One of the most heartbreaking things about Blue Bloods ending is that we’ll lose the Reagan family dinners.
By the time the series ends in December, the Reagans will have shared their dinner table with us 293 times. If you only watched one a day, you’d have almost a year’s worth of fictional dinners.
Every one of these scenes is an impactful reminder of how important family is to the Reagans, making it nearly impossible to decide which ones are the best.
The Reagans Remember Joe After Learning Why He Was Killed
After Saying Grace, The Family Visits Joe’s Grave
The first season of Blue Bloods centered around finding answers to why Joe Reagan had been killed. Joe had died before the series’ first episode, and Jamie was determined to honor his brother by getting to the truth.
By the end of the season, they had it, but it didn’t make anyone feel better to know that Joe had been murdered by Sonny Malevsky, who was trying to cover up his own illegal activities and abuse of power.
The dinner scene here provided a few minutes of relief from the tense scenes in which Frank showed a rare angry but utterly relatable side while confronting Malevsky, who then shot himself.
The Reagan siblings bickered over who got to say Grace and expressed their gratitude that they were all alive and together.
This scene was one of the most memorable Reagan family dinners because the family headed to the gravesite afterward and paid their respects to Joe right before the credits rolled.
This particular dinner also ended the season-long arc of the investigation into Joe’s death while showing the family’s continued closeness.
Although the banter at the dinner table is mostly light, Danny empathizes with Jamie being upset about having to shoot a suspect for the first time.
Frank follows up with his hope that neither of them will ever have to fire their weapon again.
This short exchange is also a stark reminder of the danger they all face and how much they lost via Joe’s unnecessary death.
Linda Surprises Henry On The 60th Anniversary Of His Becoming A Cop
A Lighthearted Family Dinner At The End of A Tense Episode
During Blue Bloods Season 3 Episode 5, a seemingly happy occasion took a turn for the worse when a detective who was supposed to receive an award was kidnapped by a drug cartel.
While Frank and Danny were pretending to go along with the hostage-takers’ demands while secretly plotting to get their cop back unharmed, Jamie had to put up with Henry’s backseat driving during a ride-along.
Jamie’s irritation and sense that Henry didn’t approve of how he did his job made the ending that much sweeter. It was also a welcome respite from all the tension that had come before.
The lighthearted family dinner scene also included Sean making the mistake of saying he was going to be a fireman when he grew up.
Blue Bloods subscribes to the tired TV trope that cops and firefighters hate each other, so Sean got off easy with everyone staring at him like he’d grown a second head.
The thing that makes this one of the most memorable Reagan family dinners is Linda’s surprise for Henry.
After dinner, she brings out a cake with candles, and everyone congratulates Henry on reaching this milestone.
This scene not only demonstrates the family’s love and devotion to each other, but also how valuable a member Linda was.
The Reagans lost something special when she died, and we can only hope that we don’t have a disappointing ending where Henry suffers a similar fate.
A Season 4 Episode Includes Everyone Wearing a Dress Uniform To One Of The Reagan Family Dinners
The Reagans demonstrated their respect for the institution of policing during the Season 4 finale.
This episode was heartbreaking for Frank. Being a man of integrity meant that he had to fire someone he had trusted to work alongside him at 1PP for the past four years.
Neither Frank nor the family let this get him down, however.
This episode contains one of the most memorable Reagan family dinners because everyone showed up in dress uniform, demonstrating their respect for Frank and the police.
Linda again provides a light-hearted moment during this family dinner when she insists everyone hold hands for Grace, which no one wants to do, only to make the funniest and shortest Grace in Blue Bloods history.
Linda: Lord, bless these sinners as they eat their dinners.
Nicky: Okay, that is officially the new Grace.
Afterward, the family teases Frank when he asks to practice the speech he is giving to some new recruits at a police academy graduation ceremony, but the dinner scene fades directly into his speech the next day while his family looks on.
Frank’s speech is beautifully juxtaposed with a corrupt cop and corrupt DA facing the consequences of their actions, making the final scenes of the hour even more memorable.
The Family Surprises Danny And Linda At The Hospital
They Had To Miss Family Dinner When Linda Was Shot, So The Reagans Brought It To Them
The one unwritten rule for Frank’s family: you never miss any of the Reagan family dinners unless you are dying.
Danny had an excuse on Blue Bloods Season 5 Episode 22. Linda had been shot, so he was at her bedside at the hospital.
In true Reagan style, Frank and the others made sure Danny wasn’t left out, connecting him and Linda with the rest of the family on speakerphone.
This thoughtful gesture demonstrates why it is a huge mistake to cancel Blue Bloods. It also isn’t the whole story, as the family had a further surprise.
The best part of the Reagan family dinners is the company, but the food is always high quality, and Frank and Henry couldn’t let Danny eat hospital food instead.
They arranged for food to be brought in for him and Linda in their hospital room so that they could enjoy themselves as best as they could.
This memorable Reagan family dinner demonstrates that no one in the family ever suffers alone.
Gestures like these are why so many people are heartbroken that the series is almost over.
The One Time That Erin Brought Her Problems To The Table
The Reagans Usually Put Their Drama Aside, But This Time She Had Enough
Another cardinal rule is that no matter what problems people have with each other or with work, they leave their negativity at the door when they come to family dinner.
There have been a few exceptions, usually involving Erin. She is as stubborn and rigid as Frank, and that sometimes makes her clash with everyone around her.
