Why Blue Bloods Ends With Frank Reagan Without Romantic Partner Explained By Showrunner

After Blue Bloods‘ finale, there is one last storyline that the show never took the chance to explore. Led by Donnie Wahlberg (Danny), Tom Selleck (Frank), and a wide array of other stars, the show ran for 14 seasons before it ended due to an excessive budget. While viewers have been campaigning for another season of Blue Bloods, the show’s final episode aired on December 13 and saw the end of the Reagan family story. Even if a spin-off is eventually greenlit, Frank Reagan is unlikely to appear consistently, given existing salary issues. His story will end with that final family dinner.

Throughout its run, the show never explored one major narrative element for Frank: romance. After the death of his wife, Frank never had a long-term relationship. In an interview with TV Insider, showrunner Kevin Wade explained why they never went down that route with him. While they did attempt a romantic arc for the Commissioner, they never found it wholly convincing. Check out his quote below:

We didn’t discuss it much. The bar would be pretty high to be able to make a good Frank Reagan police commissioner story out of him dating. We tried it a couple of times with some success, but it wasn’t an area we visited a lot. He didn’t have a romance with Det. Baker [Abigail Hawk], but if this was a 1940s comedy with Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy or Cary Grant, Baker would be Gal Friday.

We called [Abigail Baker, Sid Gormley, and Garrett Moore] the Dream Team—but they were anything but… [Laughs] But they were a wonderful work family for him. So we didn’t give him a wife or a girlfriend but we gave him a blood family and a work family.

What Frank’s Lack Of A Relationship Meant For Blue Bloods

It Avoided A Well-Established Trope

After Mary’s death, Frank did occasionally have connections with women through his job, but he never entered a serious partnership. He was far too devoted to family and work, leaving little time for anything outside of his immediate circles. Even in Blue Bloods‘ final episode, he spends his last minutes on the show with his family, rather than announcing his own relationship or romantic bond.

Interestingly, Selleck has expressed his frustration that Frank was never especially flirtatious, as he always wanted to see that storyline in the show. While Frank wore his wedding ring throughout the seasons, that should not have precluded him from attempting to flirt with potential partners, even if it was never especially serious. Despite Selleck’s disappointment, avoiding that element meant subverting a typical procedural trope. Rather than having a romantic focus for every character, Frank was allowed to remain devoted to his late wife. He never felt the need to move on.

Our Take On Blue Bloods’ Lack Of A Romance

It Was A Missed Opportunity

The final season featured just 18 episodes, which is four short of typical expectations. With limited space, it is no surprise that Blue Bloods avoided featuring a romance for Frank. The entire point of his character is to serve as the patriarch for both his family and the police force. If he had been distracted by his own romance, he might not have been able to maintain that same image. The upcoming Blue Bloods spin-off might feature other relationships, but Frank Reagan was off the table. In reality, the show worked better without shoehorning that in unnecessarily.