‘Blue Bloods’: 25 Best Episodes, Ranked
It’s been 14 seasons of over 250 episodes of the Reagan family, their loved ones, memorable family dinners, debates over the table, tough and personal cases, and so much more. But all good things must sadly come to an end, and such is the case with Blue Bloods this fall.
Before it does, however, we had to take a look back at the episodes that made this CBS drama so good, from the ones with great guest stars alongside Tom Selleck, Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes, and the rest of the cast to the ones that put members of the family in danger to the cases we couldn’t forget once the credits roll.
Scroll down to see our picks, ranked, then let us know yours in the comments section.
Blue Bloods, Season 14 Part 2 Premiere, Friday, October 18, 10/9c, CBS
This is an excerpt from TV Guide Magazine’s Blue Bloods: The Special Farewell issue. For a look back on the long-running series and more scoop on the final episodes, pick up a copy of the issue available on newsstands and for order online at BlueBloods2024.com.
25. “Forgive Us Our Trespasses” Season 13, Episode 21
Welcome back, Jackie! Danny and Baez team up with Danny’s old partner Jackie (Jennifer Esposito), now the chief in a small town, when victims in both their jurisdictions match the MO of murderer Dr. Leonard Walker (Mather Zickel). What’s worse: The serial killer attacks Jackie in her home! Still, it’s an awesome onscreen reunion for fans. Meanwhile, Erin is conflicted about running for DA when she realizes that what she wants to do is not necessarily what the job would entail. Plus, Archbishop Kearns plays mediator for Frank and Mayor Chase.
24. “Thanksgiving” Season 2, Episode 8
This dinner table holiday was made for the Reagans. But the family’s annual Turkey Day celebration is marred when Henry (Len Cariou) has a heart attack as he and Danny’s wife Linda (Amy Carlson) are preparing the feast. Henry survives and is well enough by episode’s end for a sweet twist on the usual family dinner: They sit down to eat their Thanksgiving meal in the hospital. Also, Erin learns her boyfriend Jacob (In Plain Sight’s Frederick Weller) is a suspected art thief, and Danny and partner Jackie (Esposito) think they’re working a suicide case, until they look deeper into the victim’s boyfriend’s dating life.
23. “Pilot” Season 1, Episode 1
Meet the Reagans: former police commissioner Henry (Cariou); his son and current PC, widower Frank (Selleck); and Frank’s adult children, cop brothers Danny (Donnie Wahlberg, above, with Carlson and Tony Terraciano) and Jamie (Estes), and their sister, lawyer Erin (Moynahan). Jamie joins the NYPD, leaving a legal career behind. Danny crosses a physical line with a perp while tracking down a missing girl in desperate need of insulin—and faces the fallout. And the first family dinner brings them all together.
22. “Unwritten Rules” Season 4, Episode 1
It takes no time at all for the banter to begin between these new partners, feisty Edit “Eddie” Janko (Vanessa Ray) and Jamie. Eddie, having only graduated from the police academy a week prior, is thrown right in with a case involving the fatal shooting of a young female officer. Danny believes he’s found the killer (Reacher star Malcolm Goodwin), but the case is complicated by an elderly witness who struggles to ID the man. Erin says she can’t put this shaky witness on the stand and clashes with Trial Bureau Chief Amanda Harris (Chicago P.D.’s Amy Morton). Things become so complicated that even Frank (Selleck) is involved.
21. “True Blue” Season 12, Episode 4
Secret secrets are no fun…and Jamie learns that firsthand when he discovers a safe-haven bar for the NYPD and FDNY after he comes across a fellow officer helping another, off-duty and drunk. Eddie’s partner, Rachel Witten (Lauren Patten), questions remaining on the force after a woman spits on her when she tries to help. Danny and Baez (Wahlberg and Marisa Ramirez) look into teacher-student relationships after a death at a private school. And Frank must address a police brutality issue involving Baker’s husband (guest star Jarid Faubel), who hasn’t been the same since getting shot on the job.
20. “All the News That’s Fit to Click” Season 6, Episode 3
Jamie is skeptical of eager reporter Lorenzo Colt (Zachary Booth) going on a ride-along — and that’s before he’s shot while out with Jamie and Eddie (Ray). Since Colt was in NYPD gear, the crew worries they might have a would-be cop killer at large. Danny and Baez’s investigation into the shooting is further complicated when Colt refuses to cooperate with the police, choosing instead to share key information (his shooter’s identity!) with his online readers first. And Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Garrett Moore (Gregory Jbara) receives a tempting job offer — set up by Frank — but turns it down.
19. “Unsung Heroes” Season 6, Episode 8
Serial killer Thomas Wilder (Louis Cancelmi) returns, not only with a new victim but with chilling threats to Danny’s family in this creepy hour. Plus, Jamie questions a sergeant’s (A.J. Buckley, SEAL Team) decision to break protocol, and the situation gets physical. Special Assistant to the Commissioner Sid Gormley (Robert Clohessy) must figure out how to handle Jamie’s insubordination, even though he sides with him. And Nicky’s (Sami Gayle) classmates protest when her grandfather Frank speaks at her college, starting a conversation about generational attitudes toward the police.
18. “Protest Too Much” Season 3, Episode 17
There’s no awkward getting-to-know-each-other period for Danny and his new partner, old pal Det. Maria Baez, as they work a Bonnie and Clyde-style bank robbery. Meanwhile, Frank gets a rare chance to flirt when he meets with an ACLU representative, Whitney (24’s Sarah Wynter), who happens to be Erin’s friend. Whitney and Frank appear to have more than a working relationship, and an uncomfortable Erin confronts her father upon learning that the two had drinks together.
17. “Fear No Evil” Season 14, Episode 3
Following Treat Williams’ real-life death in 2023, the drama honored his character, Lenny Ross, with this poignant episode. In it, Lenny’s daughter Tess (Simone Policano) calls upon Frank to get her out of jail, and while visiting her, Frank learns that his former partner has died of cancer (and that Tess’ grief led to the bar fight that got her arrested). To her surprise, he refuses to make the charges against her go away, despite his friendship with her father. The episode ends with a heartfelt tribute from Frank: “Save me a seat at your table, and I’ll see you on down the road.”
16. “The Greater Good” Season 7, Episode 1
“You ever regret being a cop?” Danny asks Frank. And he’s not the only Reagan pondering that question. Jamie and Eddie are frustrated after an inebriated congressman (John Thomas Cramer) is protected from a DUI, and Frank is asked by an old friend to “fail” her son out of the academy. But the highest stakes come when Sopranos vet Michael Imperioli, as a lawyer from the attorney general’s office, probes Danny about his shooting of serial killer Wilder for kidnapping niece Nicky. Danny is adamant he didn’t do anything wrong and his quiet, calm testimony completely engrosses the courtroom—and viewers.
15. “Something Blue” Season 9, Episode 22
It’s a Reagan family wedding! But before Jamie and Eddie (Estes and Ray) can get hitched, the bride and her future sister-in-law Erin have a disagreement over a case. The couple also grapple with what it means to become a Reagan, Frank worries about getting his toast right, and Lena joins the family for the rehearsal dinner — a twist on the weekly meal. In the episode’s final touching moments, Eddie asks her future father-in-law to walk her down the aisle. Frank never looked so proud.
14. “Unbearable Loss” Season 7, Episode 10
In this powerful episode, an outspoken critic of the NYPD, Reverend Potter (Chicago Med’s Ato Essandoh, right), struggles to find common ground with the Reagans after his young son is murdered. A distressed Potter, who feels Danny isn’t doing enough to find the person responsible, hinders the case. Meanwhile, Jamie is mugged by the son of a cop, and he worries when the boy’s father comes looking for him. Also, Erin confronts the shady owner of a prisoner transport company (Bruce McGill) after a preventable fatality.
13. “Common Enemies” Season 9, Episode 19
When the wife of cartel member Luis Delgado (a fantastic Lou Diamond Phillips) is murdered, Danny must trust the criminal to help him take down the bad guy. But the man who is to blame for this tragedy is also responsible for the death of Danny’s wife Linda. The two men surprisingly bond. Also, Frank comically meets with Eddie’s mother Lena (Christine Ebersole) after learning she’s been using his name to help her deal with a problem in her apartment building. And Jamie and Erin clash when a confession he receives is contested because the suspect was intoxicated.
12. “The Job” Season 2, Episode 12
While driving home, Danny, Linda and their sons Jack and Sean (Tony and Andrew Terraciano) find themselves in danger after Danny stops to help a man who ran into the street. A gunman arrives, shooting at the man—and his bullets just miss the boys in the backseat. Marital tension results, and Danny clashes with Erin as he tries to catch the shooter by any means necessary. Frank also opens up about his experience in the North Tower on 9/11, delivering an emotional eulogy after an old colleague dies: “All that is left for we, the living, to do is honor them, take care of them and rededicate ourselves to the cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion.”
11. “This Way Out” Season 3, Episode 23
This action-packed conclusion of a two-parter — and the Season 3 finale — packs an emotional punch. Jamie’s partner Vincent Cruz (Sebastian Sozzi) has been fatally shot on the job, and we see Jamie in a spiritual tailspin as he questions his faith. Adding to the hopelessness: The NYPD and the mayor’s office host a town hall meeting to foster peace at the Bitterman Housing complex, but instead, Mayor Carter Poole (Arrow’s David Ramsey) is shot and paralyzed. Getting anyone to name the gang members responsible proves nearly impossible, but the bad guys go down in the end.
10. “Happy Endings” Season 11, Episode 12
Tensions are high in this one. Frank must face possibly losing his primary aide, Det. Abigail Baker (Abigail Hawk), after she is attacked from behind while carrying groceries at night. With a broken nose and bruised ego, Baker is told she can’t work the case herself and wonders what her response might have been if she’d still been in the field. Frank, thankfully, finds a way to make things right. Also, Erin makes a risky bet with her ex-hubby Jack about the outcome of a case, leading them to go on a romantic weekend trip, which ends, of course, at the weekly dinner.
9. “Keeping the Faith”Season 13, Episode 1
A domestic violence call is connected to Erin’s trial against a cartel member — the husband takes out her witness — but the Reagans don’t realize this until after the perp’s released, and as they try to bring him back in, Jamie is shot. It’s also the worst possible time for Frank to be MIA; he’s out with Archbishop Kevin Kearns (Prison Break’s Stacy Keach) to look at what’s really happening in the city. Plus, Erin must decide what she wants the narrative of her personal life to be as she runs for DA.
8. “Partners” Season 5, Episode 1
How does Jamie feel about Eddie? That’s the question he must answer—and then determine what it means for them on the job—after his chivalric reaction when she’s pushed down while responding to a domestic disturbance call. Jamie lays into the guy in a way that reminds us of his big bro Danny. Speaking of: While detailing a convoy that is transporting confiscated drugs, Danny and Baez are attacked by a cartel that ram into their car and shoot at them. The case takes a personal—and tragic—turn when Baez learns that her brother Javier (Oz veteran Kirk Acevedo) is involved as a DEA informant. Also, Frank deals with the fallout from a decorated lieutenant’s actions that led to the grisly death of a man disturbing a crowd in Times Square. All three stories are deeply moving—even if Jamie eventually backing away from his obvious feelings for Eddie made us want to hurl a remote at the screen.
7. “Fog of War” Season 10, Episode 14
Country singer Lyle Lovett guest stars as Texas Ranger Waylon Gates, who comes to the Big Apple after a U.S. Marshals convoy that included Danny and Baez loses a witness he had captured. Gates reluctantly works — and eventually bonds — with Danny. Jamie is questioned over his actions as the supervisor of an operation after an officer mistakenly shoots a plainclothes sergeant. Erin must decide whether to charge a man who claims he shot two guys who were trying to rob him, only for evidence to prove there’s more to his story — and Mayor Peter Chase (Dylan Walsh) weighs in.
6. “Justifies the Means” Season 11, Episode 16
Can the Reagans face losing another Joe in the line of duty? With Frank’s newly discovered grandson Joe Hill undercover with the ATF, the family is beyond themselves with worry when he goes off the grid while on his mission. (Selleck reunites with Jesse Stone costar Gloria Reuben, who plays a special agent.) The family still finds plenty of time to argue — all while trying to come up with a creative solution to pull Hill out of harm’s way. The good news: Jamie and Danny are able to track him down across state lines. But his cover’s blown, and no one knows why he isn’t coming in!
5. “To Protect and Serve” Season 4, Episode 3
“Please don’t hurt my family.” For the Reagans, that’s code to hit the ground — literally — and Danny uses it in this harrowing episode when Erin is held at gunpoint in court. It all starts when Danny ignores Homeland Security’s warning to back off of an informant, tracks down his murder suspect (Armando Riesco) and makes an arrest. In court, the suspect steals a police gun and holds Erin (who’s accidentally shot), her ex-husband (and the suspect’s lawyer) Jack Boyle (Peter Hermann) and other bystanders hostage — and will only talk to Danny. It’s especially distressing to see Erin, the only noncop Reagan, in the middle of this potentially fatal situation.
4. “The Art of War” Season 5, Episode 22
Reagan down! One of the family is shot in the second episode of a two-parter that follows the murder of Deputy Chief Donald Kent (24’s Dennis Haysbert) of the gang division. Linda, at the hospital when a hitman is sent to kill a witness to the murder, is caught in the crossfire. Danny can’t maintain his cool, and seeing the hotheaded detective try his best to slip past everyone keeping him outside as Linda is rushed to surgery — and his ending up in little brother Jamie’s arms — is heartbreaking. Later, Danny gets creative in hopes of convincing the shooter to flip on gang member Mario Hunt (guest star Cliff “Method Man” Smith). The effects of what happened to Linda carry over into Season 6.
3. “Family Secrets” Season 10, Episode 19
Surprise — it’s a boy! Frank learns that he has another grandson, Joe Hill (Will Hochman), when Danny’s son Sean (Andrew Terraciano) looks into his family ancestry for a school assignment. Joe’s mother (Bonnie Somerville) — who never told the late Joe Reagan about Joe Jr. — turns to Frank with a transfer request for a safer assignment for her son. She’s not happy with his response, but Joe is still more than welcome at Sunday dinner. “Call me whatever you want…except ‘sir,’” Frank tells the new Reagan relative in a poignant moment. Meanwhile, Jamie and Eddie face an emotional case about an adoption ring, leading the two to ponder kids.
2. “The Blue Templar” Season 1, Episode 22
A season-long investigation into the Blue Templar, an organization of dirty cops, concludes with multiple members of the Reagan family teaming up, once Jamie finally clues them in on his own detective work. One of the Blue Templar killed Frank’s eldest son, Joe Reagan, before the series began. The action culminates in a chilling scene where a furious Frank sweeps the glasses off a bar and demands, “Who shot my boy?”
1. “My Aim is True” Season 8, Episode 22
Who needs dating to know you’ve found the one? The will-they-or-won’t-they of Jamie and Eddie is firmly settled after she saves him on the job and he shocks the entire family by bringing her to the weekly dinner — and by announcing that they’re engaged! Frank’s wedding present is a transfer offer. But since there’s no rule in the handbook that says married couples can’t be partners, Jamie and Eddie prove their devotion to each other, reciting vows right then and there. “I will always have your back. If you fall behind, I’ll wait up,” they promise. “No retreat, no surrender. You can count on me.” Awww!
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G
All the episodes of Blue Bloods are outstanding and that is why it is such a great program. There is still more that could be done with this cast and crew if they would just cancel the cancellation. Will dearly miss the cast and dinner at the Reagan table.
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G
Some good episodes for sure! A few of them I wouldn’t have used. (This is just my personal opinion, and I’ve felt this way for years… I don’t care for the Jackie Curatola character.) I wouldn’t have had that episode with her return on the top 10.
Definitely will miss this wonderful show! Shame on CBS! They should be boycotted! Pres. Amy Reisenbach should honestly be fired for all her recent bad decision making.
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L
Being reminded of these episodes made me remember even more how much I love Blue Bloods. It could make you think, cry even laugh and be part of a family you wish you had.
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C
The best episode is the one where Frank finds out Joe has a son (first on the list).