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This Friday night in Blue Bloods‘ two-hour season finale, Joe Hill (as scooped long ago by my Inside Line column) resurfaced in a big way. But in doing so, did he reveal himself to be a “black sheep” among the Reagan family? Or just very much his father’s son?
Not long into the finale’s opening hour, we — along with Danny! — realized that while AWOL all these months, Joe in fact had been sent undercover with some gun runners, working on behalf of the ATF. Thing is, while Danny was clearly unawares (and as a result, nearly shot his own nephew when stumbling across a gun sale), Frank and Jamie, who was serving as Joe’s NYPD handler, both knew. And that stirred some understandable friction amongst the men.
Adding to the tension, Joe’s op dovetailed with the brutal murder of an entire family, by a hired gun affiliated with Joe’s “boss,” Kenny. Worse, said hit man, Max Fagan, was brought in to replenish the ranks after a couple of the gun runners got nabbed during Danny and Baez’s earlier takedown. With squirrely Max breathing down the necks of both Joe and his cohort Tyce, Joe wouldnt or couldnt check in with his handlers as needed, though best he could/when he could, he left behind just enough information (via coded messages, signaling to surveillance cameras) for Danny and Jamie, now working together, to stay on his trail.
Frank, meanwhile, repeatedly locked horns with ATF Special Agent Weber (played by ageless ER alum Gloria Reuben), who questioned his intense interest in Joe Hill’s assignment — and who nearly blew a gasket when the commish informed her that Joe would only now report in to Jamie.
The first hour ended with a harrowing scene, where it appeared that anxious Max, after lobbing Joe’s cell out the window, pulled over and set fire to the car with Joe inside; but as it turned out, the charred corpse was in fact Max himself. Joe managed to get the jump on him, after which he and Tyce went on the run. But rather then let Danny and Jamie catch up to him to bring him in, Joe left more breadcrumbs for them to follow, all the way to New Hampshire, where Joe learned a massive munitions sale was to go down, in service of an assault on a courthouse.
As if all of that wasn’t enough, while on the run, a dirty ATF agent found Joe and Tyce at the motel they were holed up at, determined to take out whichever of them was the undercover cop. The agent “deduced” that Tyce was the cop and went to shoot him, but Joe whipped out a hidden side piece and shot out the guy’s knee caps. (How very John Reese!) Joe for some reason announced that he was in fact a cop, leading to a tough talk between him and Tyce, who had some ideas on where the “Big Bang” arms sale was going down. (That was when Joe used a gas station map to signal to a surveillance camera where they were heading.)
Danny and Jamie caught up to Joe and Tyce, just as Kenny and his goons did. A tense shootout ensued, though luckily the good guys had some of the heavier artillery on hand to hold their own. One by one, Danny, Jamie, Joe and Tyce took out Kenny’s men, though at one point, one almost got the drop on Joe… but Tyce came out guns a-blazing to save his cop friend, though at the sacrifice of his own life, while Joe took a non-fatal bullet to the torso.
In the aftermath, at family dinner (of course), the Reagans reflected on Joe’s perilous undercover gig, and whether his risk-taking ways made him the “new black sheep of the family,” the one who will always have them worrying. Frank, though, contended that any of them, on any given day, can be a black sheep. But Joe is “something special,” being “truly his father’s son. “
“And that’s a good thing…?” asked Joe.
“There is no better thing,” Frank assured his grandson.
Awesome!!! I loved every minute of it. Glad it was renewed and we’ll get more Joe next season
I wondered why Erin didn’t loop in Baez and Janko in the undercover op with Anthony.
When Jamie asked to speak to Danny privately I thought he snubbed Baez she’s like family now.
I was hoping for a baby Raegan announcement and the other grandkids to finally meet Joe
A tense nail biting double dose of
FABULOUS.
Will Hochman really does add sizzle back into Blue Bloods as Joe Hill. I hope he’s upgraded to a series regular with season 12. The character adds a lot to the canvas.
Agreed! I would also really like to see him as a series regular! Blue Bloods has still been good, but it seems to have lost a bit of its…yes, sizzle is a good word…with the loss of some of the characters. With Linda’s death, Nicki and Jack leaving home…it just hasn’t had the same snap as early seasons. But this episode gave us exactly what we’ve come to love about the series! Do you hear us, CBS? Make Joe Hill a regular at the Reagan family dinner table!
Two Full Hours Of Edge Of Your Seat Heart Racing Action. There’s A Reason Why Blue Bloods Is Going On To Season 12. The Action, Drama, Heartfelt Family Coming Together To Save One Of Their Own Makes This Show Must See Television. By Far The Best Episode Of The Season.
Best episodes of the season! Great finale. Glad Joe was added back into the mix! Bring on Season 12,
I was wondering if a new baby Reagan was going to be announced but that would probably be wrong since this was a Joe episode… But I would hope it is announced soon…
Hahaha, a baby is THE last thing that couple needs…Janko would be bitter about having to quit work, and Jamie would resent her for it.
Why would she have to quit work? There are tons of female cops with kids.
She won’t even want to go on maternity leave…likes the action too much.
Great season ending
Where was Baez during part 2? Seems odd she wasn’t helping her partner save his nephew.
Wasn’t Joe Hill a front page hero who was then outed by the press as the PCs grandson? How could he then go UC safely?
As I recall, Joe took the UC work, in part to get out of the spotlight in NYC. Given the rapid decay in the news cycle, he essentially got in anonymity back when these two episodes occur.
I loved this 2 hr Blue Bloods. I hope Joe Hill is a regular now. He really adds to the family tradition. I would like to see Nicky transfer in her job back to New York. I have watched the finale twice already. Saved the recording.
I love this show and loved the season finale!! Best show on tv, hands down!!
Please make the Reagan grandson a new regular character next season! He brings a new dynamic to the table.
Predictable but still loved it! Funny when Erin had to go against her law abiding grain.
It was a good episode. It was nice to see Gloria Rueben reunited with Tom Selleck again (Jesse stone TV movies). I was bummed when Tyce was killed.
yes to everything you said!
And Gloria Reuben & the actor who portrayed Tyce, Shannon Wallace, are on “City on the Hill” together right now, too…loved to see that. 🙂
I The bad: it’s still WAAAAAY too dark in the scenes.
The fanwalk: how the ATF didn’t know that Joe Hill was Frank’s grandson given that he made the papers. Joe said he was approached, Frank signed off on it, but no one thought to Google him?
The funny: several people saying “How many Reagans ARE there?”
The good: the rest of the show.
This is what happens when the EP is told “So you’re doing a 2 hour finale” and in their head they think this could be a signal that the show is ending. You go all out with guns literally blazing. And it worked. One story that pulled the 5 main leads in together, with the main supporting characters to actually support. Stakes being raised at every ad break. Sympathetic to Tyce who died and that his crepes place won’t happen. Call back to earlier storylines and in some ways, making it right. (Oh Blue Templar, what could have been until you were sidelined for half of season 1 then suddenly remembered and shoehorned in at the last minute and throwing aside key plot points with it.)
I know with Covid, things had to change in the writing and execution and the show suffered for it (not to mention some plots were SO STUPID.) But these were 2, if not the best, episodes of the entire series.
What I want to know is what happened to Max’s dog? Is he with the girlfriend? Last time the dog went to Jamie & Eddy’s precinct does Joe get this one?
Two of the best episodes this season. Hopefully, we see more if Joe next season.
That was amazing.
Great Show! Best one of season!
Sooo sad Tyce died, why? Otherwise great finale. The Joe Hill actor is hott! Please bring him back as a regular.
Best series on TV by far.
Now that was a finale 2 hours was satisfying, if there I a season 12 then I am all in. Love the Reagan family.
Really enjoyed watching Blue Bloods the season finale was excellent. Hope to see more of Joe Hill. Bring on season 12.
The dinner scene, which I always love, gave the sense that Joe finally felt comfortable at the Reagan dinner table, and that he was truly accepted as one of them. Not to bring him in as a regular would be a huge mistake. He brings so much to the table (no pun intended)!
Glad Blue Bloods was renuid. Friday nights would be boring without it. Enough you took off Hawaii five 0. Friday nights were great with all 3 cop shows Magnum Hawaii five0 and to top off the nigh Blue Bloods 💙
I loved it. Best season finale ever. So happy Joe Hill was back. He’s a great actor and has the chemistry to fit in with the Reagan family.
Season final