There’s a blue blood story that can never be resolved.
Joe Regan’s death has cast a pall over the Regan family for as long as we’ve known them, and for good reason.
Frank’s beloved son was murdered by one of his fellow police officers. There’s no way to really overcome this, but as the series comes to an end, Blue Bloods must find some sort of solution to the family’s grief.
How Joe Regan’s Death Happened to Blue Bloods
Joe’s death occurred shortly before the events of Blue Bloods Season 1, and the family spent much of the first season trying to figure out the details of his death, only to find that knowing the facts didn’t make them feel any better.
After a season of investigation, things come to a head when the same men who killed Joe threaten Jamie. The truth comes out when Frank faces the evil Sonny Malevsky, the corrupt cop who ordered Joe’s hit.
(Ironically, Malevsky is played by Michael T. Weiss, best known for playing ultimate good guy Mike Horton on Days of Our Lives.)
By the end of the finale, Malevsky died at his own hand, and his family learned the truth: Joe was killed because he wanted to expose a group of corrupt police officers called the Blue Templar, who wanted to silence him.
Knowing this doesn’t change the fact that he’s dead. Malevsky’s suicide was cold comfort.
The Regan family paid their respects at Joe’s grave at the end of Season 1, fully aware that they would never fully recover from Joe’s senseless loss of life. So how does the series end this storyline now?
Now it’s all about the closure of the Reagan family
Learning the truth behind Joe Regan’s death is closure, but the family needs more than that.
That’s all Blue Bloods has to offer right now. Death is permanent, and Joe’s isn’t the only heartbreaking one.
Linda died between Blue Bloods season 7 and Blue Bloods season 8, leaving another hole in Danny’s heart that couldn’t be filled.
Additionally, Blue Bloods will also have to write about the death of Frank’s old friend Lenny Ross, following the death of Treat Williams in 2023.
Blue Bloods Season 14 Episode 3 was dedicated to Williams’ memory, with Frank toasting Lenny at a Reagan family dinner.
These losses are painful but not overshadowed like the death of Joe Regan. Each member of the Regan family is motivated by grief, pain, and guilt, so they need closure before the series finale.
Blue Bloods Season 14 Episode 11 points to the beginning of the final conclusion of this tragic storyline.
The episode focuses on Jamie’s grief over someone stealing the classic car he was driving, which originally belonged to Joe.
For Jamie, losing the car was like losing Joe all over again.
It was the car he learned to drive and had his first kiss.
It’s here that he and his brother have many of the important conversations about life, including whether Jamie should become a lawyer to please his family, or follow in the footsteps of Frank and Danny and become a police officer.
Yet despite the car’s close connection to Joe, Jamie has to learn to let go.
The thief may not be caught until he sells the car for parts, so Jamie has to accept that the car may be gone forever, just like his brother.
Jamie’s solution to the problem was to deliver the car to Joe Hill when it was eventually found.
This sequence is the beginning of the ending that deals with the death of Joe Regan, providing a strong hint about how the series will end the family in the series finale.
Joe Hill is the key to the Reagan family finding closure
Joe Regan’s death once again came into the spotlight when the Regan family learned about his son, Joe Hill, at the end of Blue Bloods season 10.
Joe Hill never knew his father, and the Regan family didn’t know he existed. His mother hoped so and saw no reason to reverse her decision after Joe Regan’s death.
This leads to embarrassment and hurt feelings on both sides as the family tries to adjust to the new addition.
This was difficult for the Regans because Joe Hill was constantly reminded that his father had passed away, but that he was also a part of him, living in this world.
Over the past few seasons, Joe Hill’s story has largely focused on his conflicting feelings about being involved with the Reagan family and their difficulty accepting his inclusion.
That’s why Joe Hill is the key to closing out games.
His presence illustrates the tragedy of his father’s untimely death, which is compounded by Paula Hill’s decision to keep the secret that his father was Joe Regan.
The Regans can’t make up for lost time any more than they can undo Joe Regan’s death, but by finally fully bonding with Joe, they can make the best of their situation.
Joe has traveled a lot and attended several Reagan family dinners, which is a step in the right direction.
Jamie giving him the car was also a strong, positive move. It recognized that Joe Hill was his father’s son and deserved to inherit his estate. This quote is especially significant coming from Jamie, the person Regan had the hardest time accepting of Joe.
Nothing will bring Joe Regan back, but the Regan family can move from grief to remembrance
In Blue Bloods Season 14 Episode 14, the Regans took another important step in grappling with their feelings about Joe Regan’s death.
The episode tells the story of Grace Edwards not wanting to give Danny the award, but the important thing is that Joe was scheduled to receive the award before his death.
This episode is about how almost anything can trigger grief.
Henry insists that the award is cursed because of Joe’s death, and Frank admits that he hopes Danny getting the award will make up for Joe not being able to attend the ceremony.
But it also points the way forward.
At the end of the episode, Danny decides to turn down the award because it should go to Joe.
The family met at Joe’s favorite restaurant, a restaurant they had not been to since his death, and raised a glass in his memory.
This is a good example of the shift they need to make.
They need to stop avoiding things that remind them of Joe and celebrate his life.
I have always dreamed that the series finale of Blue Bloods would end with a toast to the Reagan family, but that toast should also include a toast to Joe Regan so that the Reagan family could complete the transition from grief to acceptance and remembrance.
Over to you, blue blood fanatics.
Do you think there is a way to address the family’s feelings about Joe Regan’s passing? Was this supposed to be part of the ending?
Hit the comments with your thoughts.
The final episodes of Blue Bloods air Friday at 10/9c on CBS and Saturday on Paramount+. The series finale will air on December 13, 2024.
