Blue Bloods

For the past several weeks we’ve been bingeing on Netflix Blue Bloods, like two or three episodes a day. I can’t believe how many from the first three seasons we’d missed. I’d have sworn we were faithful viewers from the very beginning, but I guess I was wrong. Blue Bloods is such a good series, filled with admirable characters doing admirable deeds in the Big Apple.

The weekly Sunday dinners in the Reagan homestead allow us to see them interacting, arguing, praying, eating those fresh green beans that seem to be a Sunday staple, Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) frowning about some glitch in a case of his, Jamie (Will Estes) smiling his dissent at something Danny has said, Erin (Bridget Moynahan) giving us the district attorney side of cases, Grampa Henry (Len Cariou) growling something about “the old days” when he was police commissioner, Linda (Amy Carlson) keeping husband Dannie in line, elfin Nicky (Sami Gayle) looking like she should be starring in one of the Lord of the Rings movies, and Frank (Tom Selleck) handing out his homilies to keep them all on the same page. We get to know them all as real people with all the warts and scars real people carry with them. Dannie seems to be angry all the time, with a permanent frown on his face, and even when he smiles, it’s that crooked smile that’s more sarcastic than humorous. Erin, the rebel daughter who is now trying to keep her rebel daughter in check, is the beauty of the family. Erin is my definition of “beautiful,” whereas Linda is my definition of “pretty.” I love the duels between Frank and Garrett (Gregory Jbara) about news conferences and what Frank should be doing instead of what he wants to do, should be saying instead of what he wants to say. I love what Selleck does with facial closeups, the pursing of lips, the tiny nods of head, the eyes guarded behind those funny granny glasses he wears, the sighs of displeasure or frustration. I have a bunch of questions for the Blue Blood writers: When will Jamie ever make detective? When will you give Abigail Baker (Abigail Hawk) a bigger part to play? Will Jamie and Jenko (Vanessa Ray) ever get romantic? Will the whole family ever run out of Scotch, bourbon, or wine, and why doesn’t anyone ever have booze on the rocks? And finally, why do Frank’s shoes sound like they weigh ten pounds apiece? My wife and I both hope, as do a bunch of BB fans, that this series will continue for at least another ten years. I have too many questions that need answering.