9 Characters That Need To Return To Blue Bloods Before It Ends
There are several missing characters who must return before Blue Bloods ends. Despite high ratings for the long-running police procedural, CBS has confirmed that Blue Bloods will not return for season 15, and there are only a few episodes left before the series wraps up. One of the things that should happen before Blue Bloods ends its long run is bringing back some characters who haven’t been to the show for a while. This would offer the audience a sense of closure as well as something to look forward to in the series’ final episodes.
Although the cast has been remarkably stable over the police and family drama’s 14 seasons, there are a few empty seats at the Reagan family dinner table. Some of Blue Bloods’ best characters left because actors decided to exit the series. Luckily, many major characters were written out in a way that allowed them to come back to visit. Additionally, many recurring characters have not appeared in a while, and featuring them again might enhance the series’ final episodes.
9. Maggie Gibson
Callie Thorpe
Maggie Gibson is a psychic who reached out to Danny and Baez to help with an apparent suicide that was really a murder. After her debut, she appeared several more times in Blue Bloods. She is an interesting character because she has managed to break through the generally skeptical Danny’s defenses. By her last appearance, she has become a friend rather than someone who merely offers information about cases that Danny is having a hard time cracking. She also has claimed to connect with Linda spiritually and has tried to help Danny move on after his wife’s death.
While Maggie’s last appearance could be considered an end to her story, it would make sense for Blue Bloods to pay homage to her character by including her in one of the final episodes.
Danny and Maggie’s unusual friendship has led to speculation that they could become a couple in the future. However, Maggie hasn’t appeared in Blue Bloods season 14 yet. Her last appearance was in season 13, after she became a victim rather than a consultant. While Maggie’s last appearance could be considered an end to her story, it would make sense for Blue Bloods to pay homage to her character by including her in one of the final episodes.
8. Mayor Peter Chase
Dylan Walsh
Although Mayor Chase is not a popular character, he is an important one to Blue Bloods’ central premise. Chase is the latest person to occupy the mayor’s office, and he and Frank constantly butt heads over policy. Chase is a more liberal mayor whose policies often cause trouble for the NYPD, as far as Frank is concerned. Because of this, the Raegan family patriarch often refuses to cooperate with him, confronts him directly, or otherwise does things that Garrett thinks are political suicide.
Despite this rich conflict, Mayor Chase has not been seen since the first episode of Blue Bloods season 14. Interestingly, however, he and Frank had a cryptic discussion about retirement that might have foreshadowed the series’ end. If Frank steps down, it will be Chase’s responsibility to appoint Blue Bloods’ perfect replacement police commissioner, so he will be an important part of any such ending. Frank’s conflicts with mayors have been a significant part of the series from its first episode, so Chase should also return to pay homage to this aspect of the series’ premise.
7. Donna Duvall
Erika Slezak
Donna only appeared in two episodes of Blue Bloods, but she had great chemistry with Henry. It would be a fitting ending for his character if he and Donna found love near the show’s end. She first appeared as a neighbor of the Reagans’ during a bittersweet story in season 9 involving Henry tracking down a package that was missing from his porch. Donna’s granddaughter had taken it because she needed money to feed her drug addiction. Unfortunately, the girl died of an overdose before Donna could follow Henry’s advice and get her help.
Since Donna’s only other appearance also involved Henry helping her, it’s clear the two have a strong friendship that goes beyond simple neighborliness. Thus, even if it doesn’t blossom into a late-in-life romance, it would make sense for Donna to appear again to close out Henry’s storyline. Henry has been mostly wasted during Blue Bloods season 14, but a final story with Donna could help correct that problem.
6. Lena Janko
Christine Ebersole
Eddie’s mother is annoying, but her reappearance could solidify Blue Bloods’ legacy of being a family-centered police drama rather than a pure procedural. Lena hasn’t been seen since Jamie and Eddie’s wedding. In Blue Bloods season 9, she was a recurring character in the lead-up to the occasion. Lena tends toward superficiality. Her previous appearances gave Jamie the chance to demonstrate that he could support Eddie in her dysfunctional relationship with her mother and undo some of the damage that Lena’s strong opinions did.
Jamie and Eddie’s solid marriage could be a focal point for the final few episodes of Blue Bloods, as they are now the only married couple among the Reagans. Thus, the police procedural could end with them expanding their family to include a new baby. Whether this is the case or Jamie and Eddie remain child-free, Lena’s reappearance could reinforce the idea of family bonds being important, especially if the series ends with her and Eddie’s relationship in a better place.
5. Bugs
Derek Gaines
Bugs is a highly entertaining minor character in Blue Bloods. He is a confidential informant of Danny’s who makes up for his lack of understanding with his sincerity and intention to do the right thing. He is most often found selling items to make money to survive and sometimes gets arrested for something minor as a cover for his work with Danny. Most of his stories are more light-hearted than other Blue Bloods plots. His last appearance, however, showed another side to him when he blamed Danny for his brother’s death, claiming he didn’t want to cooperate anymore.
Bugs is a popular recurring character, so it would be fitting for Blue Bloods to again feature him before wrapping up.
Bugs’ last Blue Bloods story seemed like it might have been an ending for him, though it was open-ended enough that he could return. Half the money from a drug buy he was working on disappeared, and he denied knowing anything about it. Danny let him go after thanking him for saving his life, but Bugs could return to New York one last time. After all, he is a popular recurring character, so it would be fitting for Blue Bloods to feature him again before wrapping up.
4. Joe Hill
Will Hochman
The grandson Frank didn’t initially know about has been a part of Blue Bloods on and off since the end of season 10. His struggle to determine where he fit in the Reagan family has been a large part of his stories. That resulted in him butting heads with the other Reagans on the job, especially Jamie. He is the only part of the late Joe Reagan left and a painful reminder of what everyone lost, especially because he resents that he never knew his father.
There have been too many episodes where Joe’s absence has been explained by him being too busy to attend that week’s Blue Bloods Reagan family dinner.
This is a story that definitely needs to be wrapped up before the series ends. There have been too many episodes where Joe’s absence has been explained by him being too busy to attend that week’s Blue Bloods Reagan family dinner. Thus, it will be an emotional ending if he chooses to attend the final one and fully become part of the Reagan family. His father’s death will always cast a shadow over all the Reagans, but ending Joe Hill’s story that way would provide a much-needed sense of closure.
3. Jack Boyle
Peter Hermann
Erin has been in an on and off again relationship with her ex-husband for several seasons, and Blue Bloods needs to wrap up their storyline for a satisfying conclusion to her story. Jack expressed interest in reconciliation during season 13, only for Erin to reject him because she thought it would hurt her campaign for Manhattan District Attorney. However, Erin has since dropped out of the race, so there is no real reason to avoid Jack now, other than his hurt feelings over her previous attitude.
That said, Erin has good reasons not to trust Jack. He cheated on her, leading to the end of their marriage. He also pushes ethical boundaries as a defense attorney. Their relationship should be resolved one way or the other, however. Additionally, even if they part as friends or co-parents, it would be fitting for Erin and Jack to try one last case against each other before Blue Bloods wraps up. Doing so would pay homage to their relationship throughout the series and solidify Erin’s role as an assistant district attorney in search of justice.
2. Jack Reagan
Tony Terraciano
Danny’s older son left Blue Bloods at the end of season 10 to go to college and figure out what he wanted to do with his life. This mirrored real life, as actor Tony Terraciano left the series to pursue his education. Terraciano is currently in medical school, with limited time to drop by the Blue Bloods set, though he has made a few other cameo appearances as Jack Reagan since exiting the series.
The entire Reagan family needs to be present at the final family dinner, as that would help repair the damage to Blue Bloods’ legacy as a family-oriented drama. Although it may not be possible for Terraciano to do more than that because of scheduling restraints, seeing him again after his extended absence can make the series finale more poignant.
1. Nicky Boyle-Reagan
Sami Gayle
Erin’s daughter was an important member of the Reagan family during the first ten years of the long-running series. Nicky was a headstrong teenager with a good heart, who also happened to hold more liberal political beliefs than the rest of the family. She not only allowed Blue Bloods to explore different points of view but demonstrated the Reagans’ commitment to the family because she was beloved despite their disagreements with her opinions.
Sami Gayle has been confirmed to return as Nicky before Blue Bloods’ series finale, although plots about her comeback remain unclear. This is appropriate, as it would be strange to wrap up the series without one of the most important Raegans of the next generation. Nicky has likely grown up a lot since moving to San Francisco to work for a liberal think tank and having her return to her family a different person than she was when she left will help make the ending of the show as emotional as it deserves to be.
