Blue Bloods

The New Normal
No qualms against the title this week. The storylines represented some of the new laws and new ways of thinking – for better or for worse.
Let’s start with Jamie, Janko, and Witten: Jamie suggests that Janko and Witten be part of a pilot program to send out therapists with police officers. They realize they aren’t the first ones he asked, but he handles it diplomatically. Anyway, you’ve seen this one before. The person riding along is a pinhead and eventually runs home to Mommie after facing any real trouble. And indeed, the female therapist we see seems to fit the bill – overeager, and even takes a selfie before entering on her first call. (Though it turned out she was just photographing the radio commemorating her first call.) The cops try to settle down a mentally disturbed young man playing the music way too loud. When they seemed stymied, the therapist asks permission to try and then she connects with the kid enough to get him to put headphones on and settle down. Actual success. The lady cops are impressed.

When Jamie writes the report later on, he tells Eddie he’s not sure the pilot program will continue as some are nervous about. (He mentions the term “woke”, but this never struck me as a “woke” idea.) I like the communication between the two. It’s light, but always respectful. Later, they have to go back to the same house and this time – even though the disturbed kid seems to start to settle down – he grabs the psychiatrist and threatens her with a broken, jagged stick. Eddie and Jamie manage to disarm him without doing him any harm. Jamie even respectfully tells the woman that if someone threatens one of the cops with a weapon, he often doesn’t leave alive. But thanks to her, he still is. So, the plan can work, but no guarantees. Jamie will try to ask for its renewal when he gives his report. All very respectful. Would such a program work in real life? It could help in some situations, but might put the therapist in too much danger in others.

Erin’s new normal is the cashless bail program. She objects to letting someone with a violent past record back on the streets without bail. The haughty judge sees otherwise. “Could you afford $20,000 bail? “No, ma’am of course not.” “Then, let’s make it free so everything’s fair.” He ends up going after his wife like he had threatened to do at trial, but Erin and Anthony are there to stop it. Plus, he gets Federal charges for carrying an unlicensed gun. Still, the new DA is pissed at her and reminds her she’s not a bounty hunter. Well, good thing she was for this case.

Danny’s new normal is living in a society just waiting for a White cop to shoot a Black suspect. When he catches a Black man resisting arrest and stealing a cop’s gun but not holding it by the trigger, he lets the guy flee. Then he’s in trouble for not shooting a Black suspect, and later thinks the guy committed a murder with the cop’s gun. Fortunately, the suspect turns himself in and was cleared of the other murder. We see a different Danny this week – confused, overthinking things, doubting himself. Solid performance.

Frank’s new normal is the new ways of doing things, but he prefers the old methods. He calls a precinct captain with bad numbers and dresses him down firmly but respectfully. The man promises to do better, but something seems off. He has Gormley check it out and it looks like the guy has been neglecting his duties and concentrating on something else. He finds out the guy was planning to take a captain’s job somewhere else, so he calls that precinct to let then know the man they want to hire might not be doing his job right. This ends up wrecking both his current job and his future job. Did Frank overstep? It’s not all clear. Gormley says he torpedoed the man’s job and Frank admits it’s a warning shot against other captains trying to flee to other jobs. “You are not obligated to complete the work but neither are you free to abandon it,” he replies, quoting the Talmud. I’m retiring in a few years, but I want to leave my job so that whoever takes over can understand my notes and continue my audits efficiently. As I see it, if the captain had been doing his job diligently while chasing after another, there would have been no reason to look into his situation in the first place and he could have left for his new job with pride. As Frank said, he wrecked his own situation.

So, not the upbeat show last week’s was, but still some very powerful stories. Will this really be the new normal?

In Too Deep
Well, after comparing the last two shows, I realize I definitely like the upbeat stories better, and tonight was full of them.

In a sense, the Jamie/Eddie story and the Frank story were similar in nature – both had a character trying to prove something by helping to bring in a criminal. The J/E story was more light-hearted as the woman involved was a brainy but wacky girl Jamie went to school with who was now a podcaster convinced she knew who a serial killer was. Frank’s case was a serious emotional case involving a former cop who resigned after accusations came up against him and he feels responsible for letting it happen.

To the wacky podcaster Alison first, Jamie takes her case to Erin but gets a “we’ll look into it” response. Actually, they do, but the suspect is in a wheelchair. However, Anthony is still suspicious and digs deeper finding out the guy is faking his disability. The major hang-up with that is that he has a picture of the guy standing outside while taking out the trash or something. Would have been more believable for the insurance guys investigating him to have a distant shot through his window of him walking in his house, where he thought he wouldn’t be seen. He gives Jamie and Anthony the slip when they go to pick him up; nice change of pace that the guy doesn’t run right into the partner and get clocked like usually happens. Still, they catch him while trying to meet and kill Alison so all is well. She’s not happy that she can’t interview him. But, hey, it will make big news and she will be famous. The best part of the storyline was Eddie’s priceless reaction when Alison comes by unannounced.

Frank’s story is more serious as a former detective Doug McKenzie comes to him with information that he’s found a gang using riots to methodically loot businesses under the guise of random looting. They were deliberately vague about what he was accused of. Garrett claims he was a racist cop, but we all know how that one gets tossed around without proof. Eventually, McKenzie’s case pans out and his suspicions turn out to be correct. Then, Frank has him arrested for being part of the crime (he was dealing in the stolen goods to gain their trust.) I was hoping Frank had a good ulterior motive for that, and he did – maintaining the detective’s cover so he can offer him his job back. It’s a wonderful scene when the commissioner returns the man’s badge at the close of the show.

Finally, there’s Danny, who witnesses his next-door neighbor getting shot. First off, it was great that the guy wasn’t killed; usually two shots at close range is fatal. Naturally, Danny wants to take the case but is turned down. However, this time it’s not turned over to a couple of flunkies who take their time. The woman detective assigned - Judy Farrow - is highly competent and works fast. (She also has some badass karate moves.) Baez actually shames Danny is apologizing to her after he tries his usual moves to take over the case. It’s nice to see him admit to being wrong, both to Farrow and later to Baez. Farrow lets him help on the case and it’s solved pretty fast. I’m a little annoyed with the victim’s son, who first blames Danny for letting someone else take the case. Then, when Danny asks the father if he had any enemies, the son accuses Danny of asking accusatory questions. Sheesh!

Unfortunately, they came in late during the dinner scene where they were apparently discussing over-rated things. I don’t know what TV show they were talking about as overrated since they were in the middle of that when they cut in. I may have to check on that part on demand.

An upbeat week and another great episode. Looks like last week’s downer wasn’t the new normal after all.

“More Than Meets the Eye”

I must admit I don’t know what to make of Erin’s new boss, Kimberly Crawford. I don’t really like her since they brought her in from another state over promoting Erin. Then I was impressed with the story she told the witness about not standing up in court for the truth and becoming a prosecutor to make up for it. I also appreciated what Frank said about not knowing what she might have to prove in her own life. Then she admits to Erin that she just made up the story that she told to the witness. Of course, that figured. But I can see her reasoning for doing it, and it’s not like Erin hasn’t done some questionable things in the past. The actress who plays her, Rosalyn Ruff, is very good so it will be interesting to see how this ultimately plays out.

The “reporter” deserved to be arrested. Jamie specifically told her not to touch any evidence and she picked up the bag in defiance. Though it was Crawford’s call, Erin was probably right that the young woman wouldn’t have been convicted on a first offense. Then she has the nerve to film a crime and not help the police with her footage. I had no qualms about them supenoeing her phone – she had released crime footage from it on the Internet. Of course, they had probable cause. Meanwhile, the AG tries to make Frank drop the charges and he won’t do it. “There’s the door,” Frank indicated in response to the AG’s threats. (I liked the way the AG later said, “You literally showed me the door.” Again, proper use of literally.) The AG should know better than to pick a fight with Frank; in the end, he got his comeuppance but good!

I’m glad the serial killer story seems to be over now – although who knows what they might pull in the trial? Glad Baez was able to get that creep before Danny arrived and not ending up being saved at the last second. But what the hell was she thinking going in there alone like that? That guy had already pushed her down a flight of stairs once – you don’t take any chances with someone like that.

A solid episode with lots of good performance. Keep it up, everyone.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

A different type of episodes tonight – more cerebral. There was more dialogue than action. It might have worked if the dialogue had been interesting, but this was all lame and pathetic and a total waste of time. By the way, today’s date in April 2, 2021 and this has been a late APRIL FOOL’S GAG! Now, on to my real review below:

A different type of episodes tonight – more cerebral. There was more dialogue than action. That can only work when the dialogue and the acting is really good and – oh, boy – were they ever.

The only real case for tonight concerned Baez finding a corpse on her front lawn – someone she knows and has even been dating casually recently. Rather than an investigation into the case (which would be a conflict) this was about Internal Affairs wanting to ask her questions and Danny being persuaded by his boss to question her first to prepare her for IA’s upcoming grilling. The questioning seemed very real, and I liked how she said to him she wasn’t sure if he was asking what he thought IA would ask or what he wanted to know for himself. He replies he wasn’t sure if she was hesitating because of the question or because he was asking the questions. A genuine concern was shown between the two; their feelings for each other clearly go beyond just being partners. I’m not sure if they’re leading up to the two of them falling in love. I’m hoping not, in this case. I’d rather it just be a deep, deep respect like shown here tonight.

When asked if she had been intimate with the victim, Eamon, Baez responded that she barely knew him. That tells me the answer was no, and I was glad of that. Sex is treated way too casually in the TV world, and I was glad to see it established that she treated it seriously. The way she reacted on finding his body and the way she looked at photos of him later on indicated she did have feelings for him. They might have eventually been intimate, but their relationship had not yet reached that stage. I feel even more respect for her now and more sympathy for Eamon.

The confrontation between her and Eamon’s fiancé Regina at the end was set up nicely. I think she still could have won without Danny showing up, and I loved how she conked Regina with the frying pan (or whatever it was) as soon as she had her hands free. Danny says he’d seen her because her doorbell video device had come on while he was looking at it at the station. “Saved by the bell,” she replied. “Literally,” he returns. Again, perfect use of the word literally. I loved it.

One last thought: I’m of the impression that maybe Regina wasn’t really Eamon’s fiancé, but some wacko who wanted him from afar, and pretended to be his fiancé afterward. She killed him for rejecting her and tried to kill Baez for dating the man she thought belonged to her.

On to Jamie and Eddy. She’s been voted in as a union rep and has to go up against her husband for giving one of his men a “rip” for being late to work three times. She thinks he should be more lenient; he tells her he was lenient the first 2 times, but after that the officer should have done something to change the pattern. When they discuss it as their apartment, the banter between them is great. “It’s not fair. You’re a lawyer, and this is my first time arguing a case.” “And yet, I’ve lost dozens of arguments to you.” The two can argue without ever being disrespectful. In the end, Jamie wins the case, (I agreed with the ruling.) but removed the rip. Jamie pretends he had nothing to do with it, but his body language proves otherwise. No harm in giving the guy one more chance; let’s hope he does adjust his habit pattern in the future.

Sid Gormley is meanwhile on the hot seat for also being late for work and visibly disturbed. Frank tries to get him to see a psychiatrist by saying Garrett and Baker will see one too. Then they pressure him to join the club as well. Predictably, Frank’s first session doesn’t go well, even though the psychiatrist seems to be a forthright kind of guy. Frank later speaks to him more honestly at show’s end. We eventually find out Gormley’s former partner of 15 years had died recently, bringing on his trauma. He has a wonderful scene where he temporarily breaks down toward the end. He still had not sought counseling by then, so will he be okay next week? Garrett and Baker cover for his absence near the end of the show, and Frank tells them with a smile that they are true friends of Gormley.

But I saved the best for last – Erin vs. Crawford. What a matchup. Erin gets incensed when her boss gives her notes on how to question people on the stand. She charges into her office and delivers a perfect counter argument out loud – except that she did it while Crawford was on the phone with the governor’s aide. Ouch! Now Erin has to apologize profusely, though she does still add that her notes argument stands. This leads to a conversation between the two at a restaurant to make sure it’s all “civil.” Watching the two sitting across from each other is like watching a chess match, or two boxers sizing each other out before throwing the first punch. The only line that bothered me what when Kimberly says that Erin thinks she got the job because she was Black and when Erin denies that she just says she’s okay with that – as if to say she thinks it’s true whether Erin admits it or not. Still, she could just be saying that the thought must have at least crossed her mind – even if she didn’t actually believe it. I can go along with that. Besides, she is confident that she really got the job for her qualifications so the race factor goes no further than that.

Erin considers resigning, but Anthony talks her out of it. May I point out Steven R Schirripa really brought his A game tonight. His two scenes of verbal volley with Erin were both superb! He tells her to grow a pair and fight back. Erin only threatens to resign to her boss. “I can work with you,” Erin tells her, “but I can’t work for you.” A truce is reached – for now. Again, Roslyn Ruff is outstanding tonight. I’m looking forward to further interactions between her and Erin!

At dinner, Danny’s son gets accepted into college. Does that mean we will see less of him now, though? Might be a future dinner table with no grandkids at it.

All in all, a superb show tonight. I absolutely loved it – and that’s no joke!