We got close to that crew, and they have, you know, families and mortgages and a lot of responsibilities. It was a really cool feeling to go to work every day knowing that hundreds of New Yorkers who work on this show had these careers that we were a part of. And just to know that that was ending, it was tough. It was tough. I’m sure it’s scary for them. It had a lot of emotion because of that.”
Wahlberg’s sentiments demonstrate one of the things that was so special about Blue Bloods. The cast cared deeply about the people they worked with and the fans that made the series’ continuation possible. While Wahlberg and other actors are undoubtedly sad to be out of work themselves, their main consideration seems to be for other people, which is something that should be celebrated.
Tom Selleck
Blue Bloods’ Most High-Profile Star Is Frustrated With The Cancelation
Blue Bloods’ Tom Selleck has been the series’ biggest advocate from its earliest days when he made continued focus on the Reagan family a condition of his participation. He was no different as the series wrapped up, doing many interviews in which he repeatedly said that he couldn’t understand why CBS was canceling one of its top-rated shows and that the show still had more stories to tell. Shortly before the final season premiered, Selleck shared his frustration surrounding Blue Bloods’ cancelation:
“During those last eight shows, I haven’t wanted to talk about an end ing for Blue Bloods but about it still being wildly successful… My frustration is the show was always taken for granted because it performed from the get-go.”
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Selleck’s frustration is understandable. Blue Bloods was consistently one of CBS’ top-performing shows, yet that didn’t save it from cancelation. Additionally, Selleck had put his entire heart and soul into this series and was one of the executive producers in 2024. While he has other potential projects, most notably the Jesse Stone movies, it had to be painful for Selleck to realize that the high quality of his longest-term project wasn’t enough to stop CBS from putting it on the chopping block.
Bridget Moynahan
The Actress Who Played Erin Reagan Is Glad She Still Sees The Cast Regularly
Blue Bloods’ Bridget Moynahan takes somewhat of a more optimistic view than many of her castmates. Although she was sad that the series ended, she focused on the positive aspects. Moynahan has called Blue Bloods’ ending “bittersweet,” and while she laments losing her job and wishes it could continue, she’s grateful for the 14 years Blue Bloods had and is glad that she still has the opportunity to get together with her cast.
The fact that the Blue Bloods cast was the same off-screen as on is a testament to how special this show and its cast were.
Moynahan’s attitude, like Wahlberg’s, shows how close the Blue Bloods cast and crew were behind the scenes. She mentions sharing birthdays and other special occasions with her castmates after the series wrapped, stating that they are “a family on and off-screen.” This type of closeness is comparatively rare in the entertainment world, and the fact that the Blue Bloods cast was the same off-screen as on is a testament to how special this show and its cast were.
Len Cariou
The Veteran Actor Grieved All Over Again During The Final Press Tour
Blue Bloods’ Henry Reagan was only a small part of the series by the final season. However, he was still an important character, and the actor who played him grieved the end of the series twice. In a November 2024 interview (via Yahoo! Entertainment), Cariou says that filming his final scene was “kind of strange in that sense, just like any other day, any other week.” According to Cariou, the final episode of Blue Bloods was not emotional for him, but he had a harder time when the cast reunited to promote the final eight episodes:
“And then lo and behold, a couple of weeks ago, we all got together for the wrap-up… and that was bittersweet. I just got used to the fact that we said our goodbyes and then everyone was back in the room together, and that made it a little bit difficult for me.”
Cariou’s statements are somewhat surprising, considering the sadness the entire cast appears to have felt. However, as a veteran actor who has been on many TV series in his career, Cariou might have taken the cancelation more in stride than many other actors. Additionally, Cariou’s comments make it clear that he was sadder about Blue Bloods ending than he believed he was at first.
Abigail Hawk
Until The Series Ended, The Actress Held Out Hope
Abigail Hawk’s Baker was a Blue Bloods fan favorite who is still on the top of the list of characters who deserve a spinoff. Hawk hasn’t commented specifically about the show’s cancelation. However, in October 2024, she said (via Hello! Magazine) that if CBS were to change its mind and ask them to do a 15th season, “we would all certainly drop everything and make that happen.”
Baker was a secondary character and not part of the Reagan family, which Hawk sees as an opportunity for a new series.
Hawk would also be open to a Blue Bloods spinoff starring her character. Baker was a secondary character and not part of the Reagan family, which Hawk sees as an opportunity for a new series, saying: “She’s this woman of mystery and there’s so much that we could just uncover and pull out of her.” Unfortunately, so far, CBS has not green-lit a series about Baker or any other Blue Bloods character.