Blue Bloods Season 13: Jackie's Return Was Welcome (Even If It Disappointed)
Contains spoilers for "Blue Bloods" Season 13, Episode 21 — "Forgive us our Trespasses"
After seasons away from Danny Reagan's (Donnie Wahlberg ) orbit, Jackie Curatola (Jennifer Esposito) returns to the fold for the Season 13 finale of "Blue Bloods." Unfortunately, the terms of their reunion are not pleasant. Currently a police chief in Suffolk County, Jackie helps Danny and Maria Baez (Marisa Ramirez) track down a copycat killer who's duplicating the crimes of Dr. Leonard Walker (Mather Zickel), a serial killer Danny and Maria nab in Episode 13 of the season, "Past History."
Unfortunately, Walker has been released from prison due to insufficient evidence. The second perp turns out to be Walker himself, with a split personality, who tries to add to his laundry list of victims by killing Jackie. She survives, but Walker remains on the loose, leaving a perp for Danny and Maria to catch next season. In the end, Jackie and Danny part warmly, but Danny makes it clear that he thinks he's right where he ought to be partner-wise.
And yet, for some fans speaking up on the "Blue Bloods" subreddit, Jackie's guest spot was less than satisfying. "That episode felt so lazy for a finale. Danny didn't even act surprised to see her or hear from her after 10 years. Were we supposed to assume they kept in contact for 10 years without her ever being mentioned?" wondered u/IronSheikCamelClutch. They were also disappointed by Jackie and Baez's lack of interaction and the fact that the Walker storyline remains unsolved. While some fans consider the episode emblematic of a slow season, other fans want to wait and see how things pan out in Season 14. In any event, it generally made fans happy to have Jackie back.
Fans were just plain hoping for more out of this season finale
Fans were definitely divided over whether or not the Season 13 finale of "Blue Bloods" worked, even though they thought Jackie Curatola's return was the bee's knees. U/Smooth_Smoke_4762 thinks the episode's lack of punch may be the result of some shifts on the show's chess board. "I think we will come back next season and some characters have made some life changes," they suggested. Other fans agreed with u/IronSheikCamelClutch and wanted more Jackie and Maria interaction in the episode. "I wanted to see an awkward scene with Jackie and Baez. And I wanted Jackie to mention Linda in some way," said u/RickWest495, referencing Danny's late wife Linda Reagan (Amy Carlson).
A sizable contingent of fans just plain want more Jackie in the show. "Bring Jackie back full time! Jackie and Danny have better chemistry. Get rid of Baez already," requested u/Fit-Ad2106. As multiple fans point out in the thread, actress Jennifer Esposito has celiac disease and is very open about how it's affected her acting career. Even though a full-time return for Jackie is likely impossible, it's definitely nice to have her back on "Blue Bloods" now and again.