Blue Bloods‘ Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) has had many witty, wise, or otherwise memorable quotes over the series’ fourteen-year run. Frank walks a fine line as the NYPD Commissioner of Police who also has two sons who are active members of the police force. He treats them like any other police officer, and even if there are hard feelings, they put them aside to attend the Blue Bloods Reagan family dinner that is part of every episode.
Although the emphasis on family is one of the reasons that Blue Bloods is popular even after CBS confirmed its cancelation, the series also stands out because of Frank’s commitment to integrity, which makes him one of Blue Bloods’ best characters. Frank always does what he believes is right regardless of the personal or professional cost. His integrity helps him maintain self-confidence in the face of opposition, and he often disarms opponents to his decisions with a charming smile and a witty comment.
15.“Only A Fool Seeks Peace By Inciting Violence”
Season 6, Episode 10
Frank has deeply held political ideals, and his disdain for those who protest violently is one of the most consistent things about his character. He made this statement about rabble-rousers in an episode that included a story about anti-government advocates threatening to burn the American flag if they didn’t get their way. While audience members might disagree about whether burning the flag (or threatening to) constitutes violence, it’s interesting to look at Frank’s perception of the matter.
Additionally, this quote solidifies Frank’s character as a leader who isn’t afraid to take unpopular stances. Frank’s opinion wasn’t applauded by everybody, and some saw it as a tacit approval of censorship of political protesters. However, Frank’s moral compass is always his value system and not public opinion, which is what makes him so formidable to his political opponents even though it can also make him a liability at times when he digs his heels in about an issue instead of seeing the bigger picture.
14.“No Matter The Hardship Or The Loss, This Family Does Not Stand Down. EVER.”
Season 7, Episode 22
There has been no better summary of the values at the heart of Blue Bloods than this statement. Although the series is a police procedural, at its core it is about family sticking together through thick and thin and supporting one another even though they sometimes butt heads or get in each other’s way. The Reagan family’s loyalty and love for each other resonates deeply, especially considering how few family dramas currently exist on television.
The episode this quote came from is one of the strongest examples of the Reagan family values. A drug cartel had targeted Danny after he intercepted an illegal shipment worth millions, but even the cartel was no match for the Reagans. Frank did whatever it took to protect his son, even acknowledging that it was best that others not know the details, and in the end, the cartel lost.
13.“Everything Worthwhile Has A Personal Cost”
Season 11, Episode 1
It isn’t easy to follow one’s moral code, and no one knows that better than Frank. His family’s love and support are always guaranteed, but sometimes even those bonds have been frayed by Frank’s stubborn refusal to give in to what his children need professionally if it comes at the expense of his values. Frank’s job is also often on the line when mayors or other political figures see him as disloyal because he refuses to support their pet projects when he sees the initiative as harmful to the NYPD.
Frank’s wisdom about the cost of fighting for worthwhile causes was especially poignant.
In this episode, Frank had a rough time because of protests against perceived police brutality. As the Commissioner, Frank’s first loyalty was to the rank-and-file cops, but public sentiment had turned against the NYPD, and tensions got so bad that he considered resigning. The episode was also tough for him because Danny and Baez had disappeared and almost died. Thus, Frank’s wisdom about the cost of fighting for worthwhile causes was especially poignant, and scenes like these are one of the reasons that CBS should continue Blue Bloods.
12.“[T]he Most Fundamental Divide Among Us… [Is] Between The People Who Lost A Child And The People Who Haven’t.”
Season 14, Episode 4
There has always been a tragic shadow hanging over Blue Bloods, and that’s the death of one of Frank’s sons. Joe Reagan’s death was explained in Blue Bloods season 1 after Jamie investigated and almost lost his own life, but understanding the senseless reasons for it has never made it any easier for Frank or any of his children. The entire Reagan family has been brokenhearted over their loss, and it becomes especially poignant after season 10 when Sean learns about the existence of Joe Hill, the son Joe never knew he had while he was alive.
The pain comes to a head in season 14, episode 4 when Frank learns that a decorated officer is the son of the man who killed Joe, which was unknown at the time of hire because the man used a different last name. Frank’s dilemma over whether to fire this cop for keeping his identity to himself when he applied to be an NYPD officer is a reflection of his pain, which is summarized nicely in his comment about how people who are fortunate enough to not have lost a child don’t understand the depth of his grief.
11.“Life Isn’t Fair, But You Can Be”
Season 1, Episode 6
Frank’s grief and pain over Joe’s death have also taught him hard life lessons. He is extremely dedicated to values such as fairness, integrity, and honesty, and it’s likely important to him that everyone does the best they can to be fair to others despite life’s hardships because of the rotten hand he was dealt when his son died.
In this episode, many people were dealt similarly unfair blows. Danny and Jackie were looking for the people who supplied drugs to a party where three teenagers died and the fourth only survived because Jamie got to the scene on time. To make matters worse, it turned out the survivor had been targeted personally and the would-be killer tried again. Neither the cops nor the victim and her family could do anything but try to be decent people in the face of this unnecessary devastation, making Frank’s comment as poignant as it was wise.
10.“We All Die, Sonny. It’s Just A Question Of When.”
Season 1, Episode 22
Frank said this during the final confrontation with Sonny Malevsky, the dirty cop who had murdered Joe. His entire confrontation with the cops who had permanently silenced his son was one of Blue Bloods’ most powerful moments, and this was the climactic exchange. Malevsky ended his own life immediately after Frank’s comment, and that was the only way this could have ended.
Sonny Malevsky was one of Blue Bloods’ most evil villains, but he messed with the wrong family when he killed Joe. Although Frank is not a violent man, he is similar to the heroes of old-time Westerns who do what it takes to enforce their moral code, and when Joe’s killer smiles and laughs about what he has done, Frank’s darker side comes out. Frank’s final words to him are also the culmination of an entire season’s worth of grief and search for answers, making this one of the most powerful quotes in Blue Blood’ long history.
9.“Better to Be Judged By 12 Than Carried By Six”
Season 2, Episode 2
Danny Reagan used to get in trouble because of his temper and his tendency to ignore the rules so that he could get confessions and close cases. In season 2, episode 2, however, he had to answer for something that wasn’t really his fault. During this episode, Danny accidentally shoots a fellow cop, which puts him under Internal Affairs’ microscope more than any of his other behaviors ever had.
Frank’s statement speaks both to his support of Danny in this instance and his grief over losing Joe. Having two other sons in the police force has been stressful for Frank because of the possibility that he could lose another one to death on the job. This quote sums up his feelings on the matter, pointing out that even if Danny were to face trial by jury for this shooting, at least he would be alive rather than being carried in a coffin to his final resting place.
8.“This Is Not The Caine, And I Am Not Captain Queeg, So Please Do Not Tiptoe Around Me.”
Season 8, Episode 22
Frank’s comment alludes to an unstable character in Mutiny On The Bounty, which was a novel by Herman Wouk that also was made into a historical epic movie starring Humphrey Bogart. Frank’s allusion to it suggests that at the very least, he is familiar with the classic film. Not only does the quote fit the themes of the episode, but it also shows a side of the character that a lot of crime shows tend not to.
Frank’s comment also came from his guilt over having sent six innocent men to jail who were now going on a killing spree after their release.
Frank’s comment also points to a theme that emerged in the later seasons of Blue Bloods. His strength as a leader and refusal to be swayed by public opinion makes some of the people he cares about feel intimidated. This problem was prominent in a season 14 episode; however, when Frank made this statement, he was pointing out he was not an unstable leader that people had to fear telling the truth to. Frank’s comment also came from his guilt over having sent six innocent men to jail who were now going on a killing spree after their release.
7.“They [News Interviews] Are Seldom Brief And Never Painless”
Season 3, Episode 3
Frank has had a love/hate relationship with the press throughout Blue Bloods, especially those who work for the fictional New York Ledger, which is constantly publishing inaccurate and incendiary headlines about him. This was made clear as early as season 3 when he made this comment during an early scene.
This quote is interesting because it has little to do with the episode’s plot; it’s a throwaway line that Frank makes during a meeting before the events of the episode. However, he would have had good reason to be skeptical of the media later in the episode, as the news would have loved to sensationalize the serial killer Danny was investigating or Erin’s court battle with her ex-husband, who is the defense attorney going up against her on an important case.
6.“Balls Is Knowing The Cost And Going Ahead Anyway.”
Season 4, Episode 3
Frank dares to live by his moral code regardless of the consequences, but encouraging Jamie to do the same is probably one of the hardest things he’s ever done. In season 4, episode 3, Jamie had to be disciplined for disobeying orders even though he did the right thing. Jamie had been told to stay at the scene of an accident but didn’t listen because he had promised a young child who had been injured that he would stay with him, and thus he had been suspended for disobedience.
This was a difficult episode for Frank because Jamie got into this trouble at the same time as Erin was shot during a hostage situation in the courtroom, which was doubly frightening for Frank and the other Reagans because of Joe’s death. Thus, Frank’s comment about knowing the costs was doubly poignant when he couldn’t do anything for two of his children and was reminded of a third child’s death.
5.“It Took A Long Time For This City To Get Its Swagger Back. Wouldn’t That Be A Victory Here?”
Season 6, Episode 1
Almost every NYC-based television series offered a tribute episode after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Blue Bloods did not begin production until thirteen years after the deadly event, but it still offered one of the most poignant post-September 11 episodes in television history, which is where this quote comes from.
The story in this Blue Bloods episode revolved around a potential new terrorist attack in New York City. As police commissioner, Frank was responsible for keeping the city safe, and there were fears that a new attack was coming. This led to a tense investigation and a brutal fight with a suspect that left Danny severely injured. However, as Frank pointed out, the city had finally gotten its swagger back so the terrorists hadn’t won, which was a strong, positive message that focused on the refusal to give in to fear rather than the results of this particular investigation.
4.“I Don’t Want To Make Some Kind Of Clever Move That Backfires And Ends Up Washing The Mayor’s Hands For Him Either.”
Season 7, Episode 20
Frank is not fond of politics and rarely considers optics to be more important than a strong statement of his values. However, he is aware of how things look and will not act in a way that benefits what he considers to be corrupt or inappropriate behavior. That’s what happened on Blue Bloods season 7, episode 20 when Frank learned that the mayor had been behind getting a bail reduction for an arrestee accused of assaulting a police officer.
Frank knew he had to handle the situation appropriately, but he had to tread lightly so that he didn’t inadvertently absolve the mayor of responsibility for his behavior. This quote summed up his dilemma as well as reinforced the idea that Frank would never support the mayor at the expense of the NYPD or of his integrity.
3.“I Can’t Just Look The Other Way, Devon, Because You Decided A Rocky Mountain High Is Okay.”
Season 8, Episode 8
This quote represents Frank’s Joe Friday moment. In the classic police procedural Dragnet, Joe Friday always emphasized that he had to enforce the law and that if the law changed, he would change his behavior accordingly. Similarly, Frank had to discipline a police officer who had tested positive for marijuana because marijuana use was illegal in New York at the time, and it was against NYPD policy for officers to use it.
Although Frank’s decision was unsurprising, given his focus on integrity, he wrestled with it because the cop in question was a decorated officer who did a lot of good for the city. Frank’s statement sums up this conflict, as he ultimately decided he couldn’t look the other way on a rule-breaker regardless of how well the cop was doing his job.
2.“How About This? You Don’t Tell Me To Have A Heart And I Don’t Tell You To Use Your Head.”
Season 9, Episode 16
Frank won’t hesitate to put his subordinates in their place if they are doing something as dangerous as it is disrespectful to his authority, which is what happened when Sid attempted to cover for an officer who appeared to be having cognitive and memory issues. After an off-duty detective opens fire at a convenience store, Sid offers to visit the cop in Frank’s place. However, Frank eventually learns that the detective is exhibiting signs of dementia, leading to a tense confrontation with Sid.
This biting statement from Frank was his response to Sid insisting that they should ignore the cop’s condition because he’ll lose his benefits if he retires this young. Frank wasn’t about to let Sid get away with accusing him of being heartless, and he was right not to. Leaving this detective to his own devices was dangerous, especially considering that he had already shot one person without reason. Frank deftly stood up for himself and the public with his comment to Sid while also pointing out that Sid was not seeing the bigger picture here.
1.“Change May Be The Only Constant But Not All Change Is Equal.”
Season 10, Episode 16
Frank has gone toe-to-toe with five different mayors, all of whom he shared mutual respect with to different degrees. Mayor Chase (Dylan Walsh) is both the most recent and the most challenging mayor as far as Frank is concerned, as he is always pushing forth policy initiatives that Frank sees as short-sighted and harmful.
Frank made this statement about change during a Blue Bloods episode early in Chase’s term, making the point that change for change’s sake is not a good idea and that the mayor should think things through before setting radically different policies than what had come before. However, Mayor Chase did not take this advice to heart, thus establishing an adversarial relationship that is likely to remain that way until the series ends.
