Blue Bloods showrunner Kevin Wade explains why the final episode didn’t kill any Reagans. The CBS procedural explores the dynamics of New York Police Commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) and his family, who work for the NYPD and DA Office. Along with Selleck, the cast of Blue Bloods includes Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes, Len Cariou, Vanessa Ray, and Donnie Wahlberg. Surprisingly, when the series concluded on December 13, Frank and his family were spared, despite uncertainty regarding any future projects. However, the season 14 finale did see Luis Badillo (Ian Quinlan) die from a gunshot wound.
During a recent interview with TV Insider, Wade explained why the Reagan family survived Blue Bloods. An emotional death was part of the plan for season 14, but as he revealed, killing Frank, Danny (Wahlberg) or any other Reagan would not have benefited the series. When it came to choosing Luis, Wade added that he informed Quinlan in advance, as well as Ray, who portrayed his NYPD partner through various seasons. Read the showrunner’s comments below:
Let’s work backward. We didn’t see any value for the audience or the legacy of the show in killing off one of the Reagans. It wasn’t that kind of show. I don’t think people were going to go, “Thank God, Henry had a heart attack.” Or “Good, Danny would get shot and killed.” But we did have to sacrifice somebody, It affected Eddie very strongly, so that was important.
So when it was decided, I got with Ian and Vanessa, and said, “Look guys, Badillo is going to die, but there will be great scenes for both Eddie and Badillo.” I wanted to get ahead of it, and then in sharing it with him, I said, “It’s good news: Your character dies and you’ll get all this attention.
What These Comments Reveal About The Blue Bloods Ending
The Show Cares About The Reagans, As Well As The Audience
For a long-running crime drama that features many characters, a major death is not uncommon. In fact, some viewers have come to expect devastating or alarming scenarios to play out, especially during finales. It could have made for a solemn ending and generated more discussion, but fans of Blue Bloods will likely appreciate how the series concluded each Reagan storyline. Based on what transpired, and Wade’s comments, it seems that everyone involved actually cares about the Reagans, as well as audiences who supported the show for 14 years.
A lot of the action in season 14, episode 18, “End of Tour” occurred early on, when Luis died and Mayor Peter Chase (Dylan Walsh) was publicly targeted. As the main family is concerned, Erin (Moynahan) and Jack Boyle (Peter Hermann) continue to work on their relationship, deciding to get married. Danny expressed interest in meeting someone new, and eventually asked Maria Baez (Marisa Ramirez) to get food. Eddie and Jamie (Estes) reveal that they are expecting a child, and Frank helped solve the shootings.
Our Take On The Blue Bloods Ending
Not Killing Any Of The Reagans Was Smart
Opting to celebrate the Reagan family, instead of potentially turning their world upside down, by avoiding death was a smart move for Blue Bloods. Because they are so close, as evidenced by that final dinner scene and Frank’s open gratitude, killing any one of them would have been a lot to process, and in the final episode, they might not have had time to. It also leaves the door open, should the series ever return in some capacity, by assuring audiences that the Reagans are still together.
