I’m still not over Blue Bloods’ cancelation.
I haven’t deleted the series finale from my DVR and have watched bits and pieces of it over again, and can safely say it was one of the best episodes in a season full of them.
Our Blue Bloods Season 14 report card considers that this farewell season didn’t feel like a show going off the air—and that the final episode should have been a season finale, not a series finale.
Every episode featured good storytelling and the family values that made Blue Bloods such a great series, even though a few of them had a sillier concept than I would have liked (I rarely appreciate Danny teaming up with a random guest star who bugs the crap out of him).
Some of the best television ever produced, even the weakest episode of Season 14 of Blue Bloods. How many programs are able to say that?
Best Episode – “From Bad To Worse”
The second half of Blue Bloods Season 14 seemed to be even better than normal, making it nearly impossible to pick one episode that stood out more than the others. Perhaps this was because I was aware that the series was almost ended, which made me appreciate each new episode even more.
The series finale and the season opener were both excellent, and I nearly went for “No Good Deed” since I liked how Danny and Joe Hill were finally able to work together as a strong team.
For a number of reasons, I finally chose “From Bad To Worse” (Blue Bloods Season 14 Episode 13). Among other things, our Blue Bloods Season 14 report card gave Henry’s story great marks.
While Jamie will always be my favorite character, Henry is a close second, and he’s been severely misused during the final season.
For the most part, Henry only appeared at the dinner table, and even in the finale his entire role was an advice-giver.
Blue Bloods Season 14 Episode 13 was the final episode to give Henry a starring role, and it was a strong one.
The defense had called Henry as a witness in a case that Erin was prosecuting, and she was hurt that her grandfather hadn’t told her he would be working against her.
Erin had to recuse herself from the case since she couldn’t cross-examine her grandfather, which frustrated her. Ultimately, Henry came through, using his time on the stand to decimate the defense’s case instead of supporting it.
While there were some problems with this premise — witness lists are provided to opposing counsel in advance, and the defense would hopefully vet its witnesses better — this episode still gets high marks on the Blue Bloods Season 14 report card because Henry and Erin’s conflict was such a great example of what makes Blue Bloods special.
It’s usually Frank that Erin butts heads with when their job duties put them on opposite sides of an issue, while Henry tries to convince the two to stop being so stubborn and treat each other like the family they are.
Erin had an issue with Henry this time, and he got his victory when he outwitted the defense and his granddaughter.
In other moments, Henry also confronted Erin, demonstrating once more that he was not a weak elderly guy who was unaware of what was happening.
In addition, Tom Selleck and Mira Sorvino, the new fire commissioner in this episode, got along well. I hope there would have been a lot more of her if Season 15 had been released.
Worst Episode – “Two Of A Kind”
I get that Blue Bloods Season 14 Episode 9 had a purpose, but I didn’t like the Joe/Jamie story.
They were both probably tipsy when they got into that fistfight (not that that’s an excuse), but Frank was right that the two of them fighting reflected badly on the NYPD.
Worse, Jamie’s behavior was out of character.
While he has a temper and can get physical when it gets the better of him, he’s usually far more level-headed than that, and I didn’t buy that he’d get into a schoolyard-like brawl with his nephew.
Even though this episode gets low marks on the Blue Bloods Season 14 report card, it isn’t a bad episode, and it DID have a point.
Although it wasn’t evident at the time, this was the start of Joe Hill’s four-year plot concerning his conflicted feelings about his Reagan ancestry.
Even though Joe’s propensity to disobey orders jeopardized their cases and safety, he didn’t get along with his uncles, especially Jamie, and it wasn’t actually related to work.
Joe’s presence served as a continual reminder to Jamie and Danny that their brother, Joe’s father, had passed away, which they found difficult to cope with. However, following “Two Of A Kind,” everything started to change, and by the end of the series, Joe had been accepted into the family.
Best Storyline: Jamie And Eddie Fostering A Traumatized Child
Again, there were many storylines to choose from, and it was hard to narrow it down to the best because they were all so good.
But I loved Jamie and Eddie’s story with Amelia on Blue Bloods Season 14 Episode 11.
I have a special interest in children who don’t speak because of trauma (which is why I’m also all over Found Season 2).
Amelia didn’t talk almost the entire time she stayed with Jamie and Eddie, and her first words were “thank you” when her grandmother came to get her.
This heartbreaking plot received great marks on our Blue Bloods season 14 report card since it was written respectfully and truthfully rather than depending on the typical clichés about damaged kids.
I wished Jamie and Eddie would adopt Amelia since she was so adorable.
Even after her grandmother allowed her father to kidnap her twice, it didn’t happen, but it did result in Jamie and Eddie becoming parents.
Worst Storyline: Danny Works With An Obnoxious Brit
Danny’s misadventure with a British intelligence agent is typical of what Blue Bloods does once a season, where Danny has to work with a guest star, and their mutual hatred turns into mutual respect by the end.
If this weren’t the farewell season, Blue Bloods Season 14 Episode 12 wouldn’t have irritated me nearly as much.
Some people loved it for its lighthearted touch and the humor in Danny’s interactions with the obnoxious agent from the other side of the pond.
However, this wasted one of the last eight episodes. Baez was sidelined, as she often is during these types of episodes, so that was an hour of time we spent with the Brit instead of a beloved character.
Plus, the Brit did the stereotypical thing of acting superior and looking down on Danny, which was annoying.
Honorable Mention: Badillo’s Death
Badillo’s death gets high marks on our Blue Bloods Season 14 report card because this story was so strong.
Cops die on TV all the time (and, sadly, in real life.) Four days after Badillo’s death, FBI Season 7 Episode 8 opened its midseason finale with several cops being shot to death by a perp.
However, on shows like FBI, a cop’s death is often (not always!) a plot point. The FBI agents spring into action to catch the cop killer before they hurt anyone else, but that’s it.
Blue Bloods has never done things that way, and Badillo’s death was no exception.
Badillo was not my favorite character when he first began. He had an attitude toward the Reagans, and he annoyed me as much as he did Eddie.
However, Blue Bloods Season 14 did a lot to humanize him in what seemed like standalone episodes.
Some questioned the wisdom of having stories such as Badillo smoking pot and then refusing to go to rehab because he had to spend time with the son of his late partner when the series was ending soon.
These kinds of stories were good, but with so little time remaining to set up the finale, they felt like filler.
Scenes with Badillo, however, were covertly prepared for the conclusion.
I remember the fishing scene because it sets up Badillo’s relationship with this child and foreshadows his death, which sets up the poignant moment at the funeral when the police give the little boy Badillo’s police cap.
Fans of Blue Bloods, it’s your turn.
How did you feel about the last season? (Aside from the obvious fact that it shouldn’t be final.)