The family dinners on Blue Bloods have often been some of the most impactful scenes, especially during the long-running police drama’s first decade. Every episode has a family dinner scene, and the inclusion of these get-togethers reinforces the Tom Selleck-led series’ focus on family, which is one of the things that has made Blue Bloods so popular over the years. The Reagans have stopped praying before every Blue Bloods family dinner, and the scenes are shorter than they used to be, but the tradition is still going strong.
Blue Bloods season 14 has only eight episodes left, despite its popularity, and will end in December 2024. After the series ends, it will likely be remembered for the family dinner scenes, which have become iconic. While Blue Bloods season 14 has cut the family dinner scenes short, hurting its legacy, this aspect of the series will still be remembered fondly, especially the more extensive such scenes during the series’ first 10 years.
10.Linda Returns After Being Kidnapped
Season 1, Episode 18
While Blue Bloods avoids unnecessary violence, it’s never sugarcoated the fact that being a cop can be a dangerous job for both the police officer and their family. One of the earliest episodes to make this point occurred during season 1 when Linda was kidnapped by higher-ups in a criminal organization to stop Danny from testifying after he witnessed a murder. This episode was one of the most tense of the series’ freshman season, but the family’s reaction at dinner after Linda was safely recovered made it worth it.
This particular dinner was striking for its normality. Linda had been through a terrifying ordeal, but she returned to little fanfare, partially because her young sons had been told she was away at a spa and were unaware of how close they’d come to losing their mother permanently. Linda’s willingness to go along with the cover story when they asked and the family carrying on as usual was a testimony to the strength of all their bonds, and there was no doubt that the family was celebrating Linda’s safe return, even though nobody directly said so.
9.Remembering Joe Reagan After Learning Who Killed Him
Season 1, Episode 22
Joe Reagan’s death has cast a shadow over the Reagan family since before Blue Bloods began. He had been killed in the line of duty, and Jamie gave up his law career to become a cop, partially to get justice for his late brother. In more recent seasons, the conflict has centered around the difficulty Joe Hill and the other Reagans have had accepting one another, but in the first season, the Reagans didn’t even know exactly what had happened that led to the beloved family member’s death.
During the first season finale, Jamie’s discovery that a secret group of corrupt cops called the Blue Templar had killed Joe led to a somber family dinner. The family rallied around one another with their customary blend of teasing, faith, and support for one another, and afterward they went to visit Joe’s grave. These bittersweet scenes gave the Reagans — and viewers — a sense of closure before the next season began.
8.Celebrating Henry’s 60th Anniversary Of Becoming A Cop
Season 3, Episode 5
Blue Bloods season 14 keeps wasting Henry Reagan as a character, but earlier seasons did not make this mistake. One of the most impactful family dinners revolved around Henry’s 60th anniversary of beginning his career as a police officer. These scenes acknowledged Henry’s importance to the family as well as the importance of his career. It also again reinforced how important family values are to this series.
This family dinner scene is often remembered mostly for a young Sean announcing he wanted to be a fireman when he grew up. In the Blue Bloods universe, there is a longstanding rivalry between the police and fire departments, so Sean’s comment was off-putting to his family and led to a lighthearted moment. However, the more impactful part of the scene involved Linda surprising Henry with a cake, demonstrating how important he was to all the Reagans.
7.Everyone Attends In Their Uniform
Season 4, Episode 22
One reason there has been a massive fan-led campaign to save Blue Bloods is that the series offers a unique perspective on policing, and season 4, episode 22, was a strong example of it. During this episode, Danny was suspended from active duty after investigating a suicide that was related to corruption in the DA’s office and police department. Rather than vilifying the NYPD as an institution, Frank continued preparing to speak at the graduation from the police academy despite having to fire a member of his Dream Team who was involved in the corruption.
The dinner scene is notable partially because the entire family wears their uniforms to dinner in support of Frank’s speech and of police in general. The scene contains the usual lighthearted banter, with Linda’s decision to say a less serious version of Grace and everyone teasing Frank about his upcoming speech, which leads directly into his address. The family’s decision to dress in uniform also provides a sharp contrast with the disgraced Chief burning his folded uniform after being fired.
6.Danny Joins By Speaker Phone After Linda is Shot
Season 5, Episode 22
Usually, the Reagan family all eats dinner together; the only acceptable reasons to skip are a family emergency or an undercover assignment that makes it unsafe to attend. The season 5 finale provided that type of emergency, with Linda getting shot by a gang member while trying to save her colleague’s life after a gang shooting at the hospital. She was rushed into surgery, and it was touch-and-go at first, but Danny couldn’t spend all his time by her bedside because he had to work on catching the shooter.
This situation gave the Reagan family an opportunity to demonstrate how they support each other during difficult times. Linda was on the mend, but still in the hospital, so Danny skipped the family dinner to be with her. In one of the series’ most moving sequences, Danny called in via speakerphone and he and Linda participated in saying Grace after the family sent over a food delivery so that they wouldn’t have to put up with the hospital food.
5.Erin Confronts The Family About How Hard Being a Reagan Makes Her Job
Season 6, Episode 2
Many of Blue Bloods’ best episodes involve conflicts between Frank and one of his kids, and he and Erin often butt heads because the DA’s office and NYPD are not on the same page when it comes to policy. Family members are expected to put aside their differences during the Sunday family dinner. The second episode of season 6 was one of the few times they failed to do so, with Erin instead confronting her family about how much harder achieving her political ambitions was because of her relationship with them.
This made for one of the few tense Reagan family dinners. Friendly banter quickly gave way to resentment as Erin complained that the Reagan family name made it less likely she would get the appointment as a judge that she wanted. Despite the anger, the family eventually came together again, but these tense moments showed that their support for each other was not as perfect as it seemed, making them feel more like a real family.
4.The First Family Dinner After Linda’s Death
Season 8, Episode 1
Season 8 marked a turning point for Blue Bloods. After seven years, Amy Carlson decided not to return to the series, which meant Linda had to be written out, and Blue Bloods did so by picking up six months after her off-screen death in a plane crash. Linda was not only Danny’s rock and the steady, consistent mother her boys depended on, but played a big role in the family in general, and her absence left a gap that would be hard to fill.
The first family dinner after Linda’s death was one of the hardest for the family to get through. Although time had passed, Danny was still grieving. Instead of meeting at Frank’s house like they usually did, the family surprised Danny by setting up his new home for him and having dinner there. This dinner marked one of the few times that Frank was at a loss for words as the family sat down to say Grace, but he and the family were able to eulogize Linda and empathize with Danny’s pain.
3.Discussing Bringing Kids Into the World
Season 8, Episode 19
Season 8, Episode 19’s family dinner encapsulates the family values behind Blue Bloods more than any other episode does. The dinner occurred at the tail end of an episode in which Danny had to confront a loan shark who was holding a child hostage because her parents had borrowed money for a lifesaving medical procedure their daughter needed and couldn’t pay it back. After the child was rescued, the conversation at the dinner table turned to the idea that parents will do anything for their children and why that’s the right way to approach the responsibility of raising children.
These two minutes alone make this episode one of Blue Bloods season 8’s best stories. Danny explaining that parents owe their children everything because they brought them into the world led to a moving, relatable discussion of parenthood, including the difficulties of raising teenagers. Frank’s final comment that, in the end, “family is everything,” perfectly summarized the family values that make Blue Bloods such a special show. This conversation was the type of ordinary family moment that sets Blue Bloods apart from other police procedurals; hopefully, the series finale will end on a similar note.
2.Jamie Announces His Engagement to Eddie
Season 8, Episode 22
Jamie and Eddie’s relationship is understated in Blue Bloods. It’s mostly off-screen, especially now that they are married, and so was Jamie’s proposal to Eddie. Their romance is not the main focus of the series, which blends family and cop drama but tries hard to avoid soap opera elements. Nevertheless, Jamie’s announcement that he and Eddie were engaged was one of the best season-ending family dinner moments, despite not being as flashy or romantic as engagement announcements on other shows.
This heartfelt moment was the perfect feel-good way to end a season that had often been heartbreaking because of the family’s difficulty coping with Linda’s death.
At the end of season 8, episode 22, Jamie brings Eddie to dinner, surprising everyone because, most of the time, no one invites a guest — the tradition is for family only. However, after Jamie introduces Eddie as the “future Mrs. Jamison Reagan,” everyone congratulates them and welcomes Eddie to the family. This heartfelt moment was the perfect feel-good way to end a season that had often been heartbreaking because of the family’s difficulty coping with Linda’s death.
1.The Family Meets Joe Hill For The First Time
Season 10, Episode 19
Joe Hill is the newest addition to the Reagan family and their connection to the late Joe Reagan. He has had trouble fitting in with the Reagans, especially with Jamie, but when he first arrived, he was welcomed with open arms. Sean had discovered Joe’s existence while doing a genealogy project, but Joe’s mother had carefully shielded him from knowledge of his father’s famous family. Thus, the moment when Joe first walks through the door is doubly emotional because it resolved that conflict, at least temporarily.
Sean’s introduction is the most powerful part of this episode because it makes it clear that he intends to have a relationship with Joe Hill. Blue Bloods doesn’t usually offer season-ending cliffhangers, preferring to close out each season with a shot of the Reagans praying and eating together. However, Joe’s introduction came close to a cliffhanger because nobody knew how he would fit into the family after his brief introduction at the end of the season finale.
