The Reason Amy Carlson Left Blue Bloods

Amy Carlson’s abrupt departure from Blue Bloods in the Season 8 premiere was a major shock to fans of the long-running CBS series. Carlson played Linda Reagan, a registered nurse and supportive wife of Detective Daniel “Danny” Reagan. She was an integral part of the Blue Bloods cast since the first season and became a series regular in the second.

On Blue Bloods, Linda Reagan’s death was unexpected and upsetting, leaving fans extremely disappointed by the unceremonious send-off. As a result, Amy Carlson’s departure proved to be quite controversial with viewers. The producers decided to have Linda’s death happen off-screen, so viewers didn’t get to say goodbye in the saddest episode of Blue Bloods.

Who Was Linda Reagan on Blue Bloods?

Linda Was an Emergency Room Nurse at St. Victor’s Hospital

Linda Reagan was the wife of Detective Danny Reagan and the mother of Jack and Sean Reagan. She was an emergency room nurse at St. Victor’s Hospital in New York City. The role Linda played in Blue Bloods was essential, because she was the only adult member of the Reagan family who didn’t have a career in law enforcement. She would often voice her opinions openly during the Reagan family dinners on Sunday nights, which was a staple of Blue Bloods‘ early seasons and remains a vital part of the show’s heart.

Although Linda was not directly involved with law enforcement like the other members of her family, her job at St. Victor’s would often intersect with Danny’s police work. In the Season 5 finale of Blue Bloods, Linda treated a patient who was a witness to the shooting of NYPD Assistant Chief Donald Kent. She got caught in the crossfire when her patient was assassinated. Although Linda made a full recovery, she had to meet with a therapist to deal with the post-traumatic stress caused by the incident.

What Happened to Linda on Blue Bloods?

Linda Died in a Helicopter Crash Between Seasons 7 and 8

In the Season 7 finale, Danny’s home was destroyed in a fire, but thankfully, every member of the family survived and was unhurt. But later in a therapy session in the Season 8 premiere, it’s revealed that Linda died off-screen due to another tragedy. Danny was contemplating retiring from the police force because he blamed himself for Linda’s death in a medevac helicopter crash. She was airlifting a patient during the crash, which the therapist noted was at least an honorable way for Linda to go out. With the support of his family and longtime partner, Maria Baez, he ultimately decided to stay on the job.

Season 9, Episode 1, “Playing with Fire,” implied that the crash may not have been an accident but had instead been caused by a Mexican drug cartel. Even several years after Linda’s untimely death, the character is still mentioned periodically, and her memory still plays a significant part in Danny’s life. While some Blue Bloods fans have hoped that Danny would move on with Baez — since they have a chemistry similar to Bradford and Chen on The Rookie — showrunner Kevin Wade shot down the idea in a TV Insider interview last year.

Why Did Amy Carlson Leave Blue Bloods?

Amy Carlson Departed the Series After Her Contract Expired

Characters are killed off TV series for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, it’s to provide narrative impact, like Lauren German’s departure from Chicago Fire. Sometimes, it has to do with behind-the-scenes factors. In the case of Amy Carlson, her Blue Bloods contract expired after Season 7, and she chose not to renew it (though she did not give a specific reason why).

Carlson explained to Deadline that she was not invited back for the Season 8 premiere to wrap up Linda’s storyline. She voiced her disappointment with how her character was killed, saying, “I feel badly that she dies the way she dies. I did not know they would do that. I was surprised. I wouldn’t have done that.” Despite her reservations about how her character exited the show, Carlson also said in the Deadline interview that she would be open to returning in a flashback, but that hasn’t happened yet. This may be a greater possibility now that Blue Bloods is ending with Season 14.

What Hints Has Amy Carlson Given About Her Reasons for Leaving Blue Bloods?

The Timing of Carlson’s Departure Gives a Major Hint Behind Her Reasoning

It is true that Carlson technically has not given a specific reason for why she left Blue Bloods, but it is not like she went out of her way to avoid people speculating about her reasons, as she gave a very interesting reply in the aforementioned Deadline interview. Before we get into that, it is important to first note the timing regarding Carlson’s comments about her departure from the series.

In late September 2017, Blue Bloods began its eighth season, and Linda Reagan’s death was revealed. Everyone was shocked to see Carlson gone, and she made the following statement to Entertainment Weekly:

“My heart is full of gratitude to each of you for your generous support of me and my character for the last seven years of Blue Bloods – Linda Reagan. I have been touched by your compassion and enthusiasm. I loved playing Linda: wife to Danny, mother to Jack and Sean, nurse and working mom. I’m proud of my contribution to building this series. I’m so grateful to CBS and the Blue Bloods cast and crew. Mostly, I am grateful to the fans who have supported me and the show. Peace, blessings and many ‘love you mores’ to all of you.”

That is a pretty vague answer. However, a month later, the cast of Blue Bloods did an event at PaleyFest, and her castmate, Bridget Moynihan (Erin Reagan), noted, “We were all disappointed to see that she was going. It was unfortunate that she made that decision at the end of season 7, so we were stuck with the story line as we could get it… But I’m really thrilled for her to go off and pursue other things and follow what she felt was best for her.”

That comment clearly irked Carlson, hence her giving the interview to Deadline in November, where she was asked, “There have been comments by a Blue Bloods colleague that everyone on the show was surprised by your exit, which led to the unfortunate way Linda was killed off off-screen. What would you say about that?” Carlson retorted, “If someone had said they were surprised, and they didn’t know I was leaving, I would just respond to them and say it’s standard to have conversations with actors whose contracts are up prior to the season ending. It’s not that you start to shoot and don’t know.” Adding to that, Carlson mentioned that a scene in the Season 7 finale (where Danny and Linda’s house was torched by the drug cartel), “I didn’t know at that moment, but it was emotional to watch that house fake burn down because the future was uncertain. And it was emotional.“

In other words, Carlson’s contract was up, and as she alludes to, no one came to her before the season ended, and she felt her future was uncertain. It is very possible that while she ultimately said, “Okay, I’m leaving,” her departure could have been due to the show not showing enough interest in getting her to resign during Season 7. It seems unlikely that she would stress “it’s standard to have conversations with actors whose contracts are up prior to the season ending” if it weren’t for the fact that that DIDN’T happen here. So there appears to be more at play here beyond Carlson simply feeling it was time for her to move on, but because she’s a professional, she’s keeping mum on the details (while slightly calling out anyone on the show who was “surprised” to see her go).

What Has Amy Carlson Done Since Leaving Blue Bloods?

Carlson Has Been in a Number of Recurring Roles Since Her Exit from Blue Bloods

After Amy Carlson’s tragic departure from Blue Bloods, the actress has continued to appear in a variety of different television series. Most notably, the actress appeared as a guest on series like The Village (in which she played Julie Tucker), The Society (wherein she portrayed the character Amanda Pressman), and FBI: Most Wanted (in which she portrayed Jackie Ward). She has also made appearances in several films since leaving Blue Bloods, including Sunny Daze, The Incoherents, and, most recently, Know Fear.

Before Blue Bloods, Carlson was known for her roles on the daytime soap opera Another World, the NBC drama Third Watch, and the procedural Law & Order: Trial by Jury. After not appearing on a TV show between 2021 and 2024, Carlson returned to television in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in March 2024. She portrayed Katie McGrath, the wife of Terry Serpico’s Chief Tommy McGrath.

The Blue Bloods Finale Airs December 13

Could Fans See Linda Reagan One Last Time?

When Linda Reagan was killed off before Season 8 of Blue Bloods, many viewers were disappointed with her sudden exit. While that eliminates any possibility her character had for any new storylines, it’s still possible for viewers to see her again. Carlson has expressed her willingness to appear in flashbacks, and with the show coming to a close, it could be a good opportunity to give fans of her character some closure.

Nevertheless, some remain hopeful that she could return to Blue Bloods before its finale. Jennifer Esposito returned for the Season 13 finale despite leaving the series years prior, which suggested that anything is possible for the remaining episodes. Carlson still has a chance to return before the series finale, even if only briefly, like Dean Miller in the series finale of Station 19.