CBS’ “Blue Bloods” is a certified vet in the police procedural genre, having been on the air since 2010. One of the things that separates it from the pack is its focus on family. As longtime fans know, the family dinner scenes are the emotional anchors of the series, and they’re often the only time that all of the members of the Reagan clan are together on screen at the same time. It’s also the place where the family clears the air with cathartic arguments, shares tear-jerking remembrances, and, of course, engages in some well-meaning razzing.
That razzing is all the more satisfying when it involves some new blood. Although Eddie (Vanessa Ray) makes her Sunday dinner debut in Season 8, Episode 22, it takes some time for the future Mrs. Jameson Reagan to learn the family’s distinct sense of humor, as well as their loyalty.
In Season 9, Eddie ingratiates herself to the family by making her mom’s lasagna recipe in Episode 2 — the only thing she knows how to make, she jokes, besides margaritas. The meal is going smoothly until Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) calls a “code blue.” Soon, the entire Reagan clan is inserting themselves into Eddie and Jamie’s (Will Estes) wedding plans. “We’re gonna need a huge venue for the reception,” Erin (Bridget Moynahan) says. What really pushes Eddie over the edge, however, is when Erin implies the bride won’t even pick her own gown. “You’re going to look so beautiful in mom’s dress,” she says. Eddie’s tirade pushes “Meet the New Boss” into the upper echelons of family dinner scenes, and certainly the best one of Season 9.
Eddie proves she’s a real Reagan
As the Reagans — particularly Erin and Danny — giddily insert themselves into every aspect of wedding planning, Eddie snaps and firmly puts them in their place. “Your job, all due respect, is to show up and have a blast,” she says, holding court over the meal. “If anyone can’t live with that, I’ll send you pictures.”
To her surprise, the family responds with a round of surprise, revealing that a “code blue” is a long-held Reagan family tradition. When a new family member joins the fold, the rest of the gang calls a “code blue” to peel back their polite, people-pleasing facade. They pick a sensitive topic and go for the jugular — in Eddie’s case, her upcoming nuptials — to make sure the newcomer can hang.
“There’s a good reason for it,” Henry (Len Cariou) explains. “We don’t stand on ceremony here. We tell each other the truth. Sometimes the hard truth. But it’s all done with love.”
Episode 2 may be Eddie’s official Reagan initiation, but she truly comes into her own in the following week’s episode. In the aptly titled “Mind Games,” Eddie gives the Reagans a taste of their own medicine by pretending to get upset at the family’s hazing. When she reveals her motives (as well as her crocodile tears), the family can’t help but respect the payback, with Frank (Tom Selleck) donning the anti-“code blue” a new family tradition.