One or even several characters on Blue Bloods could die before the show ends. The Tom Selleck-led cop and family drama has been a fan favorite for 14 years for its focus on family values and its mission to portray the New York Police Department in a fair and positive light. The show often won its Friday night timeslot and was so popular that CBS aired fan-selected reruns of the show during the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes, but CBS made the disappointing decision to cancel Blue Bloods, so it will air its final episode in December 2024. There has been widespread speculation that there will be a major death before Blue Bloods ends. Behind-the-scenes photos of Nicky’s (Sami Gayle) return showed several cast members in uniform, suggesting they’d just returned from a funeral, and a recent Blue Bloods season 14 update teased a possible death. If that happens, it would make the show’s ending bittersweet. While the four main Reagans are likely safe, as the finale will feature them working together to solve a case, there are a few characters whose deaths would have a major impact on the show’s finale. While Danny hasn’t worked with Jackie on a regular basis since season 3, her death would have a major impact on his final storyline. When Jackie returned in the season 13 finale, it sparked talk of whether Danny and Jackie could become romantic partners by the end of the series. Additionally, Jackie faces life-threatening danger when a serial killer targets her, which foreshadows how Danny would feel if something were to happen to her. His sadness and determination to save her on that occasion would be doubly painful if she died now, after having successfully prevented a tragic outcome for her once.
Jackie’s death wouldn’t hurt as much as a major character’s death, as Danny hasn’t worked with her on a regular basis for years. However, they clearly still have a connection, and the family would rally around Danny to support him once again, as they did when Linda died. That said, this death wouldn’t be the best choice for the series finale, as it would end Danny’s storyline with the loss of a third person after grappling with grief over both Joe Reagan’s murder and Linda’s, and would end the series on a downbeat note.
Badillo has only been a part of Blue Bloods since season 12, so he’s the perfect candidate if Blue Bloods wants to make the audience think a major character is going to die while killing off a minor character instead. However, his death would still have an impact because of his close and often antagonistic relationship with Eddie. When Badillo and Eddie were originally paired together, they couldn’t stand each other, but respected and cared for each other, and Eddie would likely be very upset if he were killed.
Eddie may realize too late that despite Badillo’s attitude towards her and the Reagan family in general, he actually cares about her and considers her a friend.
Any potential death of Badillo would likely happen during the course of a mission, which would make it have a greater impact, as Eddie would feel survivor’s guilt after the incident. Eddie may realize too late that despite Badillo’s attitude toward her and the Reagan family in general, he actually cares about her and considers her a friend. These revelations could have contributed to an emotional and memorable ending without being depressing.
Losing any member of Frank’s Dream Team would be heartbreaking, but Sid Gormley’s death would be especially heartbreaking. Although he’s only been working with Frank since season 5, Gormley has been a part of the series since the beginning, as he was originally Danny’s commanding officer, with whom Danny didn’t get along. Frank asked him to work with him after firing a corrupt member of his team, and Sid has been a thorn in his side ever since.
Gormley doesn’t go out in the field much and is the most vocal advocate for police in Frank’s department, often standing up for officers who should be disciplined for inappropriate behavior or corruption. So it’s hard to imagine a situation where Sid’s death would make sense unless he was terminally ill. However, while his death is unlikely, it would have a major impact, given his long-standing relationships with both Frank and Danny, even if it’s not the best ending for the Blue Bloods.
