Blue Bloods Characters Fans Can’t Stand
One of today’s best police procedurals, “Blue Bloods” offers a unique blend of cop stories and family drama. Centered on a family of law enforcers in New York City, the show is led by Tom Selleck as Frank Reagan, the NYC Police Commissioner whose entire family fights for justice in one way or another. His sons Jamie (Will Estes) and Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) work for the NYPD while his daughter Erin (Bridget Moynahan) is a city prosecutor.
Since the show launched in 2010, “Blue Bloods” has kept audiences on the edge of their seats, and one of its biggest strengths has been its cast of compelling characters. However, not every one of them is universally loved by fans. Some characters have routinely frustrated viewers, while others are so disliked that fans would love to see them written off the show. From long-time regulars and recurring Reagan adversaries to guests that quickly became unwelcome, these are the “Blue Bloods” characters that fans can’t stand.
Eddie Janko-Reagan
Edit “Eddie” Janko-Reagan joined “Blue Bloods” as a recurring character in the show’s fourth season, introduced as the new partner to Jamie Reagan. Played by Vanessa Ray, she’s known for being something of a hot head, never afraid to speak her mind to the point of rubbing some folks up the wrong way with her strong-willed nature. As Eddie’s role in the show grew — she was bumped up to series regular in Season 5 — so too did her connection to the Reagans. Her and Jamie’s will-they/won’t-they romance eventually culminated in their marriage, and this is where the character started to go downhill for some fans.
It seems that fans who initially liked Eddie grew weary of her — or, at least, how she was written — after her relationship with Jamie got on firmer footing. “Eddie used to be a very loved character but after she married Jamie, she got kind of annoying,” said u/mysticwonders_ on Reddit. And plenty of fellow “Blue Bloods” fans agreed. Some pointed out her habit of running to the Reagans whenever she gets herself in trouble, a far cry from the fiercely independent woman she was originally portrayed to be. Other fans have said that she’s just not very exciting to watch anymore. “The writers need to do something to give her storyline more drama. It’s not currently working,” said u/Se7en_senses, while another viewer put the blame on the insipid dialogue given to the character in more recent seasons.
Reverend Darnell Potter
The show has gone to great lengths to portray the Reagans as the good apples in the NYPD, which is why some fans have grown weary of Potter’s vendetta against them. “Instead of going after actual corrupt and racist cops he’s going after the ones who have done nothing wrong,” said one Redditor. They were frustrated by Potter’s misguided attempts to take down the Reagans, questioning why they made the character a “stereotypical mustache-twirling villain.”
Some viewers have said that Potter’s characterization is a result of the show having conservative ideals. Redditor u/hannahsflora wrote that the show “does not do nuance or subtlety,” and that anyone who opposes the Reagans will be painted as a villain, regardless of their goals. They added: “This has always frustrated me about the show and has gotten worse in recent years.”
Erin Reagan
Not every member of the Reagan family is part of the NYPD. While Jamie, Danny, and Frank are longtime members, others have branched out to different arms of the law enforcement community. At the top of that list is Frank’s daughter Erin, who begins the series as New York’s Assistant District Attorney before moving up the ranks to become DANY Bureau Chief. She might be a stalwart member of the Reagans, but that doesn’t mean that fans love her. In fact, many have been open about their dislike for the character.
In a Reddit discussion about the most-hated “Blue Bloods” characters, u/ZethuuC137 made it known that Erin was their least favorite, pulling no punches in their assessment. “What I hate about Erin is she is 100% my way or the highway, she hates second chances unless they’re her idea and she too comes across as a know-it-all especially when it comes to police work which she has proven to know next to nothing about over and over again.” Many agreed that Erin’s haughty, superior attitude can make her grating at times. “She makes me so angry and literally always acts like she knows everything in the world and she doesn’t,” said u/pll_superfan_-A.
Joe Hill
The story of “Blue Bloods” begins in the aftermath of the death of Frank’s son Joseph. During Season 10, audiences were shocked to learn that there was another Reagan family member they had never been told about: Joseph’s illegitimate son Joe Hill, who was now a police officer himself. But Joe didn’t prove to be as universally popular with audiences as producers may have hoped. Not long after his introduction, a fan started a discussion online titled “Joe Hill is a Terrible Character,” in which they argued that “he always comes off as a whiny and weak character.”
Described by the post writer as “the runt of the Regan [sic] litter,” responses to this take on Joe were mixed. Some pointed to his complicated past and the fact that he just found out that he’s a member of the powerful Reagan family as a reason for his characterization, but not everyone saw it that way. “The Reagans have gone out of their way to welcome him and he acts like an angsty brat,” said u/StevenArviv. Another fan simply didn’t see the point in the character at all, other than to shake up the status quo. “Joe doesn’t offer anything to the show. I forget he even exists.”
Frank Reagan
When “Blue Bloods” premiered it was seen as a TV comeback for Tom Selleck, who’d made a name for himself in the 1980s with “Magnum, P.I.” Instead of an independent lawman, Selleck played Frank Reagan, a tough-as-nails top cop in New York City whose entire family is involved in fighting crime in the Big Apple. However, despite being the ostensible series lead, Selleck and Frank Reagan aren’t beloved by all audiences. There’s even a vocal segment of the fandom that downright hates him — or, at least, what he’s become over the course of the long-running series.
“I am on season 7 ep 20 and Frank has become so insufferable,” said a Reddit user in 2021. “I also am beginning to find him hypocritical,” the user added, and while they were hesitant to voice their opinion for what they probably figured was a celebrated character, it turned out they weren’t alone. “Was beginning to think that I was going crazy, but someone finally said it,” replied u/TheMissDaisy. Fellow Frank haters joined in to accuse him of bullying, having a superiority complex, and behaving passive-aggressively to anyone who even thinks about challenging him. He was also criticized for the way he treats his kids. “He’s so sanctimonious or virtuous as to show he doesn’t favor his kids but turns around and favors some complete stranger,” added u/willyjames24.
Henry Reagan
Tom Selleck’s Frank Reagan may be a father to Jamie, Danny, and Erin and a grandfather to Nicky, but he’s not actually the eldest in the family. That role belongs to retired patriarch Henry Reagan (Len Cariou), who is seen most often at the famous “Blue Bloods” family dinners. In his younger days, Henry was also a New York cop, and he later served as the city’s police commissioner, just like his son Frank. Does this illustrate a bit of nepotism? Perhaps, but what’s more clear is that Henry is pretty hard to like according to many fans of the series.
Henry has been criticized for being a bitter blowhard. His biggest detractors see him as sanctimonious, a description that’s been levied at more than one member of the Reagan family. Often pining for days gone by, Henry is critical of today’s police officers, but things were far from rosy when he was in the game. In a lengthy post, one Redditor accused Henry of hypocrisy and breaking the rules. “We saw Henry Reagan confess to giving permission to his men as PC to find the one who put a hit on a cop,” u/prindacerk wrote. “That was clear abuse of power to protect someone.” In another post, fellow Redditor u/windi1978 said that Henry gets on their “last nerve” at times, such as “when he wants to interject and say well in my day or when I was commissioner.”
District Attorney Crawford
Running the courts in New York City is a big job, and Erin Reagan knows it well. She started out as Assistant District Attorney, helping put away the toughest crooks that her siblings caught on the streets and making sure they saw justice. But when Erin was up for a promotion she found herself pitted against a bitter rival in Kimberly Crawford (Roslyn Ruff). And when Crawford was appointed to the job over Erin, fans weren’t happy — not just because one of their own lost out, but because Crawford wasn’t deemed likable in the slightest.
Viewers of “Blue Bloods” inevitably disliked Crawford right from the start, and when she was elevated to District Attorney, they were quick to express their disappointment. She was branded a despicable attorney who couldn’t be trusted by some fans, and many insisted that she’s more than just a thorn in Erin’s side — she’s downright evil. “She is ok to aid her friends mom even though she committed murder but always behind Erin,” Redditor u/Ramham21 said. “I don’t like her.” Fellow user u/mysticwonders_ said that Crawford “undermines everyone in the DA’s office and is so rude to Erin for being there for her brothers,” adding that “Erin 100% should’ve gotten that job.”
Danny Reagan
Tom Selleck may be the focal point of “Blue Bloods,” but Donnie Wahlberg is the star, playing hard-nosed detective Danny Reagan. His father Frank and grandfather Henry guide the family, but it’s Danny who they look to when things get tough, the member of the family whose fighting spirit means he’ll take the reins when trouble rears its head. But Danny is a complicated character, a mix of ill-tempered firebrand and gutsy tough guy. He’s a down-to-earth everyman who would sometimes rather kick in a door than think his way out of a situation.
Unfortunately, Danny’s reckless actions have put him on the bad side of some viewers, many of whom have grown weary of his gruff attitude and lack of common sense. “I hate him so much, I find him so crude and boorish,” said a fan on Reddit. While some appreciate his detective skill, gumption, and willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done, many simply don’t like his unwillingness to follow the rules and his attitude toward other people. “He bullies his siblings. He treats his partner like s***. He’s horrible to his wife. And he talks to victims like they’re garbage. What a horrible human,” said Redditor u/Tracywpa, adding that they “fast forward through his parts” when he gets too unbearable.
Nicky Reagan-Boyle
The youngest of the Reagan women, Nicky Reagan-Boyle has actually been played by two different actors. In the series pilot, she’s played by Marlene Lawston, but when “Blue Bloods” went to series, she was replaced by Sami Gayle. Over the years, Nicky went from precocious kid to rebellious teen to responsible adult, and along the way, she went from guest star to recurring regular to main cast member. Unfortunately, by the time she was promoted to the main cast, many longtime viewers had already made their mind up about Nicky.
“Blue Bloods” viewers have been known to criticize Nicky for what they see as obnoxious character traits and a bratty persona. Some of this may have been by design, given Nicky’s presence as the youngster in the family, but that hasn’t helped soften the sentiment. “Gosh I could never understand how the powers that be kept her on the show,” Redditor u/DisneyAddict2021 said. “She is the most annoying and insufferable character ever! I can’t stand any scene she’s in.” Fellow Redditor u/calisto_fox agreed, adding that they “fast forward” through Nicky’s scenes.
Governor Martin Mendez
“Blue Bloods” is focused on the law enforcement community of New York City, from the officers and detectives of the NYPD to the prosecutors and defenders of the city’s criminal justice system. But it also includes members of the Big Apple’s political machine, from social activists like Reverend Potter all the way up to the Mayor of New York City. Over the years, one of the most hated politicians in the series has been New York Governor Martin Mendez (David Zayas), a schemer with his own agenda. Fans haven’t been shy about making their displeasure known when it comes to the character.
In a 2021 Reddit post titled “I Hate The Governor,” fans went off on Mendez, calling him “smarmy” and “smug” among other insults. Even a quick glance at the discussion makes it clear that Mendez is one of, if not the most-hated recurring character on “Blue Bloods.” Redditor u/SpaceMyopia, one of the few users who tried to defend Mendez, placed the blame on the show’s “main character syndrome,” which, they said, necessitates that any character who is opposed to the Reagans is immediately turned “into a punching bag.” Others noted that Mendez as a character is little more than a stereotypically shady politician, and thus designed to be disliked. “You hate the character so much it almost personally bugs you,” u/LCPhotowerx said of Mendez. “That means the actor is usually pretty good.”
