Blue Bloods' Main Characters Ranked Worst To Best
Since premiering in 2010, "Blue Bloods" has been one of the most consistent ratings draws on CBS. Now in its 13th season, it plays as a police procedural and family drama, all rolled into one. "Bloods" centers on the Reagans, a family of police officers and lawyers whose devotion to the law is matched only by their devotion to each other. Each week, the Reagan clan solves crimes and converses at the dinner table, with their personal and professional lives bleeding into one another.
The show is headlined by TV veteran Tom Selleck ("Magnum P.I.," the "Jesse Stone" series) as Police Commissioner Frank Reagan. Frank followed in the footsteps of his father, retired Commissioner Henry Reagan (Len Cariou), and his sons, Detective Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg) and Sergeant Jamie Reagan (Will Estes), followed him. His daughter, Erin Reagan (Bridget Moynahan), charted her own path as a lawyer, eventually becoming an Assistant District Attorney. Erin's daughter, Nicky Reagan-Boyle (Sami Gayle), hopes to one day join the family business, albeit as a reformer.
The world of "Blue Bloods" contains several other characters who have become family members to the Reagans, both literally and figuratively. There's Danny's wife, Linda Reagan (Amy Carlson), an ER nurse who died tragically in a helicopter crash; Officer Eddie Janko-Reagan (Vanessa Ray), Jamie's partner-turned-wife; and Danny's two partners, Detective Jackie Curatola (Jennifer Esposito) and Detective Maria Baez (Marisa Ramirez).
It can be difficult choosing a favorite Reagan or Reagan-adjacent player, but that won't stop fans from trying. Here's a countdown of "Blue Blood" main characters, ranked worst to best.
10. Detective Jackie Curatola
Although she returned for a cameo at the end of Season 13, Jennifer Esposito's run as Detective Jackie Curatola on "Blue Bloods" was short lived. In the first three seasons, Curatola was Detective Danny Reagan's (Donnie Wahlberg) trusted partner, newly divorced and constantly hit on by her fellow NYPD officers. So, it came as a bit of a shock when she took a leave of absence from reported exhaustion in the third season episode "Nightmares," which became a permanent exit.
Behind the scenes, Esposito's exit was due to a dispute with the show's producers. The actress suffers from Celiac disease, which made the strain of shooting a network television procedural difficult. According to a series of tweets the actress posted after her departure, a doctor had recommended she reduce hours to curb the effects of the disease. Things came to a head when Esposito collapsed on set, in full view of the cast and crew. After a weeklong recovery period, she returned to work only to learn that her character had been written off the series entirely. The incident, as well as the response to it by the network and producers, was "absolutely shameful," Esposito said in her Twitter thread.
Given all of the backstage drama, Esposito's return in the 13th season finale "Forgive Us Our Trespassers" was a welcomed surprise. Curalota, now working as Suffolk County's Chief of Police, was seen reuniting with Danny to catch a serial killer of women.
9. Officer Eddie Janko-Reagan
At its core, "Blue Bloods" is a story of family, and over the years the Reagan clan has grown to include new members. Vanessa Ray made her first appearance as Officer Edit "Eddie" Janko in the fourth season premiere "Unwritten Rules." Eddie starts off as the new partner of Jamie Reagan (Will Estes), but it becomes obvious fairly quickly that their relationship is more than just professional. The two fall in love and eventually marry, expanding the number of Reagans on the police force by one. As such, Taylor was bumped up from recurring player to regular co-star.
Born to Hungarian and Serbian immigrants, Eddie grew up in the warm glow of affluence thanks to her father, financial adviser Armin Janko (Michael Cullen). As it turns out, her dad was engaged in a Ponzi scheme, which leads to prison time. The elder Janko gets his sentence reduced when he helps bust a prison guard drug dealing ring, and eventually moves back in with Eddie's mother, Lena (Christine Ebersole).
Eddie hopes to make detective one day, but she has to balance her professional aspirations with personal ones. As her eventual husband makes his way up the ranks from officer to sergeant, she increasingly feels the need to prove her skills outside of her famous cop family. So, although she initially hyphenates her last name, she decides to be a Reagan at home while remaining a Janko at the precinct. Supportive husband that he is, Jamie raises few objections to his wife's career decisions.
8. Detective Maria Baez
That leave of absence by Detective Jackie Curatola (Esposito) left Detective Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg) without a partner. Enter Marisa Ramirez as Detective Maria Baez, who made her first appearance in the third season episode "Protest Too Much." In that installment, it was revealed that Danny and Maria were friends long before they started working together, giving them an instant rapport. That's good news, since the affinity Danny had for his former partner was already difficult to replicate, and fortunately for "Blue Bloods" fans, Detective Baez quickly managed to fill Curatola's shoes.
Detective Baez was destined to be a cop. At a very young age, she witnessed a horrific murder at the hands of drug dealer Octavio Nunez (Ski Carr). Helpless to do anything about it at the time, Baez was finally able to bring Nunez to justice in the season six episode "Stomping Grounds."
Although Maria grew up idolizing her older brother, Javier (Kirk Acevedo), she fell out of touch with him as he succumbed to drug addiction. In the season four installment "Bad Blood," Javier is caught on camera stabbing a restaurant employee to death, and Maria learns that her brother was the intended assassination target; the two patch things up and catch the real bad guy. In the Season 5 premiere "Partners," Maria suspects Javier is working for a drug cartel, only to find out he's acting as an informant for the DEA. The cartel fires at Maria, and Javier dies placing himself in front of the bullets.
7. Linda Reagan
Few moments have shocked "Blue Bloods" fans as thoroughly as the death of Linda Reagan. As played by Amy Carlson in the show's first seven season, Linda was an emergency room nurse married to Detective Daniel Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg), with whom she had two sons, Jack and Sean. She was killed when a medevac helicopter crashed offscreen between seasons seven and eight, leaving fans outraged and scratching their heads as to what exactly happened.
In short, Carlson left the series at the end of the seventh season, choosing not to renew her contract. As the actress revealed in an interview with Deadline, Carlson wasn't exactly pleased with the way the producers decided to handle her departure, saying she felt her character deserved a more fitting farewell. As it stands, viewers were surprised to learn of Linda's death in the Season 8 premiere "Cutting Losses," in which her grieving husband contemplates leaving the force to focus on raising their sons. Although Danny receives closure, the fans never have, since Carlson has been completely absent from the show ever since that hasty write-off.
A stay-at-home-mom during the early years of the show, Linda returned to work at St. Victor's Medical Center in Season 3, making her one of the few Reagans to not make a career of law enforcement. That's not to say she didn't experience her fair share of the family business; she was shot by a gangbanger while on duty in the Season 5 episode "New Rules," proving no Reagan is safe from criminals.
6. Nicky Reagan-Boyle
If you're part of the Reagan family, chances are you'll end up on the police force one day. Fealty to the badge is passed down from generation to generation, so it's little wonder that Nicky Reagan-Boyle (Sami Gayle) would want to follow in the footsteps of her uncles, Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) and Jamie (Will Estes), her grandfather, Frank (Tom Selleck), and her great-grandfather, Henry (Len Cariou).
Nicky is the child of Frank's only daughter, Assistant District Attorney Erin Reagan (Bridget Moynahan), and her ex-husband, defense attorney Jack Boyle (Peter Herrmann). Just like her mother was the only sister in a family of boys, Nicky is the only female grandchild. Her determination to become the first female family member to join the force proves this apple doesn't fall far from the tree. She often clashes with her family's painfully outdated views of law enforcement, expressing her desires to help change the NYPD for the better. She eventually attends Columbia University before taking the police exam.
Although Gayle was a frequent presence throughout the show's first ten seasons — bumping up to series regular for Season 5 — she only made one appearance each in seasons 11 and 13, and was completely missing in Season 12. Her absence was explained as Nicky accepting a job in San Francisco, but in a bit of art imitating life, it appeared as though Gayle wanted to step away for a while after juggling her hectic shooting schedule with full-time enrollment at Columbia University. Hope springs eternal that viewers haven't seen the last of her.
5. Sergeant Jamie Reagan
Although he attended Harvard Law School, it was inevitable that the youngest Reagan son, Jamie, would become a police officer. As played by Will Estes, Jamie was often coddled by his late mother, Mary, who didn't want him to follow his older brothers into law enforcement. But when one of his elder siblings, Joe, is killed in the line of duty, he gave up his promising law career to devote himself to fighting crime with a badge instead of a briefcase.
Something of a family golden boy, Jamie kept his nose out of trouble throughout his teenage years, save for one unfortunate incident at a wedding. In the first season, Jamie starts looking into his brother Joe's death, suspecting there's more to it than just regular police business. He soon discovers Joe was murdered by a group of corrupt cops known as the Blue Templar, who killed him when he got too close to uncovering their crimes. The Blue Templar try to take out Jamie, slashing the breaks in his car. But justice is eventually served, and the Reagan family gets retribution against the crooked officers.
In Season 4, Jamie gets paired up with Janko, and the two realize that their connection goes deeper than merely professional. They eventually marry, remaining partners when they realize there's no rules prohibiting them from doing so. Jamie's personal triumphs are matched by career ones, as he ascends to the rank of sergeant, proving he chose the correct career path.
4. Commissioner (ret.) Henry Reagan
In real life, Len Cariou is only six years older than Selleck; nevertheless, the two make a convincing father and son pair. That's due in part to the gravitas stage/screen veteran Cariou brings to the role of the Reagan family patriarch, retired police Commissioner Henry Reagan. Cariou, winner of a Tony Award in 1979 for the original run of "Sweeney Todd" and 2009 Emmy nominee for the TV movie "Into the Storm," has been a welcome presence on the CBS police drama throughout its entire run, showing the origins of the Reagan family's commitment to law enforcement.
After growing up in the Great Depression, Henry served as a marine in World War II and the Korean War before joining the force in 1952. He worked his way up the ranks and finally served as Commissioner. His ultra-conservative views on policing were passed down to his grandson, Danny (Donnie Wahlberg), and he frequently clashes with his more liberal family members, especially granddaughter Nicky, who hopes to become a reformer. Despite having views from an entirely different time period, Henry is a good guy at heart, frequently offering up folksy advice on a variety of topics.
Henry's conservatism is rooted in nostalgia for the good old days, and fear of the radical ways in which things are changing. He's also been lonely after the death of his wife Betty back in 2001. Luckily, his family is always there for him, as he is for them.
3. ADA Erin Reagan
It's not easy being the only girl in a family full of boys, and it's even tougher when you're the only one not to go into the family business. That's the case with Erin Reagan, played on "Blue Bloods" by Bridget Moynahan. Rather than become a police officer like her father, Frank (Tom Selleck), her grandfather, Henry (Len Cariou), her older brother, Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) and her younger brother, Jamie (Will Estes), Erin decided to go to law school, becoming a New York County Assistant District Attorney.
Growing up, Erin was always a fighter. Her tenacity carried over into her career as a prosecutor, and she puts enormous pressure on herself to win every case. Of course, her fealty to the criminal justice system from a legal standpoint puts her at odds with the rest of her family, who can't help but see things differently.
In her personal life, Erin is divorced from her husband, defense attorney Jack Boyle (Peter Herrmann), and raising their daughter, Nicky Reagan-Boyle (Sami Gayle), on her own. She's had few romantic relationships since then, although there was a long term flirtation with her boss, District Attorney Charles Rossellini (Bobby Cannavale). Yet Erin is perfectly content to live on her own, and one of her biggest triumphs comes in the third season episode "Old Wounds," when she finally drops her ex-husband's last name from her own. It's all part of her ongoing quest for individuality, beyond her famed family.
2. Detective Danny Reagan
The divide between old school policing and reform is a constant point of contention within the Reagan household, and that debate is frequently explored in the form of Detective Danny Reagan. As played by Donnie Wahlberg, Danny is the eldest Reagan son, and the one who knew from the very beginning he would follow in the footsteps of his father Frank (Tom Selleck) and grandfather Henry (Len Cariou). For Danny, being a detective is more than just a profession, it's a way of life.
Like his grandfather, Danny has no tolerance for liberal ideas about policing, preferring the more aggressive tactics that have put law enforcement under increased scrutiny. This puts him at odds with the rest of his family, including assistant district attorney sister Erin and beat cop brother Jamie. His police commissioner father is concerned about his son's methods, which frequently land him in trouble with the department and sometimes lead to suspects walking free. Yet, Danny's techniques are rooted in a desire to see justice served, and to help those who have been victims of violent crime.
Danny is devoted to his family, including sons Jack and Sean and wife Linda. He's also loyal to his partners, first Jackie Curatola and then Maria Baez. Even when his temper gets the best of him, he's a good guy to have in your corner.
1. Commissioner Frank Reagan
If you're ever curious as to why "Blue Bloods" has been such a success on CBS, look no further than the presence of Tom Selleck. The longtime TV veteran is, in many ways, the heart and soul of the series, bringing decades of gravitas and familiarity to the role of Police Commissioner Frank Reagan. It's one of Selleck's very best roles, up there with his Emmy-winning turn on "Magnum P.I." and the multiple "Jesse Stone" films, and proof that some stars never fade.
Frank is the patriarch of the Reagan family, a lifelong cop who worked his way up the ranks to Commissioner. His sons Danny and Jamie followed in his footsteps to become police officers, while his daughter Erin became an assistant district attorney. His third son, Joe, was also a cop, and was murdered by a group of corrupt officers known as the Blue Templar. He maintains a close relationship with his father, retired Commissioner Henry, and has inspired his granddaughter Nicky to pursue a career in law enforcement. He also remains devoted to his late wife, Mary.
Frank was on the front lines on 9-11, his heroism movingly explored in the Season 2 episode "The Job." In that installment, Frank experiences survivor's guilt after attending the funeral of a fellow first responder present that day. Part of the episode was shot at New York's 9/11 Memorial, making it the first show to do so, a fact of which Selleck remains proud.