Blue Bloods: The Strength of Fatherhood
The long-running CBS series Blue Bloods concluded its series finale on December 13, after fourteen successful seasons and nearly three hundred episodes. In an era where network TV audiences are shrinking, the show’s strong ratings until the very end were impressive.
While Blue Bloods is often classified as a police procedural, it’s much more of a family drama at its core. Tom Selleck stars as Frank Reagan, the Irish Catholic police commissioner of New York City. Widowed, Frank lives with his father, Henry Reagan, a retired NYPD commissioner. Frank’s three sons follow in their father’s footsteps as New York police officers, though the eldest was tragically killed by corrupt cops before the show’s start. His daughter works as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan. Law enforcement is the Reagan family’s legacy.
A significant aspect of the series is the Reagan family’s devout Catholicism, which is portrayed as unusually observant for a modern TV family. Every Sunday, they attend Mass and have a family dinner, where they always say grace before meals—a rare practice on network television. This family dinner scene is featured in every episode, becoming one of the show’s most beloved and unique aspects. In the series finale, the Reagan family is seen together in prayer, emphasizing the show’s deep commitment to family and faith.
Showrunner Kevin Wade has described Blue Bloods as a story about “tribes”—the Irish Catholic tribe, the police tribe, the military tribe, and the New York tribe. However, a more fitting interpretation might be that it’s about fathers and sons. This paternal relationship is central to the narrative, especially considering that the Reagan men—grandfather, father, and son—are all widowers. The show highlights the significance of fatherhood, not just in the police world but in the lives of its characters outside of it as well.
In the early seasons, Frank had romantic storylines, but these were soon overshadowed by tales of father-son dynamics within the police force. One poignant moment early on in the series occurs when Frank visits a dying mobster, Whitey Brennan, to offer condolences for the loss of his wife and grandson during a police raid Frank led decades ago. Frank speaks to Whitey about the shared pain of fatherhood and loss, offering him a chance to confess his sins to a priest—a moment underscoring the complexity of fatherhood and forgiveness.
In the final episode, Frank visits Lorenzo Batista, a gangster played by Edward James Olmos, to convince him to help find his son, a prime suspect in the shooting of the mayor. Initially, Batista resists, unwilling to betray his son. But Frank, appealing to Batista as a fellow father who knows the deep pain of losing a son, persuades him. Frank shares his own heartache from the loss of his son in a shootout, offering Batista the chance to save his son by turning him in. Batista finally relents, not as a criminal who “rats” but as a father who seeks to protect his child.
Fatherhood, in all its forms—faithful, flawed, triumphant, and painful—has been a recurring theme throughout the series. The show even explores spiritual fatherhood through frequent appearances by priests, including the archbishop of New York, who serves as one of Frank Reagan’s few true peers.
In an era where masculinity is often depicted as being in crisis, Blue Bloods offers a refreshing portrayal of fatherhood and manhood. In contrast to the modern trend of “bro” culture, which often encourages toxic ideas of masculinity, Blue Bloods presents a model of manliness grounded in wisdom, sacrifice, protection, and service to others. The advice that Henry gives his grandson Danny in the final moments of the series—“Think like a father”—perfectly sums up the essence of the show: a deep, enduring commitment to family and the wisdom passed down through generations of fathers.
In a 1994 interview book titled Crossing the Threshold of Hope, St. John Paul II explored a central truth that resonates throughout Blue Bloods: the ageless and universal significance of the father-son relationship. The Pope highlighted that the most enduring and profound paradigm in human history is the father-son bond, which transcends time and cultures. In Blue Bloods, this timeless narrative of fatherhood—interwoven with faith—was brought to life every Friday night, making it a standout show in modern television.
