Summary
Blue Bloodshas featured many compelling characters over its fourteen-year history. The Tom Selleck-led police and family drama has a large cast, with eleven characters who appear regularly and more recurring characters. The Reagan family itself consists of three generations of people who appear at the iconicBlue Bloodsfamily dinnerevery week. At least three or four of those characters have significant storylines in any given episode. Additionally, most of the characters have people they work with regularly, such as Erin’s lead investigator or Frank’s Dream Team.
Garrett Moore
Gregory Jbarra
While many long-running dramas experience cast turnover,Blue Bloods’cast has remained remarkably stable. By season 4, Jamie and Danny had gotten new partners. Meanwhile, Amy Carlson chose not to continue playing Linda after season 7, but most of the main cast has been with the series since its first episode.Blue Bloodshas only has a few episodes left, but all of the main cast members are expected to appear. As it nears the end, it’s time to look back on the show and determine whoBlue Blood’s all-time best charactersare.
Blue Bloods: 15 Best Episodes, Ranked
Blue Bloods has had many outstanding episodes over the fourteen years of the popular cop and family drama, making it hard to choose the best ones.
10Bugs
Derek Gaines
Danny has worked with a lot of civilians over the years, but Bugs is one of the most endearing. This minor character is a confidential informant of Danny’s who often works as a street vendor. Many of his scenes are more lighthearted, with him not understanding certain things or how criminal enterprises work. However, he was elevated above the typical minor character role when his brother died during a case that Bugs was helping Danny with.
Bugs' confrontation with Danny was an extremely emotional scene that added depth to his character.
Bugs was hurt and angry about his brother’s death. He blamed Danny for it, claiming that the Raegan detective was just using him and his brother with no regard for their safety or lives. Bugs' confrontation with Danny was an extremely emotional scene that added depth to his character. Scenes like this one make it easy to understand why he is a fan favoritedespite how much of a thorn he tends to be on Danny’s side.
9Erin Reagan
Bridget Moynahan
Frank’s only daughter is a tough-as-nails ADAwho often butts heads with her father. As the only girl in a house full of boys, she has to learn to advocate for herself early and has no problem standing up to anybody. She clashes with Frank regularly over policy issues and is not afraid to tell her brothers where they can stick to their requests for special treatment. Danny especially needs to hear this a lot, as he is constantly on Erin’s case about prosecuting his suspects or not letting them out on bail.
Although Erin can come off as judgmental or stubborn, her heart is always in the right place. Justice is important to her, and she takes it hard if she learns she mistakenly prosecuted an innocent person or a defendant was treated unfairly in a case that she was in charge of.Erin’s dedication to her values is similar to Frank’s, which is why they fight so much. The two of them are equally stubborn and convinced they’re right about everything, which leads them into constant conflict with each other.
8Anthony Abetemarco
Steve Schrippa
It’s hard not to like Anthony inBlue Bloods. Erin’s lead investigator is a proud Brooklynite who calls it like he sees it and is willing to do whatever it takes to get a case closed.Anthony and Erin have such a strong working relationshipthat they seem more like a married couple. At times his reactions, especially when Jack is in the picture, suggest that his feelings for Erin run deeper than he admits.
Anthony’s loyalty and willingness to stand up to Erin earns him an honorary spot on theReagan family treeregardless of whether she ever returns his feelings. However, he dislikes how tightBlue Bloods' lead family is because they can come off as self-aggrandizing. Anthony’s most entertaining episodes are ones where he’s forced to work with Danny, however. The two of them can’t stand each other and waste a lot of time bickering and throwing insults, but ultimately get the job done.
7Danny Reagan
Donnie Wahlberg
Danny has been the heart ofBlue Bloodsfor fourteen years. He’s a homicide detective who often gives Frank headaches because his impulsive, hotheaded behavior breaks police protocol. That said, he also closes more cases than anyone else and, more importantly, is a beloved member of the family. One of the most touchingBlue Bloodsmoments was when the family helped set up Danny’s new house after Linda died. demonstrating their commitment to him during one of the most difficult times of his life.
Danny has been a widower for six years, and much speculation revolves around whether he will find new love before the end of the series. He initially wasn’t interested, highlighting his loyalty to Linda and his grief over her death. Recently, however, he has realized that he has been holding himself back because he is afraid of losing someone else he loves again. Because of this, he may admit to feelings for his partner, Maria Baez, before the series ends.
Not only is Danny one of the characters most associated withBlue Bloods, but actor Danny Wahlberg is extremely passionate about the show he loves. Wahlberg has been one of the most vocal voices in favor of the series continuing, even joining afan-led movement to saveBlue Bloodsand recently suggesting that the Reagan family’s story is not over despite the series' cancelation.
Donnie Wahlberg: Net Worth, Age, Height & Everything You Need To Know About The Blue Bloods Actor
Donnie Wahlberg has had a quieter career than his brother Mark but he’s had some notable performances, which have added up to a notable net worth.
6Linda Reagan
Amy Carlson
Linda’s off-screen death at the beginning ofBlue Bloodsseason 8 rocked Danny’s world and demonstrated why she was such an important and beloved character. She balanced Danny perfectly, often calming him down when he was lashing out impulsively. She was a steady influence who made sure their boys were brought up correctly. She also had a ton of courage and didn’t let violence or threats deter her from having a happy life with Danny and her kids.
Outside of being a wife and mother inBlue Bloods,Linda was an ER nurse who was dedicated to patient care and refused to let anything get in the way of that.She died in a helicopter crash while working for the hospital, which was the only kind of death that would have been acceptable to her. Linda frequently had to stand up to unruly patients or deal with crime on the job. On various occasions, she was shot or mugged while at the hospital, but kept going back to work anyway, even though Danny thought it was too dangerous.
5Nicky Boyle-Reagan
Sami Gayle
Erin’s headstrong daughter hasn’t been part of the regular cast since the end of season 10, but one of the thingsBlue Bloodsneeds to do before the series ends is bring her back. Nicky provided a counterpoint to the rest of the family’s opinions, which was both entertaining and important. Although nobody agreed with her more liberal point of view, her connection to the family meant far more to them than political differences. This type of inclusivity is rare on TV, where people who have a different point of view than the writers or main characters are often demonized.
Nicky grew from an impulsive teenager to a thoughtful young woman who moved away to pursue her dream job at a liberal think tank. She had a brief cameo at a family dinner when Erin decided to run for Manhattan District Attorney, but has not had a real story since she left. Given this, it would be interesting to catch up with her and learn what her life is like now and how she’s changed since her move to San Francisco inBlue Bloods' final episodes.
4Abigail Baker
Abigail Hawk
Abigail Baker has been a member of Frank’s Dream Team from the beginning, but she didn’t always have a big part. For many years ofBlue Bloods, her main function was to take care of Frank’s schedule and let him know when a visitor had arrived at 1 Police Plaza. However, Abigail has also become a close confidante. She is willing to tell Frank when she thinks he’s making the wrong policy decision, and she’s one of the voices in the room he most respects and relies on.
Abigail’s courage and willingness to stand up to Frank make her a strong candidate toreplace him as the police commissioner whenBlue Bloodsends, should the series wrap up with Frank leaving his post. Aside from that, she is also someone that the younger Reagans can turn to for advice when they don’t want to involve Frank in a personal or political dilemma, making her one of the most valuable characters in the series.
3Henry Reagan
Len Cariou
Henry Reagan has mostly been wasted inBlue Bloodsseason 14, which is a shame. He is the patriarch of the family, but in recentBlue Bloodsepisodes, he has only been featured in the family dinner scenes, where he makes wisecracks or gives advice. Henry is a compelling character who served as Commissioner of Police many years ago and isn’t entirely on board with the changes he’s seen in policing since his retirement.
Although Henry is Frank’s father, in real life Len Cariou is only seven years older than Tom Selleck.
Henry misses active police workand occasionally helps out with a case inBlue Bloods. In one instance, Eddie discovered that he was acting as a vigilante who subdued robbers before the police could get to the scene. He also is not entirely comfortable getting older, and sometimes butts heads with Jamie for treating him as if he is mentally feeble. This was the case when Jamie was concerned about Henry giving an interview to a podcaster who was biased against law enforcement.
2Jamie Reagan
Will Estes
Frank’s youngest son is also the most sensitive. Jamie was originally a beat cop who gave up his plan to become a lawyer to join the police force after his older brother, Joe, was killed in the line of duty. During the first season ofBlue Bloods, Jamie focused on learning the truth about how and why Joe died. Afterward, he remained on the beat for several more years despite pressure from his family to become a detective.
As a beat cop,Jamie was especially gifted at helping de-escalate situations in which suspects had mental health conditionsthat were influencing them to be uncooperative or disruptive. He enjoyed helping such people even when it got him in trouble for not obeying his commanding officer’s instructions. However, he and Frank nearly had a falling out over Jamie’s refusal to take the Sergeant’s exam. Eventually, he decided to listen to his father, which was disappointing because he wasn’t nearly as interesting as a commanding officer.
Jamie’s new promotion, which allows him to work undercover, has helped resolve that problem. However, he has had little time to spend with Eddie because of their different work schedules. Hopefully, this will be fixed as the series wraps up. Consideringhow long it tookBlue Bloods' to getJamie and Eddie together, their relationship needs to play a significant role in the series' ending.
1Frank Reagan
Tom Selleck
There would be noBlue Bloodswithout Tom Selleck’s Frank Reagan. Frank’s conflicting roles as the Commissioner of Police and the father of two active duty cops is baked into the series' premise. Over the years,Frank has shown himself to be a complicated man who sometimes is too stubborn for his own good.He tries his best to live by his own moral code but sometimes comes across as grumpy or intolerant. However, Frank’s integrity has made him popular enough that five different mayors have kept him on despite his being a thorn in their sides.
Frank is also a grieving father and husband. His wife and son both passed away beforeBlue Bloodsbegan. However, the losses greatly influence him and his decisions, especially Joe’s death. In recent years, he’s tried to establish a relationship with the grandson he never knew, which has been difficult because of Joe Hill’s reluctance to be part of the family he never met as a child.
Blue Bloods
Cast
Blue Bloods is a television drama series that follows the Reagan family, a family of law enforcement officers in New York City. Led by Police Commissioner Frank Reagan, the series explores familial and professional dynamics as they navigate police work and politics, guided by their patriarch, the former Chief, Henry Reagan.
