It is easy to neglect that Blue Bloods is not only a cop drama — it is about politics.
It is not fairly like Madam Secretary, which was an overtly political present with a familial subplot. However it is not nearly cops fixing crimes, both.
Blue Bloods Season 11 Episode 10 reminded us of that properly when Frank needed to have interaction in all types of political manipulations to attempt to get the governor to signal a police reform invoice with out upsetting his cops.
This type of factor is precisely what makes politics such a unclean phrase.
I want we lived in a world the place the chief of the NYPD may come proper out and say that he helps sure police reform measures, body them in phrases that make rank-and-file cops understand he is proper, and be carried out with it.
However sadly, in as we speak’s tremendous polarized world it does not work that method, and Frank would not have the ability to do any good in any respect if the police union began urgent for his ouster primarily based on a political disagreement.
So Frank did have to seek out one other technique to sign his assist of the invoice to the governor, and utilizing Erin as an middleman made essentially the most sense.
I bought all that, however I did not fairly perceive what the governor gained by responding with a extra excessive model of the invoice that he knew Frank would by no means assist.
The governor hates Frank and hates being painted as anti-cop due to his assist for police reform, so if Frank is keen to assist a reform initiative privately, why not take the win?
Governor: So what does he need me to do?
Erin: Ignore what comes out of 1PP about this invoice.
Governor: That I am a defund the police man, one other radical leftie that is a part of the Blue Lives Do not Matter crowd?
I do not see what he completed by enjoying this recreation, apart from making himself be ok with getting one over on these pesky Reagans.
That may have soothed his ego, but it surely did nothing for his constituents or his greater pursuits.
Since Frank wasn’t publically supporting the invoice, the governor may have made a whole lot of noise about what an awesome concept it was and the way out of contact police management is. THAT would have given him his vengeance on Frank AND superior his personal agenda.
Would not which have been higher than sending over the model of the invoice that he did?
In fact, governors do not make laws; they signal it. However nonetheless, this entire factor did not make sense to me.
I did like Erin’s response to the governor’s nonsense.
Governor: I at all times take a look at a present horse within the mouth, even examine its tooth.
Erin: Ever come to remorse that? Whenever you lend a person a hammer, he remembers that. Should you hit him over the pinnacle with it, he remembers that too.
Governor: Is that is about me passing you up for DA?
Erin: You are on a roll as we speak, aren’t you? My household has its flaws identical to any household. This is one in every of them: after we give our phrase, we maintain it and we anticipate others to do the identical.
She identified his lack of integrity and the way it mirrored on him, not on Frank. The governor’s emotions are most likely harm much more now and he is absolutely searching for one other promotion to move Erin over for.
It is a good factor there aren’t any protection attorneys within the household searching for a keep of execution for a shopper as a result of he would most likely refuse it simply to spite the Reagans.
I hate that type of petty politics, however there it’s.
Frank’s dialogue with Erin about neither of them being a saint was an awesome payoff for this entire mess he’d put Erin in the course of, although.
Frank: When did you determine I did not get the place I used to be by being a saint?
Erin: Lengthy earlier than our lunch the opposite day.
Frank: And when did I study you were not a saint?
Erin: Most likely once I was six.
I at all times love their father/daughter talks, and this was no exception.
And Reagans might at all times maintain their phrase, however Frank rapidly certified that he would not ask Erin once more… except he REALLY wanted to. That wasn’t a lot of a promise in any respect!
However let’s speak concerning the different in-the-middle state of affairs: Jamie and Dion
Dion was proper to be upset with Jamie all through a lot of the hour. Mentorship is meant to be mentorship. It is speculated to be guiding the child towards a greater life than he would have had in any other case.
Once I signed up for this program, I believed I used to be signing up for mentorship, not for use as a rat.
Dion
It is NOT speculated to be grilling him about what he is aware of about gang actions or utilizing him as a casual snitch.
Jamie ought to know higher than that. His character is well-suited for being an actual mentor to a child in want, and it was a disgrace he needed to spoil it together with his incessant questioning of Dion.
I would a lot moderately have had a narrative about how Dion was attempting to chop ties with the gang however was struggling due to his buddies making enjoyable of him hanging out with a cop, which is what it regarded like we have been getting throughout the first scene.
And did anybody else assume this was going to finish with Dion in a physique bag?
The child informed Jamie a billion occasions that he did not need to be a snitch, bought beat up, and did not need to flip towards his brother.
Jamie pressed gang members for information about what they have been doing to Dion — whereas they have been conscious that he was the cop that had Dion’s ear.
He got here on sturdy with Dion about turning on Dante.
And Dante acknowledged Jamie and mentioned Dion was “useless to him,” which may simply have been gang converse for him ordering successful.
It appeared like Jamie’s investigation was going to result in Dion’s homicide. I am glad for Jamie and Dion’s sakes that we did not go there, however I would have liked for Jamie to need to battle with guilt over Dion’s destiny!
In the meantime, there needed to have been a greater technique to examine the abuse happening in Yolanda’s home than consistently displaying up there.
Eddie’s conduct bordered on harassment, and the way in which she pushed Yolanda’s employer to confess she was being abused was annoying. That type of stress hardly ever leads to something apart from the survivor shutting down altogether.
The place was that social employee who rode alongside on Blue Bloods Season 11 Episode 6? THIS would have been time to ask for her assist.
Lastly, I want Danny’s case had been a bit extra fascinating.
A homicide of a feminine gamer involving misogyny and loss of life threats may have been fascinating, but it surely became a run-of-the-mill homicide case.
Essentially the most compelling factor about this one was Sean displaying as much as assist his dad out on the proper second.
Sean has already been accepted into school someplace, however may he change his thoughts and go to the police academy as a substitute?
Both method, I loved him serving to Danny out and would love extra of that!
I did not see the purpose to Meghan and Andrea trying alike — and Danny and Baez had met Meghan on the outset, so why did not they discover this?
Additionally, should not Meghan even have been arrested for threatening Ralph with that knife? Danny mentioned if she attacked him it will spoil her life, however nothing occurred besides she bought a hug from him.
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Jack Ori is a senior workers author for TV Fanatic. His debut younger grownup novel, Reinventing Hannah, is out there on Amazon. Comply with him on Twitter.