When Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg’s lawful drama Blue Bloods returns to CBS’ fall schedule in October, it’ll have a brand new primetime lead-in with Fire Country, starring SEAL Team’s Max Thieriot. That won’t be the only thing that’s changing for the long-running, high-viewership drama, either. No, the Reagan family won’t start having their weekly dinners at IHOP or anything so drastic, but fans will see one character taking on new job duties in a way that addresses a plot issue bigger than Selleck's mustache on the show.
Will Estes’ Jamie Reagan and Vanessa Ray’s Eddie Janko tied the knot in Blue Bloods’ Season 9 finale, and after Season 10 came and went without either character facing changes on the professional front, some fans started to question the reality of the couple working so closely together at the precinct. Now, three seasons after the fact, showrunner Kevin Wade revealed to TVLine that Jamie will be the one to change jobs, but without actually leaving the building. According to Wade:
It was brought up when Jamie and Eddie got married, that though there is no law on the books, it is against the rule of custom for spouses to work together in a precinct. But they have a new commanding officer this season (Stephanie Kurtzuba’s Sgt. McNichols), who as soon as she sees them says, ‘One of you is going to transfer by the end of the day.'
I’m sure many people can relate to a situation where a new boss takes over at work and immediately starts to implement changes without necessarily looking into what worked and what didn’t. Given this is less of a procedural shift and more of a staffing issue that runs counter to traditional rules, it’s not as debatable as other changes that could occur. Plus, the fact that Sgt. McNichols isn’t intent on pushing Jamie out the door is a good sign. Below, the showrunner explains what the creative team’s decision was, saying:
[To] elevate Jamie to Field Information Officer for that precinct. That means he’s not in uniform and he’s not at the morning rollout and all that stuff, but it’s a very real job at the NYPD.
While that may be disappointing to hear for fans who enjoy Jamie and Eddie’s work dynamic, and possibly for the actors themselves, it presumably won’t affect their home life in any major ways. And having Jamie take on new duties at work could lead to some interesting storytelling avenues.
Field Information Officers are generally the ones responsible for acquiring confidential informants, by way of making assessments of the suspects and perps that come through a precinct ahead of potential processing. Here’s how Kevin Wade explained it:
If [the perp] looks like a likely ‘treasure chest,’ the Field Information Officer sits them down and says, ‘I think we can probably cut you a break on this, depending on what you can give us.’ . . . [It’ll be] an interesting bit of diplomacy and hard-nosed policing, and a fishing expedition.
Sounds like Jamie will need to rely as much on his quick-thinking and skills of persuasion as much as anything else in Season 13 and beyond. There’s always the chance that a failed attempt to turn someone could result in dangerous criminals seeking retribution, but it’s not like Eddie won’t still be facing dangerous situations herself.
Having hit its 250th episode early in 2022, Blue Bloods remains one of the most-watched broadcast dramas year in and year out, a feat that star Donnie Wahlberg celebrated after Season 12’s numbers were revealed. So all things considered, I can’t imagine Jamie’s job adjustment will cause enough of a stir to change that distinction very much.
Blue Bloods Season 13 will premiere on CBS on Friday, October 7, at 10:00 p.m. ET, with an episode titled “Keeping the Faith,” so be sure to set your place at the table. While waiting, check out all the other big fall premieres with our 2022 TV schedule.
