Blue Bloods Season 14, Episode 17’s Erin Update Cheats Viewers Of A Satisfying Payoff To A 12-Year Story

Blue Bloods season 14, episode 17, “Entitlement,” offered a positive update for Erin (Bridget Moynahan) — but unfortunately, it was done unsatisfyingly. Erin is one of Blue Bloods‘ best characters, especially when she is in court, but during “Entitlement,” she has a more personal storyline in which she tries to be a matchmaker for Anthony (Steve Schirripa) and a woman who the office was considering having testified in a trial. Erin thinks the woman and Anthony are attracted to each other and becomes determined to get them to go out with each other.

Erin is undeterred from her mission despite Anthony’s resistance, and spends one of Blue Bloods‘ final episodes pressuring both him and the woman, who gets so aggravated she tells Anthony to lose her number so that Erin will leave her alone. This leads to a surprising reveal for Erin when she talks the situation over with Jack (Peter Hermann) before making one last effort to get Anthony the happy ending she thinks he deserves and makes it clear she has one for herself. However, her joy is not earned, considering the way the reveal came about.

Erin and Jack’s Reconciliation Would Have Been A Perfect Wrap-Up If It Had Been A Full Story

Their Renewed Relationship Is A Popular Idea For The Blue Bloods Finale

Erin and Jack’s reconciliation could have been the perfect wrap-up. Their relationship has been tumultuous for the past 12 years, and during his early appearances, Jack is a villain in Erin’s story who cares so little about her and their daughter that he skips Nicky’s (Sami Gayle) sweet sixteen party. Yet, the pair has clearly been moving toward reconciliation since season 12, and allowing them to gradually fall for each other again over the course of the final season would have led to an emotional finale.

Unfortunately, Blue Bloods has the reconciliation happen off-screen, which meant that there was no payoff to a story that had gone on for a dozen years. Instead, Erin and Jack simply became a couple again without explanation. This is not satisfying, especially given how long these two have been dancing around the issue of trying again. Erin’s happy ending is meaningless without a strong story moment to go with it, and the scene where she links arms with Jack makes it feel as if the audience has missed something due to their reconciliation not being broadcast.

Blue Bloods Season 14 Could Have Tackled Erin & Jack’s Romance Instead Of Its Filler Episode

Too Many Stories Have Nothing To Do With The Blue Bloods Finale

Blue Bloods season 14 has the same solid stories as it has had for the past 14 years. If this were not the final season, these stories would have been fine; however, Blue Bloods needs to set up everything expected to happen in the finale, including Erin and Jack’s relationship. It would have been better to eliminate one-off stories, such as Sid (Robert Clohessy) moving two hours away in violation of the residency requirement, so that there would be room for the longer arcs that deserved priority in being properly wrapped up.

Blue Bloods prides itself on writing high-quality stories that don’t veer into soap opera territory, but it still could have achieved that end without sacrificing Erin and Jack’s arc and others that should have gotten stronger conclusions. For example, Jack could have appeared as a defense attorney, thus giving him a reason to be in the show again, and there could have been one or two scenes showing his relationship progress with Erin.

What Erin & Jack’s Rushed Reconciliation Can Reveal About The Blue Bloods Ending

Other Blue Bloods Storylines May Also Be Rushed At The End

Erin and Jack’s story is not the only one that needs to be resolved in the Blue Bloods series finale, but there has been little movement in any storyline. Sadly, it is likely that other subplots will be given the same rushed treatment, with key moments happening off-screen and everything wrapped up with a discussion during the final Blue Bloods family dinner scene or another unsatisfying reveal. Namely, Joe Hill (Will Hochman), Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) and Baez (Marisa Ramirez), and Jamie (Will Estes) and Eddie (Vanessa Ray) all have stories that need to be concluded.

Blue Bloods’ Jamie and Eddie storyline might be especially disappointing. The couple discussed starting a family in season 14, episode 11 — the same episode Jack was last seen — and there has been no further mention of their plans or how they are going since their initial conversation. It would be unsatisfying if the only other use of this story is Eddie announcing her pregnancy at the end of the series, but it looks like this may be the approach the series is taking, considering how little time is left to address this story.