One of the most heartbreaking things about the finale of Blue Bloods is that we’re going to lose the Reagan family dinner.
By the time the show ends in December, the Reagans will have dined with us 293 times. If you watched it just once a day, you could enjoy almost a year’s worth of fictional dinners.
Each of these scenes is a powerful reminder of how important family is to the Regans, making it nearly impossible to decide which one is best.
The Reagans remember Joe after learning why he was killed
After expressing their gratitude, the family visited Joe’s grave
The first season of Blue Bloods focused on finding the reason why Joe Regan was killed. Joe passed away before the series’ first episode, and Jamie is determined to honor his brother’s memory by finding out the truth.
By the end of the season, they’d done just that, but it didn’t make anyone feel any better knowing that Joe was murdered by Sonny Malewski, who was trying to cover up his illegal activities and abuse of power.
The dinner scene provides a few minutes of relief from the tense scenes, in which Frank displays a rare angry yet completely relatable side as he confronts Malevsky before he shoots committed suicide.
The Regan siblings fight over who gets to say “Grace” and express their gratitude that they are alive and together.
This scene is one of the most memorable in the Reagan family dinner, as the family then heads to the cemetery to pay their respects to Joe before the closing credits roll.
The special dinner also capped off the season-long investigation into Joe’s death while showcasing the family’s continued closeness.
Although the banter at the dinner table is mostly light-hearted, Danny sympathizes with Jamie’s discomfort over shooting a suspect for the first time.
Frank then hoped that none of them would have to shoot again.
The brief exchange is also a stark reminder of the danger they all face, and how much Joe’s needless death has cost them.
Linda surprises Henry on his 60th anniversary as a police officer
A relaxing family dinner after an intense episode
In Blue Bloods Season 3 Episode 5, what seemed like a happy moment took a turn for the worse when an award-winning detective was kidnapped by a drug cartel.
While Frank and Danny pretend to agree to the hijackers’ demands while secretly plotting to get their cop back unscathed, Jamie has to endure Henry’s backseat driving along the way.
Jamie’s anger and Henry’s sense of not agreeing with the way he was doing his job made the ending even sweeter. It’s also a welcome respite from previous tensions.
During a light-hearted family dinner scene, Sean also incorrectly states that he wants to be a firefighter when he grows up.
Blue Bloods subscribes to the TV trope of cops and firefighters hating each other, so Sean easily shakes off everyone staring at him like he’s grown a second head.
What made this one of the most memorable Reagan family dinners was the surprise Linda gave Henry.
After dinner, she brought out a cake with candles and everyone congratulated Henry on reaching this milestone.
This scene not only reflects the love and devotion between the family, but also Linda’s value as a member.
When she died, the Regan family lost something special, and we can only hope that we don’t get a disappointing ending where Henry suffers a similar fate.
There’s an episode in Season 4 where everyone wears uniforms to a Reagan family dinner
The Reagans showed respect for the police system in the Season 4 finale.
This episode left Frank heartbroken. Being a man of integrity means he has to fire people he trusts who have worked with him at 1PP for the past four years.
However, neither Frank nor his family let this get him down.
This episode is one of the most memorable Reagan family dinners, as everyone shows up in uniform to show their respect for Frank and the police.
Linda once again provides a moment of levity at this family dinner where she insists that everyone hold hands for Grace, but no one is willing to do so, only to create the funniest and shortest Grace in Blue Bloods history.
Linda: Lord, please bless these sinners as they eat.
Nikki: Well, this is the new Grace.
Later, when Frank asks to practice a speech to some recruits at the police academy graduation ceremony, the family teases him, but the dinner scene the next day disappears right into his speech as the family watches.
The perfect juxtaposition of Frank’s speech with the corrupt police and corrupt DA facing the consequences of their actions made the final scene of the hour even more memorable.
Family surprises Danny and Linda at hospital
After Linda was shot, they had to miss family dinner, so the Regans gave it to them
The Franks have an unwritten rule: you never miss a dinner with the Regans unless you’re dying.
Danny has an excuse in Blue Bloods Season 5 Episode 22.
In true Reagan style, Frank and others made sure Danny wasn’t left out, connecting him and Linda with other family members via speakerphone.
This thoughtful move shows why canceling Blue Bloods is a huge mistake. That’s not all of the story, as the family has further surprises in store.
The best part of the Regan family dinners was the company, but the food was always of high quality and Frank and Henry couldn’t let Danny eat hospital food.
They arranged for food to be brought to him and Linda in the ward so that they could enjoy life as much as possible.
This unforgettable Reagan family dinner shows that no one in the family suffers alone.
Gestures like this are why so many are heartbroken that the series is coming to an end.
Erin once put her problem on the table
The Reagans usually put drama aside, but this time she’s had enough
Another basic rule is that no matter what problems people have with each other or at work, when they attend a family dinner, they leave their negativity at the door.
There are some exceptions, usually involving Erin. She is just as stubborn and rigid as Frank, which sometimes brings her into conflict with those around her.
One of the most memorable Reagan family dinners occurred during the sixth season of Blue Bloods. However, she felt that Regan’s last name would get in the way.
This dinner starts out like any other Blue Bloods dinner scene, with Jack and Nicky arguing when Jack wants more chicken and Nicky wants to keep some for herself.
However, things quickly get tense when Frank asks Erin how her petition for judgeship is going.
Erin’s complaints about the judge were quite mild. She didn’t rant or accuse anyone.
However, she doesn’t like her brothers’ attempts to make fun of her judgment and admits that she doesn’t think coming from a police family helps her much, as the mayor’s office is not police-friendly.
This dinner takes the family drama that Blue Bloods is famous for and takes it to an extreme.
To make matters worse, when Danny finally comes in, he doesn’t want to talk about the serial killer case he’s working on, and his silence makes things even more tense.
Family rally around Danny after Linda’s death
Danny seems lost until they rent him a new house
Linda’s off-screen death was heartbreaking. The first episode of Blue Bloods season 8 featured a time jump, but the past few months haven’t exactly been helpful to Danny.
For a full hour he worked hard without her, but as always, the Regans came to the rescue.
The first Sunday dinner without Linda there was also one of the most memorable Reagan family dinners.
Some fans are hoping Linda will somehow be alive before the end of “Blue Bloods.” This is unlikely to happen, and if it did, this beautiful view would be cheapened.
Not only did the Regans rent a house for Danny so he wouldn’t have to think about Linda all the time, but they also had dinner there instead of at Frank and Henry’s house.
When Danny was first brought into the new house, he was surprised and sad at the same time.
This dinner is similar to the one Danny had when Linda was hospitalized with her after she was shot, but it’s just as memorable because it shows that no matter what happens, the Reagans will keep moving forward.
Hopefully, this will also be the message of the series finale so that fans can at least take comfort in the fact that the Reagan family will continue on, even if their further adventures aren’t on screen.
Joe Hill joins the family for the first time
Sean invites him after learning of his existence
Joe Hill’s introduction to “Blue Bloods” changed the Regan family forever, and the first time he walked into the room for the Regan family dinner was one of the show’s most emotional moments.
Joe was the Regan family’s only connection to the late Joe Regan, but no one knew he existed until Sean stumbled upon him in the Blue Bloods season 10 finale.
Frank tries to covertly check on his grandson, which is awkward, and Paula Hill’s explanation that she doesn’t want her son to know he’s a Regan is painfully obvious.
However, in the final minutes, Sean introduces his cousin Joe to the family. Talk about a tear-jerking scene!
In his first few minutes with his family, Joe seemed awkward and shy, but he was grateful for the welcome the Reagans had given him.
This moment is made all the more memorable because it’s the only time in all nineteen episodes that Joe has appeared in so far that he’s been so positive about the Reagans.
He’s expected to reappear in at least the final eight episodes of Blue Bloods , so hopefully he’ll enjoy many more memorable Reagan family dinners!
Over to you, blue blood fanatics!
There are 283 courses to choose from, with some wonderful Reagan Family Dinners being left out.
Hit the comments and let us know your favorite.
The final eight episodes of Blue Bloods will begin airing on October 18, 2024 at 10/9c on CBS.
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