Among TV procedurals, Blue Bloods was decidedly unique. Rather than focusing on a set of coworkers toiling away while fighting crime, the show focused on a complete family of police officers who were utterly dedicated to protecting their city. They served tirelessly and sacrificed everything for their work — save for their regular family dinners, of course. The show’s early cancellation meant that season 14 would be its last. A spin-off, Boston Blue, was quickly greenlit, and that show will follow Donnie Wahlberg’s Detective Danny Reagan as he begins his journey in a brand new city.
While Boston Blue will likely be interesting, the Reagan family was the biggest draw of the show. Every single member of the family was compelling and had a dedicated storyline of their own. They each had individual careers, motivations, and ambitions. Tom Selleck’s Frank Reagan was the most notable of those stars, but other members of the family certainly stood out. Among them was Bridget Moynahan’s Erin Reagan, who became a prosecuting attorney, who was never afraid to tackle controversial subjects. Unfortunately, one of Erin’s most touching storylines was hindered by a seemingly minor production mistake.
Bad To Worse Was a Brilliant Episode
It Provided Insight Into Many Characters’ Stories
In Blue Bloods, season 14, episode 13, “Bad To Worse”, the show offered some insight into a vast swathe of characters’ stories. There were only six episodes scheduled to come after, as episode 18, “End of Tour” would serve as the series finale. With so little time left after such a long run, most shows would focus on pushing the overall narrative forward. Uninterested in mere plot progression alone, Blue Bloods elected to direct attention to its characters instead. In doing so, it dedicates time to nearly every member of the Reagan family.
“Bad To Worse” features several storylines that all take place at once. Frank is left to put out emotional fires after Mayor Peter Chase (Dylan Walsh) neglects to attend the funeral of a firefighter. Danny and Maria Baez (Marisa Ramirez) investigate a brutal crime involving a human skeleton. Eddie (Vanessa Ray) even has to handle a complicated ethical conundrum as she attempts to process a criminal organ donor. All of these stories do feel larger-than-life, as Blue Bloods tended to, but Erin’s story was especially interesting. She planned to prosecute a crooked cop, only to find that Henry (Len Cariou) planned to aid the officer. Unfortunately, that genuinely compelling story was not executed perfectly.
Erin’s subplot had potential, but the actual execution left much to the imagination. The entire concept saw Erin attempting to prosecute a former officer who put his neighbor in an illegal chokehold. Henry planned to testify about the chokehold, and Erin assumed that he was defending the suspect. She was extremely offended, even going so far as to insult him over it. Because her relative was testifying, she was also forced to step down as the prosecutor, making it an especially sad story for Blue Bloods. Yet, when Henry did go to the stand, he had another plan entirely. Henry testified against the former police officer, insisting that Frank always found the chokehold repugnant. He argued that this was dangerous and entirely unnecessary. Erin was shocked at his testimony, especially given their earlier argument.
Erin is not the only skilled lawyer in the world, and “Bad To Worse” pretends otherwise.
