The Worst Family Dinner Scene In Blue Bloods Season 1
The Reagan Sunday family dinner has been a staple in "Blue Bloods." Every single episode sees the characters sit down at the table and hash out the philosophical and ethical ramifications of the events throughout the episode. Some of them have a deep connection to the episode; others serve as little more than a narrative tool to help audiences understand what the characters think or feel.
Season 1 brought 22 episodes with a dinner scene. While there are plenty of great scenes throughout the series, most of them follow the same structure. The characters have to hash out a philosophical or ethical dilemma over the meal. Each person has the same place at the table, and most of them stay consistent in their viewpoints. Season 1 is jarring to rewatch if you have been a fan of "Blue Bloods" since many of those tropes have yet to be established. Erin (Bridget Moynahan) isn't always on her father's right side, and Linda (Amy Carlson) switches from side to side instead of parked on Frank's (Tom Selleck) left side as she is in later episodes.
Even though these scenes are still finding their footing with audiences, they are responsible for creating the show's heart. They establish Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) and Henry (Len Cariou) as bitter and abrasive, and Nicky (Sam Gayle) and Jamie (Will Estes) as the calming voice among the thin blue line. Some, though, fall short. Here is the worst dinner scene of Season 1.
They skirted around a sensitive issue
What Season 1 established with the narrative-driven dinner scenes was an opportunity to display all sides of a viewpoint plainly, without feeling like they had to build them in a convoluted storyline. We find out that Danny is ok with blurring the lines of what is legal or moral in the interest of saving a life without having to actually see him break the law. The conversations allow us a deeper look into the more flawed character traits without seeing them play out on-screen, which could possibly result in the audience losing some respect for the character.
However, in Season 1, Episode 5, "What You See," the writers decide to skirt an issue entirely. In an episode that was arguably the tensest of the season, Danny and Frank are working to find a bomb set to go off in the city. There is a lot of contention on the profiling of a Muslim-American, and the perpetrator ends up being the radicalized wife of his cousin. Danny, of course, talks her down and puts himself in harm's way, establishing himself as the hero of the moment.
While the episode was emotionally taxing, the ending dinner scene was set to be wrought with conflict. If it had followed the format of future seasons, Danny and Henry would argue that racially profiling led them to the right person. Erin, Nicky, and Jamie would say that racially profiling further oppresses an already marginalized group, and Frank would be stuck in the middle. Instead, the writers chose to skirt the issue altogether and have the family focus on Danny getting home to his family and celebrating his son's birthday. While the approach gave the audience some breathing room, the critical conversation about racial profiling was avoided, sweeping the issue under the rug.